EVALUATING THE MORPHOLOGICAL, QUALITY, YIELD AND YIELD RELATED CHARACTERISTICS OF DIFFERENT HOT PEPPER (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L.) GENOTYPES.

Abstract: Hot chilli peppers (genus Capsicum) are among the most heavily consumed spices throughout the world, which are known for their pungency, pigment and nutrition content. The demand for chillies has been on the rise annually, owing to the significance of its phytochemical characteristics. These compounds are increasingly recognized for their potential health benefits and applications in various industries. The study was planned to evaluate different genotypes of chillies for their morphological, quality, yield and yield related traits. The experiment conducted at Vegetable Research Institute Faisalabad. Eight different genotypes evaluated. The Results indicated that genotype HP-2 had highest number of primary branches, number of fruit per plant, fruit yield per plant, capsaicin (%) and carbohydrates (%). HP-15 had highest plant height. HP-28 had highest percentage of crude proteins while HP-2 had highest quantity of ascorbic acid. Crude fibres were found 25.7% in HP-17 and HP-28. The studies indicated that selection of genotypes on the base of morphological, quality, yield and yield related traits could help in developing high yielding genotypes. The genotype HP-2 can be used in further breeding program.