Evaluation of ornamental hybrids of Capsicum annuum and their reactions to the fungus Colletotrichum scovillei

Capsicum peppers have long attracted the interest of the ornamental plant market. The demand for plants of this genus in this sector is mainly due to the diversity of shapes and colors of fruits, flowers, and leaves, as well as their compact architecture, which brings charm and harmony to the environment. In 2018, global pepper cultivation reached approximately 40.9 million tons on 3.8 million hectares. In Brazil, data related to pepper cultivation and production are scarce, especially regarding ornamental peppers. However, plants of this genus are frequently affected by pathogens that cause diseases leading to the depreciation of the plant and its fruits, such as anthracnose, caused by the Colletotrichum fungal complex. Therefore, there is a need to seek pepper cultivars, especially ornamental ones, that are resistant to these diseases. The objective of this study was to obtain, evaluate, and characterize pepper hybrids from the germplasm bank of the Federal University of Espírito Santo, regarding their ornamental potential and resistance to anthracnose. The hybrids were obtained from seven pepper parentals, previously selected in other studies for their ornamental potential and resistance to anthracnose. The experiment, aimed at evaluating and characterizing the ornamental potential of the hybrids, was conducted in a greenhouse using a completely randomized design with 10 replicates. Seven parentals, seven hybrids, an ornamental control (the cultivars ‘Pirâmide Ornamental’ and ‘Espaguetinho Ornamental’), the cultivar ‘Ikeda’ (as a positive control for anthracnose), and the UENF1381 accession (as a negative control for the disease) were used, totaling 96 plants. This study identified the hybrids 15×89, 23×40, and 89×15 as having ornamental value and resistance to Colletotrichum scovillei , as well as the parents UFES 15 and UFES 23. Compact growth habit was consistently associated with lower anthracnose severity across evaluation periods, as evidenced by negative correlations between plant height and disease progress in immature and mature fruits. Therefore, the hybrids 15×89, 23×40, and 89×15 are good candidates for the ornamental market, and the parentals UFES 15 and UFES 23 can be further explored in future breeding studies focused on ornamental potential.