Do fruiting habit traits affect green fruit yield and its component traits in chilli (Capsicum annuumL.)?

In chilli, farmer preferences for fruiting habit traits, namely fruit orientation (pendant erect) and fruits node−1(solitary cluster), vary from region to region. For increased acceptability by farmers/consumers, cultivars should be bred with preferred fruiting habit traits in high green fruit yielding background. An investigation was carried out to study the influence of fruiting habit traits on green fruit yield and its component traits during the 2016 and 2017 rainy seasons. The F2, backcross populations and near-isogenic lines (NILs) derived from crosses involving parents differing for single or both the fruiting habit traits were grouped into fruiting habit classes (single and cluster fruiting; and clustered erect, clustered pendant, single erect and single pendant). Significance of differences in fruit yield and its component traits between/among different fruiting habit trait classes were examined using ‘t’/‘F’ tests. The significance of ‘t’/‘F’ tests was regarded as pieces of evidence for considerable effects of fruiting habit traits on fruit yield and its component traits. While results-based on F2and backcross generations indicated a lack of effects, those based on NILs indicated significant effects of fruiting habit traits on fruit yield and its component traits. The plants bearing pendant fruits (irrespective of whether they are clustered or single) produced a large number of heavier and longer fruits than those bearing erect fruits. The results are discussed about the strategies to develop high yielding cultivars with farmer preferred fruiting habit traits.