Principal component analysis applied to the agronomic characterization of peppers of the genus Capsicum for ornamental purposes

• Grant number: 24/23164-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: March 01, 2025
• End date: February 28, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Probability and Statistics - Applied Probability and Statistics
• Principal Investigator: Josiane Rodrigues
• Grantee: Beatriz Bandini de Carvalho
• Host Institution: Centro de Ciências Agrárias (CCA). Universidade Federal de São Carlos (UFSCAR). Araras , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Peppers are part of Brazil's cultural wealth and a valuable asset to its biodiversity. They are consumed in a variety of ways, whether fresh or processed into jellies and preserves. In addition to their use in food, peppers are also used medicinally, as a source of antioxidants. There is also a promising market for ornamental peppers, recommended for both garden and indoor cultivation. In Brazil, the most widely cultivated species are C. annuum and C. chinense. As for the ornamental pepper trade in the country, there are only a small number of varieties available on the market, which paves the way for genetic improvement of those already available. In view of the above, the present study aims to characterize and compare the red biquinho and yellow bode peppers, both of the C. chinense species, and the lines F810070, F810082 and F810047, of the C. anuum species, belonging to the Germplasm Bank of the Federal University of São Carlos, in relation to agronomic variables considered favorable for their use in ornamental purposes, using for this purpose the multivariate technique of principal component analysis, the purpose of which is to obtain a small number of linear combinations of the original variables, which retain as much of the information contained in the data set as possible. The research aims to assist pepper breeding programs in the development of new cultivars that are attractive from the point of view of ornamental purposes.