HIERARCHICAL CLUSTER ANALYSIS OF PARENTS OF F₁ AND F₂ PEPPER HYBRIDS BASED ON MORPHOLOGICAL MARKERS AND QUANTITATIVE TRAITS

Full diallel cross without reciprocals has been performed in order to hybridize five divergent parental genotypes (KP-01, KP-03, S-15, CH-1 and HM-6) and obtain progeny of F₁ and F₂ hybrids. The aim of this study has been to research the divergence of parents of F₁ and F₂ hybrids by applying the cluster analysis based on morphological markers, calculating the values of (according to UPOV) genotypes of parents and F₁ hybrids, and quantitative traits, taking into account the effect of five traits (early ripening, number of fruits per plant, pericarp thickness, fruit weight and vitamin C content). Cluster analysis based on quantitative values gave more applicable results in pepper breeding comparing to cluster analysis based on morphological factors. The most important trait in F₁ and F₂ generation has been fruit weight.