In Benin, chilli pepper is a widely consumed as vegetable whose production requires the use of performant varieties. This work assessed, at Parakou and Malanville, the performance of six F1 hybrids of chilli including five imported (Laali, Laser, Nandi, Kranti, Nandita) and one local (De cayenne), in completely randomized block design at four replications and 15 plants per elementary plot. Agro-morphological data were collected and submitted to analysis of variance and factor analysis of mixed data. The results showed the effects of variety, location and their interactions were highly significant for most of the growth, earliness and yield traits. Imported hybrid varieties showed the best performances compared to the local one. Multivariate analysis revealed that 'De cayenne' was earlier, short in size, thin-stemmed, red fruits and less yielding (≈ 1 t.ha-1). The imported hybrids LaaliF1 and KrantiF1 were of strong vegetative vigor, more yielding (> 6 t.ha-1) by developing larger, long and hard fruits. Other hybrids showed intermediate performances. This study highlighted the importance of imported hybrids in improving yield and preservation of chili fruits. However, stability and adaptation analyses to local conditions are necessary for their adoption.

1. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
IJPBCS
Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of
Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens
L.) in Northern Benin
Nadège Aimée AKPO1
, Cyrille KANLINDOGBÈ2*
, Diane ZANNOU KPITI3
, Emmanuel SEKLOKA4
, Léonard
AFOUDA5
, Somani Olive HOUNSOU BATCHO6
1,2,3,4,5,6
Laboratory of Phytotechny, Plants Breeding and Protection, Faculty of Agronomy, University of Parakou, Republic
of Benin, BP 123, Benin
In Benin, chilli pepper is a widely consumed as vegetable whose production requires the use of
performant varieties. This work assessed, at Parakou and Malanville, the performance of six F1
hybrids of chilli including five imported (Laali, Laser, Nandi, Kranti, Nandita) and one local (De
cayenne), in completely randomized block design at four replications and 15 plants per elementary
plot. Agro-morphological data were collected and submitted to analysis of variance and factor
analysis of mixed data. The results showed the effects of variety, location and their interactions
were highly significant for most of the growth, earliness and yield traits. Imported hybrid varieties
showed the best performances compared to the local one. Multivariate analysis revealed that 'De
cayenne' was earlier, short in size, thin-stemmed, red fruits and less yielding (≈ 1 t.ha-1
). The
imported hybrids LaaliF1 and KrantiF1 were of strong vegetative vigor, more yielding (> 6 t.ha-1
) by
developing larger, long and hard fruits. Other hybrids showed intermediate performances. This
study highlighted the importance of imported hybrids in improving yield and preservation of chili
fruits. However, stability and adaptation analyses to local conditions are necessary for their
adoption.
Keywords: Earliness, growth and yield, hybrids performances, preservation, stability, adoption, capsicum frutescens
INTRODUCTION
In Benin, market gardening stands for an important source
of employment in urban and peri-urban areas and
especially on the banks of rivers and/or in the valleys of
certain areas (Tiamiyou, 1995) and would contribute to the
creation of nearly 60,000 direct jobs (PADAP, 2003). This
activity generates significant income, relieves thousands
of families and reduces food insecurity problems (PADAP,
2003). Chili pepper, one of the common market garden
crops in Benin, is the most popular condiment after tomato,
in urban environments for food because of its nutritional
qualities, pungent flavor and pleasant aroma (Bosland and
Votara, 2001, Denden et al., 2002Gnimadi, 2008).
Originally from tropical America and then disseminated in
Europe, Africa and Asia (Zimmer et al., 2012). This
vegetable plant thus provides a nutritional supplement
compared to the diet based on cereals and starches,
especially for populations with low income (Sorho et al.,
2014). Being an annual species preferentially autogamous
(Chaine-Dogimont, 1993), local varieties of chili pepper
are in general pure lines. Due to the constraints related to
hybrid seeds access for small urban or peri-urban farmers,
the majority of production is grown with these local
varieties from several generations of self-production.
