Optimum Time of Pollination and Number of Fruit Pickings and Its Effect on Seed Yield in CGMS Based Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) Hybrid

This study proposed standardization of best time of pollination and stage of picking fruits in newly released chilli CGMS hybrid. As optimum pollination time can result in better fruit set and thus produce seeds with superior yield. Another purpose of conducting the experiment was selection of a fruit picking stage that positively influence the seed yield parameters as under matured or over matured fruits often cause losses. In present investigation during kharif season of 2016 and 2017stigma of A line (male sterile line) was pollinated at six different times with pollens from R line (male fertile/restorer line) starting from 9 am to 5 pm. Fruits labeled with different coloured threads were harvested 60 days after pollination in three different pickings. Pollination time 10 to 11 am yielded hybrid with higher fruit set (40 %), dry fruit weight (1.50g), seed weight per fruit (0.451 g), number of seeds per fruit (76) and test weight (6.26 g) as compared to late afternoon timings. Also second picking fruits were better in these seed yield parameters when compared to early and late pickings. The interaction effect was also significant for these two objectives.