Tainan, Taiwan
November 27, 2009
Source: Newsletter of the Asian Vegetable Research and Development Center (AVRDC)
Field #35 at AVRDC – The World Vegetable Center headquarters in Shanhua, Taiwan was the hot place to be on 18 November, when the Pepper Unit hosted a field day highlighting the development of pepper hybrids. Principal Research Assistant Jin Shieh, who diligently led the fiveyear research and development project and organized the event, along with unit head Dr. Paul Gniffke, Principal Research Assistant Susan Lin, and Research Assistant Stanly Lin, shared their recent findings and enthusiasm for the Capsicum genus with a group of more than 50 farmers, university scientists, seed company representatives, and administrators from the Taiwan Council of Agriculture (COA).
The team members introduced three new pepper hybrids developed in a project supported by COA. Susan Lin reported on research leading to a chili hybrid with an upright fruiting habit that is also resistant to multiple diseases. Upright chili varieties are easy to grow, but the fruit is prone to splitting and ripens slowly. The new lines have a more concentrated fruit set and ripening period, and splitting is less of a problem.
Jin Shieh presented a yellow bell pepper hybrid, and explained recent work on heat tolerant colored bell peppers. These thick-fleshed yet tender bell peppers can be glossy green or beautiful bright yellow at maturity, with excellent flavor. “The colored bells can be pruned to one stem, two stems, three stems or more to help distribute yield and modify fruit size,” she noted. The new hybrid’s fruit closely matches the blocky bell shape preferred by consumers.
Anthracnose, a common disease in chili production, can be kept at bay with disease-tolerant lines. Stanly Lin explained results of a multilocation trial for slender red peppers lines that
demonstrate high field tolerance to anthracnose, even when planted in hot, humid conditions. This field tolerance is displayed in a new hybrid chili variety developed for Taiwan.
“Our pepper breeding work has value for Taiwan farmers aiming to grow healthy, productive crops to meet evolving market demand,” said Dr. Gniffke. “And what we learn here about disease and heat tolerance can be shared with partners in developing countries.” The upright-fruited hybrid already has been submitted to COA for commercial introduction, while the other two will be submitted in 2010.
Things began heating up during the organoleptic evaluation, when participants sampled and ranked six lines of “sweet-hot” peppers—for many, a new taste sensation. These long, green, thin-skinned peppers have good market potential and could fill a niche for a flavorful, crispy pepper with just a dab of heat. The favorite line: ‘Entry 4,’ a Known-You Seed Company check variety chosen for combined yield, appearance, and freedom from disease. Notably, two of the least-pungent AVRDC candidate hybrids were the most quickly eaten.
Dr. Gniffke also introduced field day participants to roasting, a method of pepper preparation common in Central and South America, southern Europe and North Africa, but something of a novelty in Taiwan. Raw whole peppers are roasted over hot coals until the thin, papery cuticle blisters and turns white, at which point it can be peeled away. The soft pepper flesh has a succulent texture and smoky flavor. Although stirfrying is likely to remain the favorite way to cook peppers in Asia, several participants gamely took up the tongs and roasted their own.
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