Abstract:

This study aims to screen processing-type pepper varieties with excellent germplasm, such as high pungency and high capsanthin content, suitable for cultivation in Shandong region. Sixty-one accessions of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were used as materials, and comprehensive evaluations of their key quality traits were conducted by using systematic cluster analysis and membership function methods, and other multivariate statistical approaches. The results showed significant differences in quality indicators such as capsanthin, capsaicin, dry matter, soluble sugar, and vitamin C content among different materials, with a wide range of capsanthin content from 0.88 to 14.85 g/kg and a high coefficient of variation. Cluster analysis categorized the 61 accessions into four groups, of which GroupⅠwas the extra pungent type, such as D16-14; Group Ⅳ was the mild pungent type, such as D49-1; and Groups Ⅱ and Ⅲ were the high and medium pungent types, respectively. The membership function analysis indicated that D16-14 was the top-quality extra-pungent material in terms of comprehensive quality, followed by D17-3 and D3-4. Meanwhile, D49-1 was identified as the material with the highest capsanthin content. The above special materials can be further explored and utilized in the next step of breeding. This study could provide excellent parental materials and theoretical basis for the genetic breeding of processing-type peppers in Shandong region.

Key words: Shandong Region, processed hot pepper, quality traits, systematic cluster, membership function, comprehensive evaluation