Continuity, focus and impact: a commented historical perspective on Embrapa Vegetables' extended Capsicum breeding program

Abstract

The article describes the origin, development and main results of Embrapa Vegetables' Capsicum breeding program, a continuous activity for more than three decades. The article points out and highlights how partnerships, both in Brazil and abroad, both with the public and the private sectors, were vital to the success of the program. The article also glosses over the development of the Capsicum germplasm bank and its importance to the breeding program, concluding with a set of faced challenges and lessons learned which might be of interest to other similar programs.

Research Article Characterization of a pepper collection (Capsicum frutescens L.) from Brazil.

“…Such approach, however, depends on the genetic resources preserved and available in germplasm banks, which is the basis for pepper breeding programs by improving efficiency and crop production. The Capsicum Germplasm Bank of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) started in the 1970's (Reifschneider et al, 2016). Nowadays, it stores over 4,000 domesticated, semi-domesticated, and wild pepper accessions collected from different Brazilian regions, comprising two centers of genetic diversity for Capsicum species ).…”

Embrapa’s Capsicum Breeding Program—Looking back … into the Future

“…The first books on Capsicum written in Portuguese [36][37][38], were edited and published by program researchers. The book "Capsicum: pimentas e pimentões no Brasil" [37] was included in the commemorative publications for the 500th anniversary of the discovery of Brazil and it won the prestigious Jabuti award of Brazilian literature [1]; the book on pepper management "Pimentas Capsicum" [38] received the 11th Jorge Salim Prize, textbooks category.…”

“…More than two dozen theses (B.Sc., M.Sc., D.Sc. and PhD) on different topics of interest to the program were also completed [1].…”

“…This GB has served as the genetic basis for an ample genetic breeding program of Embrapa and partners in Brazil and abroad ( Figure 1). In the breeding collection there are more than 30,000 lines and populations of domesticated and semi-domesticated species and dozens of cultivars of various types of spicy and low pungent peppers available to different market segments [1,7]. The use of conserved genetic resources in GBs has to be enhanced through characterization activity, adding value to conserved germplasm.…”

Research Article Variability among Capsicum baccatum accessions from Goiás, Brazil, assessed by morphological traits and molecular markers.

“…One of the foundations of that program was the establishment of research and professional training partnerships with other institutions in Brazil and abroad (Reifschneider et al, 2016). One such a partnership was established with the Instituto Federal Goiano -IF Goiano (Federal Institute of Goiás, Brazil) in 2009.…”