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

Abstract

Chilli pepper is a vegetable crop widely consumed mostly as fresh food or dried as a spice. The nutritional contribution due to the presence of beneficial healthy-related compounds and the versatility of uses have increased its cultivation over the last decade. In Southern European countries chilli production uses established cultivars and/or landraces that are well adapted to specific environments but do not often meet the requirements of the industry, particularly for packaging and processing. In this study, 10 commercial hybrids were evaluated in two diverse environment sites for their productivity and the content of phytochemicals including, carotenoids, capsaicinoids, ascorbic acid and tocopherols. Fruits were assessed using automated tools for the analysis of size, shape and colour parameters. The pepper materials were promising in terms of productivity, whereas a lower level of capsaicinoids and ascorbic acid were detected. Genotype by environment analysis indicated minimal environmental influence on yield, fruit shape, and capsaicinoids. The integration of different sources of phenomics data demonstrates how breeding activities of hybrids have focused on yield and morphology rather than quality linked to phytochemicals content.

Keywords

• ascorbic acid
• capsaicinoids
• <i>Capsicum annuum</i>
• carotenoids
• colour by CIELab
• fruit phenomics