MONITORING SEED PROTEIN CONTENT (SPC) OF FOUR BELL PEPPER CULTIVARS HARVESTED AT DIFFERENT FRUIT AGES TO ASSESS THEIR VIABILITY

Abstract

To investigate the appropriate time of harvest for four cultivars of bell-pepper (Capsicum annuum), a mass transplanting of “Dan Datsa”, “Dan Charkawa, “Dan Damaso”, and “Dan Boko” cultivars of “tatashe” was carried out in the 2018 dry season at 75 × 50 cm inter-row and intra-row spacings respectively. Each cultivar was transplanted in dedicated blocks measured at 108 m2. The flowers were tagged at full anthesis, and the fruits were harvested at 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50 and 60 days after anthesis (DAA). Seeds were extracted, processed, packaged, and stored in an incubator set at 35 °C and 75% relative humidity (RH) to accelerate the ageing process of the seeds. Samples were collected every week for viability test and monitoring of seed protein content. The seeds of “Dan Damaso” cultivar recorded significantly higher (36.57 - 1.57%) seed germination percentage (SGP) and significantly higher seed protein content (23.78 – 18.24%) which was across the storage period. While other cultivars recorded germination ranging between 0.50 - 31.71% germination and 16.31 – 21.34% SPC. Fruits harvested at 50 DAA recorded significantly higher SGP and SPC across the storage period. Across the storage period, irrespective of harvesting stages, SGP recorded increase in values within the first 2-3 weeks of storage while the SPC values reduces as the storage period progressed. From this study, we can conclude that studying the seed protein contend of bell-pepper seeds can be used to monitor the viability and vigour of bell pepper seeds during storage.