Seeds are often taken from previous harvests and very few
market gardeners exclusively use commercial seeds
Corresponding Author: Cyrille KANLINDOGBE;
Laboratory of Plant Breeding and Protection, Faculty of
Agronomy, University of Parakou, Republic of Benin, BP:
123 Benin. Email: cyrillekanlindogbe@yahoo.fr
International Journal of Plant Breeding and Crop Science
Vol. 9(1), pp. 1088-1096, May, 2022. © www.premierpublishers.org, ISSN: 2167-0449
Research Article

2. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Akpo et al. 1089
Figure 1: Rainfall and number of rainy days during the trials at Parakou and Malanville
Source: Data from Meteorology National Agency of Benin
(Assogba et al., 2008; Dinssa et al., 2016). As a result,
yields are low and the plants are particularly vulnerable to
biotic and abiotic stresses induced by recurrent climatic
disturbances. Global production is affected and cannot
satisfy national needs. The supply of chilli peppers in Benin
in general, and in main cities in particular, remains well
below demand (Assogba et al., 2008). Foreign trade
statistics for 2004 revealed that a large part of imports
come from neighboring countries and even from the Sahel
(Togo, Nigeria, Burkina Faso) (Tandem, 2009). However,
market garden species, in particular chili pepper, are
among the rare autogamous species with a high heterosis
potential for the yield of fresh fruits, number of fruits per
plant, length, thickness and size (Kalloo, 1988; Doshi and
Shukla, 2000). This is what justifies that many commercial
varieties in the world are rather hybrids. In order to raise
crop yields through an efficient seed policy, hybrid
varieties from regions with similar climate to Benin such as
India can be evaluated. The present study falls within this
framework and proposes to assess agro-morphological
performances of six exotic hybrid varieties of chili pepper
(Capsicum frutescens) under Benin growing conditions.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
Experiment locations
The trial was conducted in 2015 on experimental site of the
Faculty of Agronomy of University of Parakou (09 ° 20.291
'North latitude, 002 ° 38.917' East longitude and 361 m
altitude above sea level) and replicated on the rice-
growing area of Bodjécali in Malanville (11° 49.896 North
latitude, 003 23° 517 East longitude and 163 m altitude
above sea level). Cumulative rainfall was higher in
Malanville (930 mm) than in Parakou (750 mm), and well
distributed during the trial periods at both locations. August
and September were the wettest months (Figure 1). The
soils are of the tropical ferruginous type in Parakou, and of
the sandy-clay type on the rice-growing area in Malanville
(Azontondé et al., 2009).
Plant material
The plant material consisted of five exotic hybrid varieties
and one locally marketed cultivar (De cayenne) usually
grown by farmers in the study area (Table 1).
Table 1: Characteristics of different assessed varieties
Varieties Origins Provenances Varietal
structure
Laali India Bayer
Crop/science
F1 hybrid
Laser India Bayer
Crop/science
F1 hybrid
Nandi India Bayer
Crop/science
F1 hybrid
Kranti, India Bayer
Crop/science
F1 hybrid
Nandita India Bayer
Crop/science
F1 hybrid
De
cayenne
Ivory
Coast
Bénin
Semence
F1 hybrid
Experimental design and trial husbandry
The varieties seeds were sown in the nursery in alveoli
plates containing sterilized potting soil where the
germinated plants remained for five weeks. For
transplanting, the experimental design used on both
locations was a randomized complete block of six
treatments at four replications. Transplanting was carried
out at one plant per plot at spacings of 50 x 50 cm and 60
x 40 cm in Malanville and Parakou respectively. Each
elementary plot measured 1.5 m x 2 m (or 3 m²) and 1.8 m
x 2 m (or 3.6 m2
) respectively in Malanville and Parakou.
Thus, on both locations, each elementary plot housed 3
lines of 15 plants/plot. Fourteen days after transplanting
(dat) of plants, a first fertilization based on NPK (14-23-14)
was performed at a rate of 20 g/plant followed by
application of neem oil (Azadirachta indica) at 2% to
prevent pest attacks (whiteflies, thrips, aphids, caterpillars
etc.). Then, after the first flowers set, a maintenance
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0
50
100
150
200
250
May June July August September October November
Number
of
rain
days
Rain
height
(mm)
Months
Rain days (Parakou) Pluviometry (Parakou)
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
May June July August September October November
Number
of
rain
Rain
height
(mm)
Months
Rain days (Malanville) Pluviometry(Malanville)
a) Rainfall at Parakou location
b) Rainfall at Malanville location

3. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 1090
fertilizer with urea (46% N) was applied at the rate of
10g/plant at 35th
and 110th
days after transplanting. To
control weediness, regular weeding and hoeing were
practiced each two weeks.
