TUN Horticultural performance and functional quality traits of four hot pepper landraces from Tunisia

Marwa Chouikhi1*, Riadh Ilahy1, Imen Tlili1 and Thouraya R’him1

Abstract

Worldwide pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is considered one of the most important vegetable crops grown and consumed. We have comprehensively assessed the horticultural performance and the functional quality traits of four hot pepper genotypes adapted to various climatic conditions in Tunisia comprising of ‘Semmane’ ‘Jerid’, ‘Mahdia’ and ‘Kairouan’. Most of the pepper genotypes showed satisfactory yields ranging from 1163.25 to 1841.67 g plant^-1 in ‘Jerid’ and ‘Kairouan’ respectively underlying a good productivity particularly under the ongoing climatic changes and high temperature. Capsaicinoids, carotenoids and tocopherols contents varied significantly among the studied pepper genotypes (P≤0.05). Capsaicinoids content ranged from 1.81 µg g^-1 FW in ‘Kairouan’ to 193.71 µg g^-1 FW in ‘Jerid’. ‘Semmane’ exhibited the highest value of carotenoids content (174.52 µg g^-1 FW).  Finally, the highest tocopherols content was recorded to ‘Jerid’ (31.24 µg g^-1 FW). Although other traits were not considered in this study, the hot pepper genotype ‘Semmane’ exhibited the highest value of carotenoids content  and might be suitable to grow for fresh and/or processing purposes or to be considered as starting point for future breeding programs targeting the development of new cultivars for the next decade.