The effect of fruit colour on seed quality in pepper (Capsicum annum L. Cvars. ‘Rodo’ and ‘Tatashe’).

Abstract

Seed extracted from red-ripe, yellow and greenish-yellow fruits of the pepper cultivar 'Rodo' and those extracted from red-ripe and greenish-red fruits of the cultivar 'Tatashe' were stored in open containers at 35 C to accelerate ageing. Higher germination scores were obtained for seeds from the red-ripe fruits compared to those from the other fruit classes in the two cultivars. Viability improved with storage time up to certain ages (which varied with fruit colour) beyond which a decline was observed. Overall, storability was better in seeds from red-ripe fruits than those from the other fruit colours. Similarly, seedling emergence, height and the number of leaves per plant were generally significantly (P<0.05) higher in seed extracted from red-ripe fruits compared to those from other fruit colours following storage. These values initially increased as seed aged but later declined. Though fruit colour did not affect speed of germination prior to storage, seeds extracted from red-ripe and yellow fruits germinated significantly faster than those from greenish yellow fruits following 2 to 4 weeks of storage.