Characterization of the Morphology, Growth and Fruit Yield of Chilli (Capsicum Annuum L.) Genotypes Collected from the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye

Capsicum annuum, native to Central America, specifically Mexico, is widely cultivated throughout Türkiye for its unripe green or ripe red fruits, known as "biber" in Turkish. In this study, a comprehensive assessment of morphological diversity, encompassing both quantitative and qualitative traits, was conducted. A total of 48 different genotypes of C. annuum, varying in colour shape, and size, were collected from the Pazar district and villages in Rize in 2014 and stored at +4°C. Planting of these C. annuum seeds occurred in May 2015 in trays filled with a mixture of peat and perlite at a 2:1 ratio under greenhouse conditions. When the seedlings reached the stage of having 4-5 leaves, they were transplanted into the field in June 2015. The data obtained on morphological characteristics were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis, and hierarchical clustering analyses. The first six principal component axes accounted for 79% of the variance among the 48 genotypes. Hierarchical clustering revealed four main clusters, whereas ANOVA revealed significant differences in various morphological characteristics of 48 different genotypes of C. annuum. This study revealed substantial morphological variability within the C. annuum genotypes examined and hence provides valuable insights for geneticists and breeders, enabling the identification of populations with desirable characteristics for future integration into pepper breeding programmes