Professor, Students On Quest To Build A Better Pepper

According to a new study published in the Journal of the American Society for Horticultural Science, UF/IFAS Professor Bala Rathinasabapathi and his team of students have successfully cross-bred two heirloom varieties of peppers – the Bulgarian Carrot and the Round of Hungary — to come up with more desirable consumer traits, including a more savory taste.

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“There is great potential to breed better-tasting vegetables, richer in nutrients, antioxidants, colors, shapes and flavors than the ones available to the public,” said Rathinasabapathi. “The knowledge developed here will be useful to breed better pepper varieties liked by consumers.”

Many pepper-breeding programs in the U.S. focus on developing disease resistance and yield, he said. Rathinasabapathi and his team focused on qualities consumers can appreciate, such as taste and nutrition.

For the study, researchers used traditional genetic tools to study which traits are inherited and how. Their study verified many findings from previous research, but they also uncovered new data about certain characteristics, such as pumpkin-shaped fruit, fruit-wall thickness and pigments important for fruit color, Rathinasabapathi said.

“These new data will help us and others breed types of peppers with combinations of interesting shapes, colors and flavor,” he said.

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This study is the latest published research in a program developed by Rathinasabapathi in 2010. He came up with the idea for a project called “Building Better Peppers,” with funding from UF’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences through a teaching mini-grant.

Florida produces $207 million worth of bell peppers annually, according to the Florida Department Agriculture and Consumer Services.

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Avatar for Dahlimama Dahlimama says:

I find the tone of the article a bit misleading. Glad to hear they are breeding for taste but to poo poo breeding for disease resistance as not benefiting growers and the community at large is doing a great disrespect for the industry. Here is the truth I tell all the growers I talk to ” no matter how good a variety tastes if it is dead on the plant it does you and the consumer no good “! Taste should be a consideration and an important one but disease resistance gets that fruit to market and good resistance means less chemicals need to produce it and a grower who gets paid by the piece or pound of produce does have to consider yield, it is the difference between having a profitable year and owing the bank. Lets not give importance to one objective over another they are all important considerations.

Avatar for rebecca rabinowitz rebecca rabinowitz says:

awesome! My mentor!

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