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Chilli pepper is commercially cultivated as a spice and is also used for the extraction of a colouring agent. Here, we performed a diallel genetic study involving five chilli pepper varieties. Parents and their hybrid were evaluated for fifteen morphological and five biochemical traits over two crop seasons under open field conditions. Variation was recorded for all of the studied traits. Similarly, significant values for general combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) variance were obtained for all of the traits. The ratio of σ 2 SCA/σ 2 GCA indicates that non-additive gene effects were predominant for all the studied traits except for fruits plant −1 . Based on SCA effects, cross combinations P2 × P5, and P4 × P5 were determined excellent for flesh thickness, yield components and vitamin C. These hybrids are recommended for multilocation testing to assess their suitability for commercial cultivation. Overall, this work presents useful information regarding the genetics of important morphological and biochemical traits in chilli pepper.

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Tomato leaf curl virus is a serious threat to an autumn-winter crop of tomato in North India, causing yield losses up to 90-100%. Therefore, nine resistant and one susceptible line (Punjab Chhuhara) of tomato were crossed in half-diallel fashion to develop 45 F 1 hybrids. Parents and their hybrids were evaluated for yield and quality traits under natural epiphytotic field conditions. There were extensive differences in the performance of parental lines carrying similar and different resistance genes (Ty-X). Of three parental lines carrying Ty-2 gene, CLN 17 performed better than 2123D and 2123C in respect of mean and general combining ability (GCA) for total yield and fruit weight. Likewise, out of three parental lines incorporating two resistance genes (Ty-1 and Ty-2), the line CLN 138B had better mean values and GCA for total yield and fruit weight than CLN 138A and CLN 104. However, the parental line CLN 154 with three different resistance genes (Ty-1, Ty-2, Ty-3) showed the best GCA for total yield, and it was followed by genotype CLN 138B comprising of two resistance genes (Ty-1 and Ty-2). However, the parental lines carrying Ty-2 gene alone produced three useful hybrids expressing 19 to 28% heterosis over top parent for total yield. Four highly significant cross-combinations can be recommended for pedigree selection to develop superior inbred lines. The top parent CLN 154 yielding significantly higher than released varieties along with seven F 1 hybrids manifesting 16 to 31% top parent heterosis for total yield can be recommended after multi-location evaluations. Overall, this study provides useful information on the successful leaf curl virus resistant gene combinations under the north-Indian conditions.

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Chilli leaf curl disease is a serious threat to summer crop of chilli in South India causing economic yield losses. Therefore, development of chilli hybrids having leaf curl tolerance and high yield is the present need in chilli growing regions. Seven high yielding lines were crosses with four resistant testers in line × tester mating design to produce 28 F 1 hybrids. Highest heterosis over better parent was exhibited by the cross L6 × T4 for fruit length (74.71%), by L4 × T3 for fruit girth (37.58%), by L6 × T1 for fruits plant -1 (37.86%), by L1 × T2 for fruit weight (51.64%) and by L3 × T2 for yield plot -1 (56.04%). Highest standard heterosis was exhibited by the cross L4 × T2 for fruit length (83.53%), L5 × T3 for fruit girth (45.26%), L6 × T1 for fruits plant -1 (90.60%), L1 × T2 for fruit weight (95.28%) and L3 × T2 for yield plot -1 (151.34%). Among the hybrids, L3 × T2, L1 × T1, L7 × T1 and L6 × T1 were showed high heterosis over high parent, mid-parent and standard check for yield and yield attributes. These hybrids could be utilized for future chilli improvement programme.