Nutritional and phytochemical profiling of regional chilli genotypes grown under tunnel conditions

Chilli (Capsicum annum L.) is one of the world's most significant vegetable cum spice crops. Morphological and chemical characterization of chilli was carried out to identify features that may be useful in breeding efforts. The research was conducted at the Ayub Agricultural Research Institute (AARI), Pakistan, and used developmental, vegetative, and fruit features to characterize 52 chilli inbred lines across 15 morphological traits. The study focused on Capsicum spp. grown under tunnel conditions and examined morphological features of quantitative (15) and qualitative (14) variables; thus, 15 traits showed a high coefficient of variation in the genotypes concerning Bi-plot Principal Component Analysis. According to biplot PCA, the first component represented 47.3% of the variation, while the second component accounted for 17.3%. Collectively, the first and second components accounted for 64.6% of the variation. A correlation assessment was undertaken to examine the relationship between genotypic and phenotypic characteristics. Pedicle length and yield have a highly positive correlation with fruit length, fruit shape, plant height, and fruit width. Chemical analysis revealed that chillies have the highest flavonoids (34.07 mg g-1) and capsaicin concentration (5.59 mg g-1). However, it is difficult to determine all genotypes solely on a single morphological feature, but it can improve chilli variety, quality, and production. The yield trait is used to select the best chilli genotype. WIZ-21, MARVI-558, and TRK 51 are the best genotypes recommended for farmers and breeders based on high yield. According to the findings of this study, the chemical and yield characteristics discovered might be employed in future plant breeding and genetic improvement of chilli germplasm for improved food security.