Abstract:

To investigate the relationship between pepper agronomic traits and yield, this paper conducted correlation analysis and path analysis on nine agronomic traits and yield of 200 pepper germplasm resources. The results showed that the investigated traits had a large coefficient of variation, and there were tight correlations between traits, most of which had significant or extremely significant correlation relationships. The correlation between the investigated traits and yield was in the following order: single fruit weight> plant height> pulp thickness> fruit diameter> stem diameter> fruit number per plant> fruit length> distance of the first section. The direct effects of the number of fruits per plant, single fruit weight, fruit diameter, flesh thickness, and fruit length on yield were significant; the number of fruits per plant produced a negative effect on yield per plant through fruit diameter, flesh thickness, and single fruit weight; fruit length produced a negative effect on yield through fruit diameter, flesh thickness, and single fruit weight; the negative effect of fruit diameter on yield through the number of fruits per plant was greater than the positive effect through single fruit weight; the direct effect of flesh thickness on yield was small, while its influence on yield through the number of fruits per plant and flesh thickness was greater; the direct effect of single fruit weight on yield was large, the negative effect through the number of fruits per plant was greater, and the positive effect through fruit diameter was greater. The relationships between the investigated pepper traits are complex, and single fruit weight, fruit number per plant, fruit diameter, pulp thickness, and fruit length directly regulate yield. In breeding, attention can be paid to single fruit weight, and in subsequent studies, the scope of trait investigation should be expanded to further study the relationship between traits and yield.

Key words: pepper, agronomic traits, correlation analysis, path analysis, SPSSPRO, yield