Identification of loval cultivars of red chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) in Lubuk Cuik village, Batu Bara district

Producing superior seeds for chili plants that are resistant to biotic stress is one of the efforts in plant breeding. Characterization/evaluation of germplasm is the initial stage in plant breeding activities. This research aimed to identify the morphological characters of the red chili (Capsicum annuum L.) in Lima Puluh Pesisir District, in order to obtain initial material for the genetic assembly of superior seeds of chili plants that are superior to biotic stress. This research was conducted in Lima Puluh Pesisir District in the villages of Lubuk Cuik, from March to Mei 2023 used a descriptive survey method using IPGRI (International Plant Genetic Resources Institute) descriptor. Sampling was done by purposive sampling method. The samples used 9 plants from 3 farmers. The results of this study indicate that there are local chili cultivars that have superior characteristics and have the potential to be developed. Local chili cultivars have a wide phenotypic diversity in the characters of plant height, number of seeds per fruit, canopy width, weight per fruit and harvest age.


Introduction
Red chili is one of the important horticultural plants cultivated commercially.Red chili peppers provide color and flavor that can stimulate appetite, they are rich in vitamins and can also be used as medicine, ingredients in food preparation, and in animal husbandry [1].
The production of red chili in Batu Bara Regency over the past three years has tended to fluctuate.In 2019, the production of red chili in Batu Bara Regency reached 111,446 tons.In 2020, there was a decrease to 101,956 tons.However, in 2021, the production of red chili in Batu Bara Regency increased significantly to 156,547 tons [2].
The still high disparity between real productivity at the farm level and the potential productivity of red chili, which can reach 20-30 tons/ha, indicates the existence of various limiting factors.Among them are the lack of knowledge/technology mastery at the farmer level, low levels of technology adoption, limited capital ownership, and the risk of crop failure due to pest and disease attacks [3].
The increase in productivity of red chili can be achieved by using high-quality seeds from superior varieties [4].The success of variety assembly is determined, among others, by the availability of gene resources found in the germplasm collection.The genetic materials contained in the germplasm are strategic sources of genes for variety assembly or improvement.To obtain the necessary gene resources for varieties, characterization/evaluation of the existing germplasm is required to be able to utilize them optimally [5].
Genetic assembly requires diversity in germplasm.Germplasm requires characterization and identification of the starting material used as the start of genetic assembly.Characterization is carried out on characters that are easily inherited, easily observed, and not influenced by environmental factors.The expression of these qualitative characters is not easily seen and recorded, therefore morphological characterization is very important to do.Morphological characters are considered not sufficient to find a clear position, so other methods are needed as complements to evaluate relationships.However, morphological characterization is the initial information necessary in the effort to find superior characters and the existing diversity is still needed [6].
Characterization and identification activities are one of the initial stages carried out in plant breeding activities to obtain information about the morphological characteristics of plants that can be useful for improving plant traits and future plant development plans to obtain superior chili varieties.Therefore, it is necessary to identify the morphological characteristics of chili in order to select the best characters for selection criteria or determine which characters can be improved.

Materials and methods
This research was conducted in Limapuluh Pesisir District, Batu Bara Regency from March to May 2023.This research was carried out using a survey method which is exploratory research by exploring the location of local chili cultivars by conducting interviews with farmers and direct observation at chili planting center locations.
Observation of data is done by characterizing the morphology of plants in the form of qualitative and quantitative characteristics using the descriptor guidelines for red chili peppers provided by the International Plant Genetic Resources Institute (IPGRI).Primary data is obtained directly through field respondents in the form of observations and questionnaire results.In addition, secondary data in the form of descriptions, numerical data, or maps about the research area is also needed to support the primary data obtained from various sources, including literature studies and relevant institutions.
Qualitative and quantitative data that have been standardized are processed using IBM SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 21 with cluster analysis to determine the level of similarity between cultivars of each sample of red chili.

