INFLUENCE OF TEMPERATURES AND CONTAINERS ON THE STORAGE OF CHILLI SEEDS

Abstract

Chilli (Capsicum annuum L) is an important commercial vegetable crop
cultivated for tender green and red ripe fruits all over India. Being a native
of South America, the species is well adapted to Indian climate conditions
and exhibits a greater variation for several economical plant characters. The
variation is of great importance for evolving suitable genotypes having high
productivity, good fruit quality and resistance to several biotic and abiotic
stresses. Of late large scale commercialization of farming resulted in replacement
of old cultivars with high yielding ones and improper storage conditions poses
a serious threat to gene pool. In order to arrest the process of genetic erosion,
seeds are to be preserved in suitable conditions. A limited information is
available in this crop.