Germinación de un tipo venezolano de Capsicum chinense Jacq.: influencia de la maduración del fruto y de la extracción de la semilla desde el fruto

Abstract

A type of sweet pepper of the species Capsicum chinense defines the Venezuelan cuisine, but this has not been enough to perform detailed studies of production issues in this crop. To determine the influence of fruit ripening, and seed extraction from the fruit on seed germination of a Venezuelan type of Capsicum chinense, a factorial experiment with 10 replications was conducted. Influence of the six combinations between three fruit maturation levels (green fruits, early-ripe fruits, and totally-ripe fruits) and two seed extraction moments of seed from the fruits (at the same day of the harvest and seven days after the harvest) were evaluated on seed germination percentage and days number to germination. Each replication consisted of 100 seeds, and seed germination was recorded for ten days. Results displayed no interaction between fruit ripening and extraction of seed for both dependent variables, but significant differences (P0,05) and germinated in 7,30 days in average, but they germinated faster (P<0,01) than seeds coming from green fruits which germinated in 8,40 days in average; seeds extracted from fruit 7 days after harvest germinated in 6,50 days in average, faster (P<0,01) than seeds extracted from the fruit the same day of harvest (8,75 days in average). Seeds of this type of sweet pepper germinate more abundantly and faster when they are separated from ripening fruits seven days after harvest.

Keywords

• Sweet pepper
• Fruit maturation
• Number of days to germination
• Capsicum chinense jacq