Bumper breakthroughs:
WorldVeg pepper breeding program marks record year for new varieties

– 07 January 2026 –

The WorldVeg pepper breeding program has marked its most successful year to date, releasing a record number of new chili and sweet pepper varieties. With 37 varieties released in 2025, the program broke a record that had stood for 20 years, surpassing the previous high of 21 releases set in 2005. Over three quarters of the new varieties released were in Africa.

The program also distributed 1,590 pepper breeding lines – typically used as source material for private seed companies’ breeding programs – to partners in 46 countries, nearly a quarter of the world. Of these lines, 1,241 were chili peppers and 349 were sweet peppers.

Peppers with purpose

The pepper lines developed by the WorldVeg team combine multiple “stacked” traits to respond to a range of challenges, especially those associated with climate change – from heat tolerance to resistance to the most important pests and diseases. At the same time, they are designed to meet the expectations of farmers, seed companies and consumers in terms of fruit size, color, flavor and aroma – even details like how curly or wrinkled the fruits are.

In 2025, released varieties included a new line of the moderately spicy Krishna chili – targeting markets in the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh that favor its deep purple-to-black fruits. The work lays the foundation for a forthcoming project with the Government of Odisha to develop even hardier Krishna varieties.

They also included several supremely fiery habaneros – the aromatic, thin-skinned chilies that can hit triple figures on the Scoville heat scale and which are a fixture of many African cuisines. As well as fresh and dried chili, there are growing markets across Africa for habanero-based condiments like sauces and oils, presenting opportunities for producers and processors alike.  WorldVeg runs one of the only public breeding programs for habaneros in Africa.

In addition, the year saw the release of the multi-trait workhorse AVPP1245 in Bangladesh. This first-generation hybrid produces short, upright, highly spicy chilis, is tolerant to heat, and resistant to Begomovirus and anthracnose – two virulent diseases of pepper. Growing and maturing quickly, it also enables farmers to use it as a “catch crop” for planting and harvesting between seasons of rice.

Multi-trait workhorse AVPP1245, which produces short, upright, highly spicy chilis targeting markets in Bangladesh, where it can be grown as a “catch crop” between seasons of rice. Pic by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg).

“There’s no doubt about it – 2025 was a phenomenal year for WorldVeg peppers,” said Derek Barchenger, WorldVeg senior scientist, leader of the Center’s pepper breeding program, and winner of the 2025 Borlaug Field Award for his work with peppers and pepper farmers.

“These fantastic numbers of releases and distributions all point to the rising importance of pepper as a versatile, resilient and profitable crop around the world. In particular, we’re seeing smallholders in low income countries increasingly looking to peppers as a way to escape poverty, outsmart climate change and bring consumers the colors, flavors and fire they crave. There is nothing quite like pepper – and farmers, seed companies and consumers know it!”

Africa – on the rise

WorldVeg pepper seed distributions to Africa have grown rapidly in recent years, with the continent accounting for nearly one in four distributions in 2025, up from just one in ten in 2023. Recipients in 2025 included Benin, Mali, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, Senegal, Tanzania, Somalia, Djibouti, South Africa, Egypt, and Ethiopia – the only country in the world that favors brown-tinted chilies, known locally as berbere and used in many local foods. Ongoing work to evaluate and promote WorldVeg chili breeding lines means there are likely to be many more distributions in Africa in 2026.

“A lot of people associate chili pepper with Asian cuisine,” continued Barchenger. “But everywhere in Africa – north to south, east to west – you will find a range of chillies not just spicing up local dishes but defining them – adding complex flavors, aromas, and colors. It means we’re breeding peppers for an incredible range of environments, and an equally broad range of palettes.

“The high number of releases and seed distributions clearly shows that Africa is rising as a globally important producer and consumer of chili. The improved varieties and breeding lines developed and distributed in 2025 give farmers access to peppers that are tough, productive and tailored to their needs, putting them in a strong position to respond to climate pressures and meet growing market demand.”

WorldVeg’s work to breed climate-smart pepper varieties and establish quality seed production in Africa is supported by the Africa Vegetable Breeding Consortium (AVBC). Led by WorldVeg, it brings together scientists, seed companies and farmers across the continent to test and develop new vegetable varieties, including many peppers.

The WorldVeg pepper breeding program has released a number of new, supremely fiery habaneros – primarily for Africa, where chili production is on the rise. Pic by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg).

Asia – strong and steady

Some of the largest pepper seed distributions in 2025 were to South Asia, with India and Nepal among the top recipients. There, the chili seed market is dominated by small- and medium-sized companies that rely on WorldVeg to provide pre-breeding material – lines that combine pest and disease resistance with other quality traits, but which need to be further refined for local growing conditions and markets. 

Many of the distributions in Asia more broadly were the result of the Asia and Pacific Seed Association (APSA)-World Vegetable Center Vegetable Breeding Consortium. Members of this public-private partnership enjoy early-bird access to new vegetable breeding lines from WorldVeg, including peppers. These lines are then used by seed companies as material in their own breeding programs, targeting specific markets and crop characteristics. A recent report showed that APSA is on track to reach one million farmers with improved vegetables by 2030. 

In another 2025 record, the WorldVeg pepper program made 12 lines (eight chilies and four sweet peppers) available to APSA members – over and above the annual requirement of eight. The work also saw large distributions of breeding lines to Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as the Philippines, Myanmar and Laos. 

Krishna chilis, aimed at markets in the Indian states of Odisha and Andhra Pradesh that favor its characteristic deep purple-to-black fruits. Pic by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg).

LAC & the Pacific – gaining traction

Latin America and the Caribbean – where WorldVeg opened a new regional office and led important trials of several high-yielding chili varieties in Mexico in 2025 – accounted for around 13% of global pepper seed distributions, up from only 5% the previous year. In addition, WorldVeg chilis were also distributed to Guatemala, Haiti, Belize and Paraguay, even reaching the Caribbean island nations of St Kitts and Nevis, and St Vincent and the Grenadines.

In the Pacific meanwhile, heat-tolerant WorldVeg sweet peppers were well received in Samoa, where they are part of multi-location trials that could be extended to other countries in the region. This follows previous distributions in the Pacific, including to Vanuatu and Fiji, where WorldVeg research has shown that vegetable consumption is far below recommended levels.

All this means that after a record-breaking year, WorldVeg’s pepper pipeline is now hotter than ever with more climate-smart varieties set to reach seed companies and farmers’ fields worldwide in 2026.

Members of the WorldVeg pepper breeding team make selections during trials at WorldVeg headquarters in Tainan. Pic by Neil Palmer (WorldVeg).

WorldVeg’s pepper breeding contributes to the WorldVeg Action Areas on Climate Resilience, Economic Empowerment, Food Safety and Loss Reduction, and Vegetable Biodiversity as part of the Center’s new Global Strategy (2026-2033)