Data collection
The measured morphological traits were collected on the
five plants of the central line of each elementary plot
(Sekloka et al., 2016). On each of these plants, the fruit
characterization data were taken on three ripe fruits
located respectively in the low, middle and high positions.
The qualitative morphological variables were observed at
plot scale by determining the dominant modality of each
trait. The earliness and fruit yield were evaluated on the
entire central lines of each elementary plot (Table 2).
Table 2: Description of analyzed variables
Centimentre (cm), percentage (%), day after transplanting
(dat), ton per hectare (t/ha)
Data analysis
Data were entered using Excel spreadsheet, and analyzed
thanks to R software 3.6.3 (R Core Team, 2020). For each
quantitative trait, the variability was assessed by
computing descriptive statistics followed by analyzes of
variance to assess the difference between varieties,
locations as well as variety by location interaction. A global
description of the varieties was finally carried out by Factor
Analysis of Mixed Data (FAMD). To this end, the
FactoMineR package developed by Le et al. (2008) was
used.
RESULT
Assessment of visual variability characteristics
between varieties
Like the local variety 'De cayenne', all imported hybrids
showed elongated fruit. Their color at full maturity ranges
from light red to dark red, with predominance of bright red
color, observed on 3 of the 5 imported varieties (Figure 1).
Figure 1: Shape and intensity of red color of fruits of
assessed varieties
When fully ripe, the varieties LaaliF1, LaserF1, NandiF1,
NanditaF1 standing for nearly 67% of the whole, showed
fruits of semi-hard consistency. Only KrantiF1 variety
presented hard fruit and ‘De Cayenne' soft fruit.
Analysis of quantitative traits variability
Whether in Parakou or Malanville, high differences and
magnitude between the extreme values, and high
coefficients of variation were observed for several
evaluated traits, especially for the yield parameters (CV>
30%) (Table 3).
From one location to another, most of the agronomic and
morphological variables showed significant differences
between varieties (p<0.05) (Table 3).
Variables (unity) Description
Morphological traits
Stem height (haut-
tige in cm)
Measured from the root collar of
plant to insertion of the youngest
branch
Stem diameter
(Dia-tige in cm)
Ratio of stem circumference to π
Etiolation index (IE
in %)
Ratio of diameter to stem height
expressed as percentage
Number of nodes
on the stem (nb-
nœuds)
Counted on the main stem, from
the collar to insertion of the
youngest leaf
Internode height
on the stem (HEN
in cm)
Ratio of stem height to number of
node of the stem
Fruit Height (haut-
fruit in cm)
Measured using a tape measure
Fruit diameter
(Dia-fruit in cm)
Calculated by the ratio of the fruit
circumference to π
Intensity of red
color of fruit
(couleur_fruit)
Visually appreciated through
three modalities: Light red, bright
red and dark red
Fruit consistency
(consistance_fruit)
Appreciated by touch in three
categories: Soft, semi-hard, hard
Agronomic characteristics of varieties
Date of flowering
(Dat.flo in dat)
Date when 50% of the plants
flower on a plot after transplanting
Date of maturity
(Dat.mat in dat)
Date when 50% of the plants
ripen on a plot after transplanting
Average Fruit
Weight (PMF)
Ratio of total fruit weight to
number of fruits
Number of pips per
fruit(nb.pepin)
Counting the number of pips in
each fruit
Fruits yield (Rdt in
t/ha)
Ratio of total weight of fruits to the
plot area

4. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Akpo et al. 1091
For stem growth, ‘De cayenne’ variety showed overall the
lowest growth performances in height (haut_tige ≈ 25 - 32
cm) and thickness (Dia_tige ≈ 0.6 - 0.9 cm) in both
locations. The varieties LaaliF1 (haut_tige ≈ 50 m; Dia_tige
>1 cm) and NanditaF1 (haut_tige ≈ 62 cm, Dia_tige ≈ 1.6
cm) developed the strongest and slenderest stems
(Dia_tige >1 cm; haut_tige= 0.5 m) in Parakou and
Malanville respectively. Based on stem internode height
(HEN), NandiF1 (0.37) and KrantiF1 (2.46) exhibited the
shortest internodes at Parakou and Malanville
respectively, while Nandita F1 recorded the longest at both
locations (Table 3).
