Author
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Stommel, John |
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Griesbach, Robert |
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Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only Publication Acceptance Date: 7/23/2001 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Technical Abstract: Ornamental peppers are a novel and growing segment of the ornamentals industry. Currently available varieties are utilized as pot plants and in bedding plant applications. Utilizing unimproved populations developed from initial crosses with Indian Capsicum land races, germplasm lines with unique gene combinations for multiple fruiting, fruit orientation, leaf pigmentation and leaf variegation were developed and released by USDA-ARS. Via introgression of diverse Capsicum species accessions and heirloom varieties into these populations, more recent efforts seek to exploit abundant genetic variation for fruit shape, size, color and pungency, foliar attributes, and plant growth habit to develop new pepper germplasm for ornamental and dual ornamental/culinary applications. Fruit pungency of selected material may range from mild to extremely pungent. Fruit shape may be round, conical, or lobed. Whereas small fruit size is generally well suited for ornamental applications, ornamental/culinary types exploit larger upright conical or small bell-shaped fruit. Inheritance of selected attributes, potential barriers to development of select recombinants, and examples of representative advanced selections in the breeding program will be presented. |
