Genetic Analysis of Quantitative Characters in the F₂ Population of Chilli Cross JNA1 × BVC42

Abstract

Genetic variability and its heritable components are crucial in selecting breeding material, and a thorough understanding of genetic variability is the fundamental basis for developing superior varieties. In the absence of sufficient variability, genetic progress becomes limited, necessitating the enrichment of germplasm or the creation of additional variability through hybridisation, mutation or polyploidy breeding.  In this study, an F₂ population derived from the cross JNA1 × BVC42 was evaluated to assess genetic variability for ten quantitative traits. This study was conducted at the College of Agriculture, Raichur, Karnataka, during Kharif from July 2021 to February 2022. The frequency distribution revealed positive skewness with platykurtic curves for most traits, except plant height, fruit length, fruit weight and chlorophyll content, which exhibited negative skewness along with platykurtic distribution. Analysis of genetic variability showed high phenotypic and genotypic coefficients of variation (PCV and GCV) for the number of primary branches, the number of seeds per fruit, the number of fruits per plant and dry fruit yield per plant. Furthermore, all traits recorded high heritability (h²b) coupled with high genetic advance as a percentage of the mean (GAM). The presence of substantial genetic variability, along with high heritability and GAM across several traits, underscores the potential of the F₂ population for selecting superior segregants and accelerating the development of improved chilli varieties.