Assessing Genetic Worth of Segregating Populations to Derive Transgressive Recombinant Inbred Lines in Chilli (Capsicum Annuum L.)

Identifying and restricting productive crosses and management of large segregating populations generated from a few crosses can enhance crop breeding efficiency. Breeders can better allocate resources by identifying and eliminating unproductive populations in early generations. In order to maximize the likelihood of producing good RILs from a small number of crosses with high breeding potential. Breeding potential of three (LTL7 × S343, AP × S343 and PDL1 × S343) F2 populations derived from parents differing for fruit yield was assessed based on trait mean, absolute range (AR), standardized range (SR), phenotypic coefficient of variation (PCV), transgressive segregation index (TSI) and usefulness index (UI), which combines, mean, phenotypic standard deviation and standardized selection differential at different selection intensities. The cross with high quantitative traits’ mean, AR, SR, PCV, TSI and UI in F2 generations was considered as that with better breeding potential. Based on descriptive statistics, TSI and Uc, breeding potential of (LTL7 × S343) F2 population was better than remaining two (AP × S343 and PDL1 × S343) F2 population for green fruit yield plant-1. In light of the findings and those of other researchers, UI may be a useful tool for objectively choosing segregating populations of chilli with promising breeding prospects.