We’re pleased to share two new resources for breeding sweet peppers in the Midwest. The new publications are intended to be practical tools for growers in the region interested in breeding and adapting sweet pepper varieties on their farms. The guides are available for free download in our resource library.
Northern Sweet Pepper Trial Report 2019-2021
The new Northern Sweet Pepper Trial Report 2019-2021 is a good place to start researching varieties for an on-farm breeding project. The report includes results from trials conducted to evaluate the performance of several open-pollinated (OP) varieties of sweet bell peppers bred or selected in the northern U.S. The trial focused on OP varieties with the intention of identifying varieties that could serve as parents for farmer-led breeding and selection initiatives in the future.
Sweet Pepper Breeding and Seed Saving Guide
The Sweet Pepper Breeding and Seed Saving Guide walks growers through the breeding process from start to finish, and includes:
- Background, life cycle, and basic biology
- Population genetics and breedings
- Seed harvest, processing, and storage
- Seedbourne diseases
- Additional resources
Dig into the details on isolation distances, population sizes, roguing, selection, and harvesting and processing seed. You’ll also find a list of seedbourne pathogens found in sweet peppers broken down by bacterial, fungal, and viral.
Funding for both of these sweet pepper breeding resources comes from the USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant Program through the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.
