Inheritance of Mature Fruit Colour in Capsicum

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, Regional Station, Katrain (HP), India during
2001-2008 to study the inheritance of mature fruit colour in capsicum (Capsicum annuum var. grossum). Two inbreds
each of 4 different mature fruit colours (red, yellow, orange and yellow orange) were crossed in complete diallele
fashion to determine the dominance relationship. Red colour was found dominant over others whereas yellow-orange
was recessive to all others. From analysis of a series of F2 generations and test cross of all possible F1 progeny it was
established that when the c locus is silent (i.e., homozygous recessive) the y locus controls the appearance of orange
colour (Y_cc) vs. yellow orange (yycc). On the other hand when the y locus is homozygous recessive, the c locus
controls the expression of yellow (yyC_) vs. yellow-orange (yycc) colour. Dominant genes at both the loci resulted
in red colour while recessive yycc led to appearance of yellow-orange colour in the mature fruit of capsicum. No
linkage between the loci was found and cytoplasmic inheritance of this trait was absent