On the other hand, etiolation index (EI) ranged from 2.54
% (NanditaF1) to 3.20 % (LaaliF1, NandiF1) in Parakou
and from 2.00% and 2.71% in Malanville. As for fruit
growth, De cayenne, LaserF1 and NanditaF1 varieties
recorded overall the lowest growth values. In both
locations, the varieties KrantiF1 and LaaliF1 developed the
largest and longest fruits respectively (Table 3).
For earliness, De cayenne and LaaliF1 varieties were
found to be the earliest in Parakou (128.25 dat) and
Malanville (67.25 dat) respectively, while LaserF1 variety
was the latest (Table 3). Assessment of fruit yield showed
average yields of 3.49 t/ha in Parakou and 6.48 t/ha in
Malanville. De cayenne and LaserF1 varieties were the
least yielding (0.4 - 1.59 t/ha) while LaaliF1 and KrantiF1,
the most ones (6.3-10.09 t/ha) (Table 3). In overall, the
different genotypes performed better in terms of average
performances of stem growth and yield traits in Malanville
location versus Parakou (Table 3).
Table 3: Agro-morphological performances of varieties in Parakou and Malanville
Variables Min Variety Max Variety Mean CV (%) Pr(>F)
Parakou
Dia_tige 0.58 De cayenne 1.07 LaaliF1 0.93 28.66 <0.001***
haut_tige 24.81 De cayenne 48.09 LaserF1 40.15 29.02 <0.001***
HEN 0.37 NandiF1 0.64 Nandita F1 0.52 41.14 <0.001***
IE 2.54 NanditaF1 3.20 LaaliF1, NandiF1 2.80 19.22 <0.001***
nb_noeuds 44.44 De cayenne 119.05 LaserF1 90.72 52.88 <0.001***
date_fl 101 De cayenne 115 LaserF1 108.5 4.75 <0.001***
date_mat 128.25 De cayenne 193.5 LaserF1 170.75 13.15 <0.001***
PMF 1.34 LaserF1 7.33 KrantiF1 3.53 66.29 <0.001***
Rdt 0.4 De cayenne 6.3 LaaliF1 3.49 60.32 <0.001***
Dia_fruit 0.89 LaserF1 1.49 KrantiF1 1.17 22.87 <0.001***
haut_fruit 4.52 De cayenne 11.85 LaaliF1 8.15 35.47 <0.001***
nb_pepin 57.39 De cayenne 107.94 KrantiF1 85.25 33.55 <0.001***
Malanville
Dia_tige 0.87 De cayenne 1.57 NanditaF1 1.41 23.68 <0.001***
haut_tige 31.5 De cayenne 61.98 NanditaF1 51.28 22.35 <0.001***
HEN 2.46 KrantiF1 2.93 NanditaF1 2.78 18.05 0.032*
IE 2.00 2.71 2.37 20.74 0.011*
nb_noeuds 12.75 De cayenne 21.18 NanditaF1 18.67 19.6 0.000***
date_fl 39.25 LaaliF1 46 LaserF1 42.92 8.04 0.083ns
date_mat 67.25 LaaliF1 94 LaserF1 79.5 11.99 <0.001***
PMF 1.04 LaserF1 3.7 KrantiF1 2.26 41.69 <0.001***
Rdt 1.59 De cayenne 10.09 LaaliF1 6.48 47.71 <0.001***
Dia_fruit 0.95 NanditaF1 1.52 KrantiF1 1.15 25.38 <0.001***
haut_fruit 7.09 De cayenne 12.14 LaaliF1 9.36 27.61 <0.001***
nb_pepin 58.02 NanditaF1 98.25 KrantiF1 75.98 35.48 <0.001***
Height (haut_tige) and Diameter (Dia_tige) of stem, internode height (HEN) and Number of nodes on the stem
(nb_nodes); Etiolation index (IE); Diameter (Dia_fruit) and height (haut_fruit) of the fruit; date of flowering (Date_fl) and
of maturity (Date_.mat), Average fruit weight (PMF), Number of seeds per fruit (nb_pepin), Fruit yield (Yield)( Rdt ), days
after transplanting (dat), ns not significant (> 0.05); * significant (<0.05), ** highly significant (<0.01); *** very highly
significant (<0.001)
Furthermore, the combined evaluation of average
performances on the two locations showed that apart from
earliness parameters, most of the measured variables
showed very highly significant differences between
varieties (p<0.001). The differences between locations
and interactions variety * location were also highly
significant for most of tested variables (p<0.001) (Table 4).
