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Morphological and molecular description of three commercial Capsicum varieties: a look at the correlation of traits and genetic distancing

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Abstract

Capsicum L. is a genus of vegetables with a high global demand due to the pungency of its fruits. The species C. annuum L., C. frutescens L. and C. chinense Jacq. are the most cultivated and are closely related, belonging a group known as the annuum complex. Within these species, there are varieties with great morphological diversity that are widely exploited commercially. In this study, morphological measurements were performed on commercial chili pepper varieties, including Tabasco (C. frutescens), Cayenne (C. annuum) and Habanero (C. chinense), which are widely cultivated in the southwestern Colombian region, to generate a detailed phenotypic description and determine the correlation between traits. Additionally, microsatellite and SNP molecular markers were implemented to evaluate the genetic distances between them. The probability of forming hybrids between these varieties was also evaluated. Descriptive statistical parameters were estimated for the traits evaluated in forty plants of each commercial variety, and positive morphological correlations were found between the number of seeds, fruit mass and fruit length, as well as the independence or low correlation of this trait group versus the fruit diameter, day of first flower, number of fruits and productivity. The fruit capsaicin contents were estimated, with Habanero being the most pungent with 54.37 ± 5.83 mg/g. Molecular characterization using microsatellite markers and SNPs demonstrated the absence of heterozygous individuals and wide genetic distances between the commercial varieties evaluated; this outcome supported the impossibility of forming hybrids. The high genetic similarity among individuals within varieties could be useful to explore phenotypic plasticity in different environments. The methodology used here proved to be robust in testing trait correlation and cultivar genetic distancing, showing a look at the morphological and molecular relationships inside the genus which can be improved with the inclusion of more varieties. This information is especially useful for growers and breeders who wish to use and evaluate these plant materials.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the program Posgrado en Ciencias-Biología at the Universidad del Valle for their support during project implementation. We also thank the Escuela de Ingeniería Agrícola of the Universidad del Valle for allowing the development of the two phases of cultivation in 2016–2018 and its laboratory staff, specially to Hebert Hernández. We thank engineer Edilberto Muñoz and technician Ricardo Pereira from Hugo Restrepo and Co. for their support and help during project implementation. We thank the students José Enrique López Candelo, Héctor Cifuentes Silva and Juan Sebastián Reina Bolaños for their support during the field stage. To doctors Ana Belén Garcés Claver, Marisol Gordillo Suárez and Jaime Eduardo Muñoz Florez for their valuable comments. Special thanks to Alexander Ramírez for the support provided in the Molecular Biology Laboratory at Universidad del Valle. To professors José Hipólito Isaza Martínez and Alejandro Ortíz González of Departamento de Química from Universidad del Valle for their valuable support on capsaicin quantification. To Doctors Carolina Sansaloni, César Petroli, José Crossa and the professional Guadalupe Valdez from CIMMYT for their support in Illumina sequencing. Finally, we thank Luz Clemencia Aristizábal and Jenny Gallo for their support throughout the project. This work is dedicated to the memory of Carlos Alberto Duque Castaño, who always showed his admiration for the project.

Funding

This work was supported by the macro project: "Implementation of the Regional Center for Research and Innovation in Bioinformatics and Photonics, Cali, Valle del Cauca, Occidente" under Grant [BPIN 2013000100007].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Grupo de Estudios Ecogenéticos y de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo, 25360, Cali, Colombia

    Mauricio Peñuela, Leidy Laura Arias, Ronald Viáfara-Vega & Heiber Cárdenas

  2. Centro de Investigación e Innovación en Bioinformática y Fotónica (CIBIOFI), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo, 25360, Cali, Colombia

    Mauricio Peñuela, Leidy Laura Arias, Ronald Viáfara-Vega, Nelson Rivera Franco & Heiber Cárdenas

  3. Sección de Genética. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Exactas, Universidad del Valle, Apartado Aéreo, 25360, Cali, Colombia

    Nelson Rivera Franco

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  1. Mauricio Peñuela
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South America, Colombia, Valle del Cauca, Cali. Geographic coordinates 3° 22′ 22.23″ N and 76° 31′ 47.82″ W.

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Peñuela, M., Arias, L.L., Viáfara-Vega, R. et al. Morphological and molecular description of three commercial Capsicum varieties: a look at the correlation of traits and genetic distancing. Genet Resour Crop Evol 68, 261–277 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10722-020-00983-8

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