Additive and non-additive genetic effects for fruit traits of ornamental pepper

ABSTRACT Pepper plants can be used as ornamental ones due to the contrasting traits of plants, flowers, and especially fruits. This variability can be exploited in genetic improvement programs aiming at identifying superior genotypes and obtaining hybrids. This work aimed to select parental and hybrid individuals through diallel analysis for fruit traits in Capsicum annuum. Seven pepper genotypes were crossed, and eleven fruit-related quantitative traits were evaluated. The data were subjected to diallel analysis using Griffing’s Method 1 (fixed model). There was a predominance of additive genetic effects on the fruit traits of ornamental pepper plants. Genotypes UFPB77.3 and UFPB390 are indicated as parents for the improvement of ornamental pepper plants, for fruit traits. Hybrids UFPB77.3 x UFPB099, UFPB390 x UFPB77.3, UFPB390 x UFPB001, UFPB390 x UFPB099, UFPB134 x UFPB77.3, and UFPB134 x UFPB390 present a potential for the production of hybrids and generation of segregating populations of ornamental peppers.