Joint analysis of qualitative and quantitative
characteristics of hybrids
All the quantitative and qualitative agro-morphological
traits were submitted to Factor Analysis of Mixed Data
(FAMD) for joint assessment of varieties performances.
The analysis revealed that the five main factor axes
explained 100% of the information carried by all of the
starting variables. The first two axes alone have captured
more than 74% of this total variability (Table 5).

5. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 1092
Table 4: Effects of the different factors and their interactions on assessed traits
Variables Mean CV (%) Variety effect Location effect Variety*location
Dia_tige (cm) 1.09 21.9 <0.001***
<0.001***
0.437ns
haut_tige (cm) 43.03 22.7 <0.001***
<0.001***
0.132ns
HEN (cm) 1.51 14.4 0.016*
<0.001***
0.007**
IE (%) 2.57 8.7 <0.001***
<0.001***
0.323ns
nb_noeuds 54.99 27.5 <0.001***
<0.001***
<0.001***
Dia_fruit (cm) 1.16 24.2 <0.001***
0.19ns
<0.001***
Haut_fruit(cm) 8.78 31.9 <0.001***
0.000***
<0.001***
Date_fl (dat) 75.71 4.18 0.997ns
0.000*** 0.01*
Date_mat (dat) 125.13 12.8 0.578ns
0.000*** <0.001***
PMF 2.90 53.12 <0.001***
0.019* 0.002*
Nb_pepin 80.47 0.35 <0.001***
<0.001***
<0.001***
Rdt (t/ha) 4.98 47.65 <0.001***
<0.001***
0.045*
Height (top_stem) and Diameter (Dia_stem) of stem, Height of internode (HEN), Number of nodes on the stem
(nb_nodes); Etiolation index (IE); Diameter (Dia_fruit) and height (haut_fruit) of the fruit; date of flowering (Date_fl) and
of maturity (Date_.mat), Average fruit weight (PMF), Number of seeds per fruit (nb_pepin), Fruit yield (Yield)( Rdt), days
after transplanting (dat), ns not significant (> 0.05); * significant (<0.05), ** highly significant (<0.01); *** very highly
significant (<0.001)
Table 5: Characteristics of the factor axes
Axis 1 Axis 2 Axis 3 Axis 4 Axis 5
Eigen value 6.25 5.63 2.47 1.51 0.15
Explained
Variance (%) 39.05 35.16 15.44 9.43 0.92
Cumulative
variance (%) 39.05 74.21 89.65 99.08 100.00
The correlation circle of variables in the first factor plane
showed strong correlations between traits and factor axes
(Figure 2). The variables of earliness (dates of flowering
and of maturation) and stem growth (height, diameter)
have been positively correlated with each other on the one
hand, and with the first axis on the other. This axis
basically describes the earliness and growth of vegetative
organs of varieties. The diameter and height of fruits, the
number of pips, average fruit weight have been positively
correlated with each other, and also with the second axis.
This axis characterizes the growth and productivity of
fruits. The yield to a certain extent was moderately
described by each of the two axes (Figure 2).
Figure 2: Circle of correlation showing projected variables
in first factor plan
Axis or Dimension 1 (Dim 1) and 2 (Dim 2)
Height (haut_tige) and Diameter (Dia_tige) of stem,
internode height (HEN) and Number of nodes on the stem
(nb_nodes); Etiolation index (IE); Diameter (Dia_fruit) and
height (haut_fruit) of the fruit; date of flowering (Date_fl)
and of maturity (Date_.mat), Average fruit weight (PMF),
Number of seeds per fruit (nb_pepin), Fruit yield (Yield)
(Rdt)
The factor map of all the variables characterizes not only
the strength of quantitative traits relationship with the axes,
but also the association of qualitative parameters with
these axes (Figure 3). Fruit consistency is strongly
associated with the first axis while the intensity of red fruit
color is more described by the second axis.

6. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Akpo et al. 1093
Figure 3: Factor map of quantitative and qualitative
variables
Height (haut_tige) and Diameter (Dia_tige) of stem,
internode height (HEN) and Number of nodes on the stem
(nb_nodes); Etiolation index (IE); Diameter (Dia_fruit) and
height (haut_fruit) of the fruit; date of flowering (Date_fl)
and of maturity (Date_.mat), Average fruit weight (PMF),
Number of seeds per fruit (nb_pepin), Fruit yield (Yield)(
Rdt ), Intensity of red color of fruit (couleur_fruit), Fruit
consistency (consistance_fruit)
The projection of the varieties in the first factor plane
(Figure 4) showed the first axis quite clearly discriminates
the local variety "De cayenne" from the exotic varieties
LaserF1 and Nandita F1 located respectively on the
negative and positive sides of this axis. "De cayenne"
variety was earlier, with soft fruits, short size and thin stem,
therefore with low vegetative vigor. However, LaserF1 and
Nandita F1 varieties were late, with semi-hard fruits, long
sizes and large stems, therefore with strong vegetative
vigor.
The second axis distinguishes the varieties KrantiF1 and
LaaliF1 which presented the largest, long and hard fruits
with better weight, and the greatest number of pips. These
varieties were the most yielding.
In addition, NandiF1 variety presented overall intermediate
performances between all the varieties studied (Figure 4).
Figure 4: Factor map of varieties and their qualitative
categories in the first plan
DISCUSSION
Assessment of agronomic and morphological
performances of new genotypes in contrasting
environments is essential step for promotion and adoption
of performant and adapted variety in given cropping area
(Yan and Tiker, 2006). Assessment of visual
characteristics of F1 hybrids of chili pepper showed that
bright red and semi-hard fruits were dominant for color
intensity and fruit consistency, respectively, for all
varieties. These characteristics are of great importance in
the preference and shelf life of varieties. Also, the
variability of such qualitative traits is undoubtedly linked to
the expression of one or a few genes whose identification
could be carried out by molecular characterization (Saidou
et al., 2014; Sekloka et al., 2016).
In addition, analysis of morphometric and agronomic
variability within these chili pepper varieties revealed
significant differences between the extreme values and
high coefficients of variation for several studied traits. This
reflects the existence of important phenotypic
heterogeneity between varieties. This could result from the
expression of strong genotypic heterogeneity which will
remain to be confirmed by molecular analyzes, but also
from the effect of environmental factors (Saidou et al.,
2014; Sekloka et al., 2016; Amsalu et al., 2017). Thus, the
location effects and variety * location interactions on plants
growth in size and thickness were highly significant for the
most parts. These results show plants growth varied
significantly from one location to another. As result,
important variation of environmental conditions (rainfall,
temperature, soils fertility, etc.) would influence
morphological growth of the plants. Thus, the difference of
rainfall amounts between Malanville and Parakou
locations (930 mm versus 750 mm) and soils nutrient state
from one location to another could explain this
morphological variability.
The assessment of etiolating indices determined from
plant thickness and height, revealed LaaliF1 and NandiF1
showed the highest indices among the varieties. This
finding reflects that these genotypes would be important
for developing plant resistance to lodging or breakage
under bad weather effect (wind, rain etc.) so as to support
high fruit load. These results are congruent with the
findings of Aljebjo and Orakwue (2002), which showed the
same significant differences in growth between chilli
pepper accessions in Nigeria. Similar trends were also
highlighted by Ayana and Bekele (2000) on sorghum
accessions from Ethiopia and Eritrea, and by Nebié et al.
(2012) on sweet grain sorghum cropped in north-central
Burkina Faso.
Furthermore, the analysis of earliness traits for the most
part, proved strong significant differences between
varieties on each location, and also location effect and
varieties *location interaction were mostly significant. All
this testifies to inter-varietal variability environmental
hard
Dark red
Bright red
Light red
Soft
Semi-hard

7. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 1094
influence and cross effect of genotypes and environment
on the varieties earliness, most of which are of Indian
origin. So, variations among locations conditions
(temperature, rainfall, sunshine, photoperiod, etc.) during
phenological stage could explain environment influence on
earliness of evaluated genotypes. In the same sense, the
work of Mechlia and Mougou (1990), carried out over the
period from planting to the first harvest of three vegetables
species (tomato, melon and cucumber), have shown that
cycle length in days for a given species which can present
important variations depending on the growth period.
