Abstract

TOLEDO-AGUILAR, Rocío et al. Vegetative, reproductive and fruit yield characteristics of "poblano" pepper landraces. Rev. Chapingo Ser.Hortic [online]. 2011, vol.17, n.3, pp.139-150. ISSN 2007-4034.

Besides its cultural importance, poblano pepper is a source of income and food for rural families of the region of Sierra Nevada in Puebla, Mexico. However, poblano pepper yield and cultivated land have decreased in the last year, due to factors as: landraces, frosts, pests and diseases, among other issues, which could lead to loss of genetic diversity. Nonetheless, little research has been done to solve its current problematic. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate the vegetative, reproductive and fruit yield characteristics of the native variety of poblano pepper from the region of Sierra Nevada in the state of Puebla, and to choose local cultivars for further breeding. A group of 49 landraces were evaluated using a triple 7x7 lattice design in two localities. According with the combined analysis, the traits that had significant differences among varieties were days to flowering /70 to 96), days to fructification (78 to 109), plant height (37.9 to 56.8 cm), plant width (24.1 to 44.3 cm), branching density (5.7 to 6.8), fruit weight (4.7 to 24.8 g) and fruit number (2.2 to 7.2). The 20 % outstanding varieties had fresh fruit yield that ranged between 7.4 and 9.6 t·ha^-1. The existence of morphological diversity in local poblano pepper landraces, expressed through the tested characteristics, could be integrated into plant diversity preservation and breeding programs.

Keywords : Capsicum annuum L.; morphological characteristics; yield; Puebla; Mexico.

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