Tri Budiyanti 1,2, Riska Riska 2, Rinda Kirana 2, Sri Hadiati 2, Irfan Suliansyah 3,*, Dini Hervani 3,* and Eko Dharma Husada 4
1Doctoral Program in Agricultural Sciences, Postgraduate, Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, Limau Manis Padang Indonesia; 2Research Center for Horticulture, National Research and Innovation Agency, Soekarno Science and Technology Area, Jl. Raya Jakarta–Bogor KM 46, Cibinong, Bogor 16915, West Java, Indonesia; 3Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Andalas University, Limau Manis Padang, Indonesia; 4Research Centre for Applied Microbiology, National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). Jl. Raya Jakarta-Bogor Km 46, Cibinong, Bogor 16911, Indonesia
*Corresponding author: irfansuliansyah@agr.unand.ac.id (IS); dinihervani@agr.unand.ac.id (DH)
Indonesia harbors substantial chili genetic diversity owing to its broad range of agroecological conditions and production environments. West Sumatra represents an important center of diversity for local curly chili (Capsicum annuum L.); however, comprehensive information on the morphological and molecular diversity of its indigenous germplasm remains limited. This study aimed to assess the yield potential, morphological and molecular diversity, and genetic variability of local curly chili genotypes collected from West Sumatra. The experiment used a randomized complete block design with 23 local curly chili genotypes and three replications. Each replication included six plants per genotype, and we used replication means for statistical analyses. We evaluated morphological and yield-related traits and characterized molecular diversity using inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) markers. We analyzed phenotypic data using analysis of variance, Duncan’s multiple range test at the 5% significance level, principal component analysis (PCA), and cluster analysis. We observed significant variation among the evaluated genotypes for several agronomic traits. Randah and Kampung Manangah exhibited the highest fruit yield (706.6 g plant⁻¹), whereas Kopay produced the longest fruits (23 cm). Broad genetic variability and high broad-sense heritability were detected for fruit number, fruit weight per plant, fruit length, and plant height, indicating substantial potential for effective phenotypic selection under the evaluated conditions. Principal component analysis accounted for 80.5% of the total morphological variation, while cluster analysis classified the 23 genotypes into three major groups, demonstrating considerable phenotypic differentiation. ISSR-based analysis further revealed distinct genetic relationships among the evaluated genotypes and complemented the morphological assessment of germplasm diversity. Overall, the substantial phenotypic and molecular variation among West Sumatran curly chili genotypes highlights their potential as valuable genetic resources for germplasm conservation, parental selection, and developing improved Capsicum annuum cultivars in future breeding programs.