Variations among somaclones and its seedling progeny in Capsicum annuum

Abstract

Genetic variation found in plants regenerated from any type of in vitro culture is termed somaclonal variation. The present study was initiated to study somaclonal variation in Capsicum annuum and the feasibility of using somaclonal variation for its improvement. Five genotypes of C. annuum were used for the present study (Round ornamental, PBC 535, PBC 375, PBC 385 and PBC 066). The morphological characters of the plants were recorded as per the IPGRI descriptor. The colour values were determined using the ASTA method. Selfed seeds of somaclones of these lines were germinated to obtain the seedling progeny of somaclones. Fifty plants of each of the lines were evaluated for their morphological, yield and colour characters. From the study, somaclonal variation was found to be genotype dependant and among the characters studied, fruit characters were most variable. There was variation in quality characters like fruit colour and it was also found that the variations were more among the seedling progeny of the somaclones.