Abstracto

Morpho-Agronomic Performances and Antioxidant Properties in Chilli Pepper Hybrids are highlighted by Multi-Scale Evaluation on Two Locations and Digital Fruit Imaging

Miguel Jose

Chilli peppers are a vegetable crop that is commonly eaten fresh or dried as a spice. The nutritional value derived from the presence of beneficial healthy-related components, as well as the variety of applications, have boosted its popularity over the previous decade. Chillies are grown in Southern European nations using traditional cultivars and/or landraces that are well adapted to specific settings but do not always match industry needs, notably in terms of packing and processing. In this study, ten commercial hybrids were tested for productivity and phytochemical content, including carotenoids, capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid, and tocopherols, in two different environments. For the analysis of size, shape, and colour factors, automated instruments were used on fruits. In terms of productivity, the pepper materials were promising, however there was a reduced level of capsaicinoids and ascorbic acid found. The effects of genotype and environment on yield, fruit form, and capsaicinoids were found to be minor. The integration of phenomics data from several sources illustrates how hybrid breeding initiatives have focused on yield and morphology rather than quality as measured by phytochemical content.