Variability, Heritability and Genetic Advance in Paprika (Capsicum annuum L.)

Fifty three accessions of paprika (Capsicum annuum L.) were evaluated in a field study to assess variability, heritability and genetic advance at Department of Olericulture, College of Agriculture, Vellayani, Kerala. The analysis of variance revealed significant differences among the paprika accessions for the various characters studied. High phenotypic and genotypic coefficient of variation were observed for yield per plant, fruits per plant, fruit weight, fruit length and capsaicin. The GCV was very near to PCV for most of the characters, indicating a highly significant effect of genotype on phenotypic expression. Days to flowering and days to maturity exhibited low PCV and GCV estimates suggesting the possible role of environment in expression of these characters. High heritability and high genetic advance were observed for characters like fruits per plant, fruit length, fruit girth, fruit weight, yield per plant and capsaicin indicating the higher magnitude of variability and consequently more scope for improvement through selection.