New pepper varieties released in Taiwan and Nigeria

In Taiwan, bell pepper seeds are mostly imported from abroad, are susceptible to impacts of international trade, and many varieties are not suitable to the conditions on the island. However, over six years, the Taichung District Agricultural Improvement Farm and WorldVeg developed two new improved F₁hybrid varieties, ‘Taichung WorldVeg No. 1’ and ‘Taichung WorldVeg No. 2’, that produce fruit of excellent quality, and have multiple disease resistance to Tomato mosaic virus (ToMV), Chili veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV), Potato virus Y (PVY), phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici) and bacterial spot (Xanthomonas campestris) , so farmers can reduce the amounts of pesticides applied.

By breeding varieties that are adapted to Taiwan’s diverse environments, this will increase the options for farmers, increase productivity, stabilize prices, and increase food safety. And, these varieties produce fruit incline with the preferences of the mainstream market in Taiwan, being square are shape, moderate in weight and size, bright in appearance, with high flesh thickness, and are sweet and crispy.

See – Taiwanese-bred bell peppers are here! Taichung agricultural reform farm, sub-vegetable joint breeding, strong disease resistance, excellent taste and yield Upstream and downstream (newsmarket.com.tw)

Also, across the world in Nigeria, another two pepper varieties (PS PEP 1 and PS PEP 2) were registered and officially released by Premier Seed Nigeria Limited. These not only included WorldVeg material, but they were developed by Derek Barchenger and Herbaud Zohoungbogbo of WorldVeg, alongside Afolabi Samson from Nigeria. Both varieties have compact plant habit and horned fruit shape, and are adapted to the Sudan and Northern Guinea Savanna ecologies of the country. PS PEP 1 matures in 80–90 days after transplanting, with a potential yield of 6.8 t/ha, whereas PS PEP 2 matures faster in 70–80 days after transplanting, with a potential yield of 5.0 t/ha. Importantly, both have multiple disease resistance, to Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV), phytophthora blight (Phytophthora capsici), anthracnose (Colletotrichum capsici), and moderately resistant to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum).