Hot Prospects: WorldVeg chilies make a strong debut in Mexico’s first harvest
WorldVeg chilies in Santiago Miahuatlán, Puebla.
High-yielding chilies developed by the World Vegetable Center (WorldVeg) are showing great promise following an initial trial in Puebla State, southeastern Mexico.
The trial is part of the Diversifying Mexican Crop Production Systems with Safe, Healthy, and High-Value Vegetables project, launched in 2024 with funding from Mexico’s Secretariat of Agriculture and Rural Development (SADER) through the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT). The project aims to evaluate chili and tomato lines developed by WorldVeg for yield, disease resistance, and adaptability across different regions of Mexico.
In Santiagio Miahuatlán, Pueba State, the chili trial was led by biologist and PhD candidate Diana Fernanda Espinoza of the University of Puebla. Working with farmer Don Rafael, she planted several WorldVeg chili lines alongside the region’s prized Chile Miahuateco, a variety renowned for its unique taste and local significance.
Chile de Miahuateco
Chili affected by the picudo
Promising performance, greater opportunities
Preliminary results from the first harvest are encouraging, with several WorldVeg lines demonstrating strong field performance, good yields, and resistance to local diseases.
While the lines show promise, their greater value may be in providing genetic traits that could strengthen traditional varieties such as Chile Miahuateco.
This chili, which commands prices two to three times higher than conventional chilies, faces mounting pressure from diseases and pests. Viral diseases – most likely linked to Pepper huasteco yellow vein virus (a Geminivirus) – have caused significant crop losses. Meanwhile, the increasing presence of Picudo del Chile (Anthonomus eugenii), a persistent pest, has raised further concerns. Found throughout southern and central Mexico, this weevil hides inside chili fruit for most of its life cycle, making chemical control largely ineffective.
Turning up the heat on pests
Diana is currently testing pheromone traps and plant extracts to establish their effectiveness in managing the Picudo del Chile, while also monitoring whitefly populations – the primary vector of the disease. Though pesticides can still target whiteflies, resistance is a growing concern, while breeding for resistance could be a more sustainable solution to protect this chili from Pepper huasteco yellow vein virus disease.
It seems the Chile Miahuateco could be a test case for how integrated pest management to control insect pests and advanced plant breeding can contribute to conserving local, culturally valuable crops. By combining scientific innovation with traditional agricultural knowledge, the future of this highly appreciated chili could be secured.
Collaborators Don Rafael (chili producer), Diana Fernanda Espinoza (investigator and PhD student at the Universidad de Puebla), and Gabriela Perez (Municipal Extension Officer in Santiago Miahuatlán). Back: Roland Schafleitner, WorldVeg Country Director
