Abstract:
Chili (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the high-value condiments in Sri Lanka, and its
productivity is greatly constrained due to lack of high-yielding varieties. The
development and evaluation of F1 hybrids represent an effective approach to identifi'
novel, commercially viable cultivars with superior agronomic and yield perfofinance.
Therefore, the study was conducted at the Research and Development farm of Onesh
Agri (Pr.t) Ltd, Giriulla, to evaluate the agronomic and yield superiority of newly
developed 199 Fl chili hybrids over 5 commercial varieties available in the market
namely, CH2l8, CH224, MICH HY, Rajini and Daiyya. The experimental materials
were evaluated for key agronomic and yield-related traits across five harvesting cycles.
Data were atalyzed using hierarchical cluster analysis to group similarly performing
hybrids, followed by analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's HSD test to compare
mean differences at the 5%o level of significance. The results revealed that the hybrids
were primarily grouped into six distinct clusters, exhibiting highly significant variation
among genotypes for all measured traits across the entries within each cluster. Across
all six groups, F1 hybrids consistently outperformed the commercial checks in total
fruit number, fruit weight, and yield per plant. In Group 1, hybrids CH450, CH304,
CH451, CH427, and CH459 recorded the highest yield, surpassing the commercial
checks CH2 1 8 and CH224. A similar trend was observed in Groups 2 and 3, where
hybrids CH4 1 8, CH282, CH322, CH3 41, CH5 0 1, CH32I, CH3 6 1, CH423, CH3 2 8, and
CH346 ranked among the top performers, while the commercial checks MICH HY and
Daiyya recorded significantly lower yields. Similarly, in Groups 4,5, and 6, the Fl
hybrids CH400, CH301, CH281, CH305, CH4I4, CH335, CH259, CH360, CH296,
CH363, CH313, CH3l7, CH325, CH320, and CH323 consistently ranked among the
highest performers. Overall, the newly developed F1 hybrids exhibited pronounced
heterosis, demonstrating superior yield potential, adaptability, and field resistance
compared to the commercial varieties. The elite hybrids identified, particularly CH450,
CH3 04, CH45 I , CH427 , and CH459, represent promising candidates for multi-location
trials, while associated parental lines constitute valuable genetic resources for future
chili breeding programs aimed at improving productivity and sustainability in Sri
Lanka.
