Assessment of Balkan Pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) Accessions for Agronomic, Fruit Quality, and Pest Resistance Traits

Abstract

To maintain the continuous genetic variation and increase the genetic gain, appreciable germplasm diversity and its comprehensive characterization is necessary to further utilize gene sources for pre-breeding. The diversity of pepper forms, cultivation traditions and diverse fruit usages are typical for Balkan countries. Considering this rich diversity, 21 pepper accessions from the Balkan region were evaluated for morphological, biochemical, and insect resistance traits during 2018 and 2019 at Maritsa Vegetable Crops Research Institute, Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Among the studied accessions, the highest productivity was observed in pumpkin shape K1115 and kapia type K1081 accessions, with 0.74 kg and 0.70 kg per plant, respectively. Concerning fruit quality, the highest total polyphenols and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were observed in pumpkin shape K712 (203.44 mg GAE/100 g FW) and K1103A (11.49 µmol Fe2+/g FW) accessions, respectively. Concerning insect resistance, 38% of studied accessions showed no infestation of green peach aphid. The kapia type K697 accession was seen as the most reliable resistance source, as it was not infested by aphids and had the least thrips (20% on plants) and cotton bollworm (6.67% on plants and 8.34% on fruit) damage. Based on examined traits, accessions were identified for enhanced fruit quality and promising insect resistance and have been included in further pre-breeding efforts.