Results and discussion
The cultivation of red chili plants conducted by farmers in Lima Puluh Pesisir District is considered good, with a total land area planted with chili reaching 500 hectares.There is a farmers' group as a forum for discussion among farmers to ensure the optimal success of chili production.
The results of interviews conducted with chili farmers in districts of Lima Puluh Pesisir indicate that in general, farmers grow red chili plants of the curly red chili variety.Farmers usually obtain the seeds by purchasing them from agricultural stores, and on average, they grow certified hybrid chilies such as Djitu and Laju.However, it is not uncommon to find farmers who also grow local chili cultivars, where the chili seeds are obtained by drying their own chilies from previous harvests or from fellow farmers whose origin of the seeds is unknown, whether they come from the same area or are introduced from other regions.According to the local chili farming group, local chili seeds are not inferior to hybrid seeds, but they do have some limitations in terms of certain plant characteristics.
Based on observations of the morphology character of red chili plants in Lima Puluh Pesisir District, there are similarities and differences in the parameters.The differences and similarities that arise can be caused by the phenotype of a plant being influenced by genetics and the environment.The environment referred to includes factors such as temperature, humidity, water availability, altitude, land slope, and also the care provided by farmers such as fertilization because farmers have different fertilization systems.
Tabel   The appearance of a plant is determined by genetic factors, the environment, and the interaction between the two.This affects the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the plant.Genetic factors are inherited from parents to offspring, while environmental factors can be manipulated to allow the plant to grow as optimally as possible.[9].
Observation of leaf color parameters has two variations, namely green and dark green.The green leaf color is found in the sample P1S1, P1S3, P2S4, P2S5, P2S6, while dark green leaf color is found in P1S2, P3S7, P3S8, P3S9.Observation of leaf shape parameters shows 2 variations, namely ovate and lanceolate.Ovate leaf shape can be found in the samples P1S1, P1S2, P1S3, P3S7, P3S8, P3S9, while the lanceolate leaf shape is P2S4, P2S5, P2S6.Observation of stem shape parameters as a whole sample has a cylindrical stem shape.
Based on observations of the morphology of flowers, namely corolla color, anther color, filament color, stigma position, corolla shape, and petal type shape.The observation of the overall corolla shape parameter for the samples is in the form of rotation.The observation of the corolla color parameter has 2 variations, namely white and white with purple edges.The white crown color with purple edges is found in the sample P3S7, P3S8, P3S9, while the white crown color is found in P1S1, P1S2, P1S3, P1S4, P2S5, dan P2S.
Observation of the overall fruit shape parameter for the entire sample is the same, which is elongated.The overall base shape of the fruit in the sample is the same, which is obtuse.The overall end shape of the fruit in the sample is the same, which is pointed.Observing the color parameters of young fruit there are 2 variations, namely green and whitish green.The color parameter of young fruit is whitish green found in samples P2S4, P2S5, P2S6.Meanwhile, young fruit is green in the remaining samples.
Based on the results of the characterization of the entire sample, several potential plant morphological characters were obtained and could be useful as a source of genetic diversity.The important characteristics to look for to create superior chili varieties in terms of production are weight per fruit, length and width of the fruit, number of seeds per fruit, and maturity.Among these characters, the samples have the character of long fruit, the average local chili sample has a fruit weight of around 6-7 grams.In terms of characteristics, the highest weight per fruit in the A1P3S28 sample reached 7.82 grams, which is the djitu chili cultivar.Meanwhile, in the local cultivar samples, the highest fruit weight in the P2S4 sample reached 7.32, which was the white cultivar.The highest number of seeds per fruit in the A1P3S7 sample was 64 seeds, which is the Djitu chili sample, and for the local cultivar in the P2S5 sample, 61 seeds were the cultivar.white.
Then, on average, farmers say that local chili peppers are more resilient compared to hybrid chili peppers.Resilient in the sense that they remain sturdy even after being harvested, unlike hybrid chili peppers which show immediate physiological changes in the plants post-harvest, such as leaves that quickly experience chlorosis.Local chili peppers also have similar length and width of the fruits as hybrid chili peppers if proper care is taken, including green and white local chili peppers.
However, local chili peppers also have shortcomings that need to be improved, including a longer intermediate phase for the fruits to turn red, requiring good care although not all, some farmers say they are easily prone to diseases, cannot withstand unsuitable climates, and have a longer harvesting period.In addition, there are local chili peppers that are less preferred by farmers when the fruits are young and have a whitish green color, as they are not popular in the market.However, when the fruits ripen, they have a bright and shiny red color.

Conclusions
Local chili cultivars in Lima Puluh Pesisir Subdistrict have potential characteristics that can be developed, including fruit weight, fruit length, harvest age, and number of seeds per fruit.White cultivars tend to have higher potential than green cultivars.The mean plant height of white and green cultivars was 102.3 and 95.3 cm respectively, with an average weight per fruit of 7.14 grams and 6.34 grams.