Assessment of germination and growth in nursery of 24 pepper (capsicum spp.) varieties in Côte D’ivoire

Improved exotic varieties of pepper are widely cultivated, in Côte d’Ivoire,to the detriment of local varieties. But some of them present difficulties in germination and plant growth which decrease production levels. However, their statistical magnitude, the parameters involved, the state of this situation relative to local varieties and between individual varieties are not known. Thus, this work was to determine characteristics of germination and in nursery growth of local and improved pepper varieties. Tweenty-four local and exotic varieties collected in Haut-Sassandra region in Côte d’Ivoire were evaluated in nursery according to a randomized complete block design with three replications for seven parameters. Data recorded were subjected to analyses of variance and multivariate analyses. First, it was noticed that no seeds germinated in two of the 14 exotic varieties. Thus, germination rate varied from 0 to 100 %, whereas it was from 60 to 100 % in local varieties. The 22 remaining varieties were highly significantly (p < 1 %) different for six parameters, except number of leaves. In addition, local varieties were highly significantly (p < 1 %) different fron exotic ones for only germination rate and germination time. Indeed, the seeds of local varieties germinated better (85.61 %) than those of improved varieties (76.19 %). Also, seeds of local varieties germinated in a shorter mean time (7.66 days) than those of exotic varieties (8.82 days). Otherwise, three clusters of varieties were distinguished significantly (p < 5 %) for stem diameter and plantlet height, but highly significantly (p < 1 %) for germination rate. Thus, a cluster, composed of 11 varieties whose all seeds germinated (100 %), with lowest stem diameter value (0.11 cm) and highest plantlet height value (3.16 cm) opposed another cluster comprising four varieties with weakest germination rate (65 %), highest mean stem diameter (0.19 cm) and weak plantlet height (2.7 cm). This study demonstrates, on the one hand, non-germination and very low germination in certain improved varieties and, on the other hand, the shorter average germination time in local varieties. All these results open up perspectives for regressive and inferential evaluations of growth, development and production.