Protecting vegetable cultivars in Brazil: a chili pepper case-study research

Abstract

In all countries, members of the UPOV (Union Internationale pour la Protection des Obtentions Végétales), of which Brazil is a signatory, to protect a new plant variety is necessary to carry out DUS (Distinctness, Uniformity and Stability) tests. DUS testing forCapsicum spp. is based on 48 descriptors, which involve qualitative and quantitative traits, observed from germination to fruit harvest. This paper describes the performance of DUS tests on lines of chili peppers, which are candidates for protection; we discuss the main aspects related to operational difficulties, the relevance of some descriptors for the protection process and highlight the importance of protecting new plant varieties as national intellectual property. Four C. annuum var.annuum recombinant inbred lines were tested. The Capsicum Breeding Program of the Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro developed the lines, which are resistant to bacterial spot. They were tested under greenhouse conditions from June to November 2013; and from January to July 2014 in Campos dos Goytacazes, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. The 'Jalapeño M' commercial genotype was used as control and treatments were arranged in a randomized block design with seven plants per plot with five replications. Besides the 48 descriptors, stipulated by legislation for Capsicum DUS testing, we included a descriptor for bacterial spot resistance. The descriptors that enabled distinction varied with each line. Although being distinctive for some descriptors, L1 and L2 lines were neither homogeneous nor stable. L6 and L8 recombined lines were characterized by homogeneity and stability. Fruit shape, capsaicin presence, number of days for flowering and bacterial spot resistance were descriptors that allowed for differentiation between treatments. In conclusion, the L6 and L8 recombined lines met the DUS test requirements; therefore, they may be subjected to the protection process with the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Food Supply.

Inheritance of bacterial spot resistance in Capsicum annuum var. annuum

“…These findings corroborate those reported in preceding studies such as Moreira et al (2013aMoreira et al ( , 2015. Moreover, P 2 had its resistance confirmed ( Figure 4B), as already observed by Moreira et al (2010Moreira et al ( , 2013b and Pimenta et al (2016). It is noteworthy emphasizing that highly contrasting parents are essential for the evaluated characteristic.…”

Research Article Multiple genetic resistances in Capsicum spp.

“…Starting from this concentration, a serial dilution was performed to reach a concentration of 1.0 x 10 5 CFU/mL. Plants were inoculated 15 days after being transplanted by infiltration of bacterial suspension onto the leaf abaxial surface throughout an area of nearly 1.0 cm 2 , using a syringe and hypodermic needles (Riva-Souza et al, 2007;Pimenta et al, 2016).…”

“…Despite these studies, few pure line cultivars that are resistant to BS are available in the seed market. Pimenta et al (2016) developed and protected two cultivars of pepper (Capsicum annuum var. annuum) with BS resistance, being the first species protected in Brazil.…”