About yield component, the variations in yield were
significant between varieties, between locations and even
for the varieties *location interaction. These results can
undoubtedly be reflected by the fact that the yield is
complex quantitative trait conditioned by genetic potential
of the variety, the growing environment and by Genotype
x Environment interaction. This presence of varieties
*location interaction highlights that most genotypes react
differently by changing rank from one location to another.
This current result is in accordance with previous findings
of Rego et al. (2011) on Brazilian chili varieties and of
Olaniyi et al. (2020) on Nigeria Tea (Camellia sinensis),
who also observed in their works that the yield was
influenced by the effects of Genotype (G), Environment (E)
and G x E interaction. The presence of G x E interaction
pointed out difficulties for recommendation of stable
genotype across all environments (Yan and Tiker, 2006;
Olaniyi et al., 2020).
The factor analysis carried out jointly on qualitative and
quantitative agro-morphological variables enable to
describe the relationships between the traits on one hand,
and the performance of each variety on the other. Thus,
the correlation circle analysis showed strong relationships
between agro-morphological characters. Correlations are
essential tools for breeders in the choice of traits to be
included in breeding programs (Saidou et al., 2014). These
results enable to distinguish quite clearly the local cultivar
'De cayenne', as the earliest and the least yielding with soft
fruits, whereas the imported hybrids LaaliF1 and KrantiF1
were the most productive with hard fruits. As result, these
two exotic genotypes emerged as a potential candidate
genotype for improving yields and conservation of chili
pepper in Benin. However, due to genotype by
environment interaction (G x E) mentioned above, it
appears important to extend the trials to other more
contrasting environments (locations or more years) in
order to identify well adapted genotypes to cropping areas
in the country. Ultimately, as all breeding programs based
on genetic diversity (Stoilova and Pereira, 2013), these
results provide performance indicators for local variety of
chilli pepper grown in Benin and those imported from India.
This offers the possibility of chilli varieties improvement in
order to meet the farmers and market needs. If the
breeding objective is the yield and the shelf life of the fruits,
the choice of the best sire could be directed towards these
exotic varieties. However, earliness is an important
agronomic characteristic that could help to cope with the
phenomena of climate disturbances, in particular drought
which has become recurrent (Gbaguidi et al., 2015;
Sekloka et al., 2016). Therefore, these results reflect the
need to maintain and conserve the variety 'De Cayenne',
earlier cycle, alongside with any breeding program of new
variety of chilli pepper.
CONCLUSION
The study assessed the performances of six hybrid
genotypes of chili pepper within Benin cropping conditions.
It highlighted significant agro-morphological performances
variability among varieties of chilli pepper evaluated in
Parakou and Malanville locations. The new imported
hybrids revealed the best growth and yield performances
compared to 'De cayenne’, local variety cultivated in the
locations. Thus, variety 'De cayenne' turned out to be the
earliest, with low vegetative vigor, soft fruit and the least
yielding, while imported varieties 'LaaliF1' and 'KrantiF1'
were the most vigorous and yielding with larger long and
hard fruits. To meet the needs of the farmers and market
in terms of yield and fruit shelf life, the best imported
hybrids can be considered for popularization with farmers,
or for use in chili pepper varietal breeding. However, it
proves essential to extend the trials over a few additional
years for detailed G x E evaluation in order to highlight the
achieved yield stability.
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9. Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in Northern Benin
Int. J. Plant Breed. Crop Sci. 1096
Accepted 25 April 2022
Citation: Akpo NA, Kanlindogbè C, Zannou Kpiti D,
Sekloka E, Afouda L, Hounsou Batcho SO (2022).
Evaluation of Agro-morphological Performances of Hybrid
Varieties of Chili Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) in
Northern Benin. International Journal of Plant Breeding
and Crop Science, 9(1): 1088-1096.
Copyright: © 2022 Akpo et al. This is an open-access
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