Manifestation of heterosis for growth, earliness and early green fruit yield in chilli

A set of 21 male sterile based F₁ hybrids developed as a result of line × tester mating design involving three cytoplasmic genic male sterile (CGMS) lines and seven testers were evaluated for growth (stem girth, plant height, plant spread, number of secondary and tertiary branches), earliness (days to first and 50 per cent flowering) and early green fruit yield. Out of these crosses, L3 × T16 was found best for stem girth, plant spread and number of tertiary branches, L3 × T15 for plant height, L1 × T16 for number of secondary branches, L1 × T14 for days to first and 50 per cent flowering and L5 × T14 for early green fruit yield. The data on the magnitude of heterosis revealed that these best crosses also expressed the maximum economic heterosis over both the check hybrids in desirable direction for their respective traits. The cross L5 × T14 was most heterotic over both the check hybrids for early green fruit yield followed by L3 × T14.