Assessment of natural cross-pollination levels in chili pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Inconsistency of the current information on the natural cross-pollination (NCP) stimulated this research to update the natural cross-pollination rates of chili pepper. The objective of this study were to determine the level of natural cross pollination and the various factors that influence of the NCP in chili pepper. The experiment used four genotypes of chili peppers, "IPBC2, IPBC5, IPBC120" (green hypocotyl) and IPBC20 (purple hypocotyl). The experiment utilized the dominance of purple hypocotyl colors over green hypocotyl colors to determine NCP. The experimental field consisted of three blocks of trial. Each blocks was planted by purple hypocotyl genotype in the central plot and green hypocotyl genotypes in the surrounding four plots. Seeds were harvested from each plant and were examined for the levels of NCP in the next generation. The result showed that there were the differences on percentages of NCP on different chili pepper genotypes. The results also showed that the levels of NCP in chili pepper could be associated with by stigma exertion length and the level of successful artificial cross-pollination.