Study On Heterosis And Choice Of Parents In Pepper (Capsicum Annuum L.)

In order to raise the efficiency of breeding for pepper with characteristics of earliness, high yield, superior quality, and to explore the methods to improvement for pepper breeding. The study was carried out with eight pepper varieties and arranged in 4×4 incomplete diallel cross with a random block design and three replications . Observing 26 characters, we studied the heterosis, gray correlative degree analysis, the relationships between parents and F1 hybrids, the expressions of combining abilities etc. the results were as following:1. The heterosis of the pepper were quite extensive and apparent. 249 crosses showed positive heterosis over mid-parents, 164 crosses showed negative heterosis over the mid-parents, only 2 crosses expressed no heterosis. The major crosses produced over dominance or partial dominance, only seldom crosses showed no dominance.2. The correlative characters , such as early yield, total yield and quality traits , were studied by gray correlative degree analysis ,and made it clear among the closer traits of these characters. Meanwhile, using the relationships between parents and F1 hybrids, we selected the superior parents in early yield, total yield ,and quality traits ,so could raise the correlative traits of F1 hybrids.3. The peroxidase isozymes in leaves of 16 heterotic hybrids and 8 parents showed: heterosis of the pepper could be predicted by the peroxidase isozymes. At the same time, we studied the peroxidase isozymes, using the mixture of the leaves of females and males parents. The results showed there was no difference with those of the field experiment. By this method, it could provided the simple and convenient method for the choice of parents.4. There were greatly difference among various parents and among various traits on general combining abilities, and so were specific combining abilities. We could comprehensively evaluate parents according to general combining ability, specific combining ability variances and their standard deviation. The general combining abilities and specific combining abilities reached to significant level in the study of all traits .As 1,2,6,7,8 in the high yield breeding, and as 4,5,6 in the earliness yield breeding, 3,5 were regarded as good parents in the quality character breeding .There were significant correl -ations between the characters of the general combining abilities, but the correlations among parents character value, F1 combinations character value, general combining ability did not reach to significant level.