Generation mean analysis for yield and quality traits in Yellow coloured chilli (Capsicum annuum L.)

The six-generation (P₁, P₂, F₁, F₂, BC₁, and BC₂) mean analysis of the cross LCA 806 × LCA 804 was conducted at Dr. YSRHU College of Horticulture, Anantharajupeta, during the summer of 2024 to study the nature and magnitude of gene effects controlling 13 quantitative and qualitative traits in chili. Employing Mather’s individual and Cavalli’s joint scaling tests, significant additive, dominance and nonallelic gene interactions (additive × additive, additive × dominance, dominance × dominance) were observed for all traits except average fresh fruit yield, average dry fruit yield and seed number, implying the inadequacy of a simple additivedominance model. Traits such as plant height, plant spread, days to maturity, fruit length, and fresh fruit weight exhibit complementary epistasis, suggesting they are suitable for early generation selection through pedigree breeding. Conversely, duplicate epistasis predominates for traits like number of primary branches, days to 50% flowering, fruit number, fruit diameter, 1000-seed weight, total colour, yellow carotenoid content, ascorbic acid, capsaicin, and oleoresin, indicating that hybrid breeding and exploitation of heterosis are more effective for their improvement.