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Aji Panca?

Bump. Seeing if anyone harvested these this year. Mine are green but still not ripe. Hoping to get a flush. Mine are labeled as chinenses via chileplants.com
 
I've got a grand total of 1 pod on 1 plant, still green. Hopefully the seeds will be viable and I can do a larger grow next year
 
I just wrote Beth about more seed. I can't find it on her site right now. I got mine from Cross Country. Looks like I'm at three full-sized green pods and about a half-dozen immature ones right now. We'll see if I beat the frost. I'm very curious about them.

I can't really find confirmed chinense seed anywhere right now.

Gary, I've got a few different varieties ripening up now, so I'll send you a small package here after T-Day.
 
I just dug out my Aji Panca seeds.
I have them labled as C.Annuum , C.Baccatum and C. Chinense.

I put a couple of each in the sprouter to hopefully grow side by side to see the differences.

Peru Seed Pack she braught me from Peru.

IM004222.jpg


Some other cool packs:

IM004221.jpg


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IM004223.jpg
 
Chileman.org lists them as baccatum. This may not be the end all in classification; however, this is my go to source for plant information. Had four plants in the ground this year. Tthey were definately late ripeing in my grow zone. They are worth the effort though; make a mighty fine powder.
 
Chileman.org lists them as baccatum. This may not be the end all in classification; however, this is my go to source for plant information. Had four plants in the ground this year. Tthey were definately late ripeing in my grow zone. They are worth the effort though; make a mighty fine powder.
The Aji Panca listing on thechileman.org has a photo of the Capsicum Chinense Aji Panca from chileplants.com plus another photo that may be the Baccatum:

chiajp1.jpg

C. Chinense

panca.jpg

C.Baccatum?

If they were Baccatums they will have gold specks in the petals of the buds.
I had a dig for brown Baccatum varieties after the idea of a Chocolate Starfish was raised and found none. Odds are if it ripens to brown then it's not a true Baccatum. Alas the Chocolate Starfish remains elusive.
 
Mine are definitely not baccatum, based on flower morphology.
Finally someone has had a look at the flowers! :lol:

I'm really considering tracking down some seeds and giving these guys another go. Although I really don't have any grow space left... this is for science, dammit!
 
I'm VERY jealous of Smokemaster's seed packs!

I have some large Dark/Black Aji Panca pods from a commercial source from Peru, I extracted some seeds and did a small germination test. Only 2/5 germinated and both had their seed capsule stuck! I managed to save one of those two and right now it is growing in the windowsill. I got them back in October, so it is still small and quite weak looking. I still have a whole bunch of extracted seed, but I think they were dried at too high of a temperature for quality seed.
 
Got a bag of dehydrated Aji Panca's, i'm nearly positive they are Baccatum. Around here they sell them in foreign food stores and supermarkets with foreign food sections. They are dirt cheap for the quanitity you're getting, i wouldn't doubt if there were 500 seeds in the bag.

Pics:

AJIPANCA.jpg

^^^ That's with 2 or 3 peppers removed from the bag already. I get a germination rate of about 50% but for $1.49 who cares i say.

pancas.jpg

^^^ Some Aji Pancas out of the bag. When you study them closely, inside and out, they are almost identical to the Aji yellows below, even the striations in the flesh are the same. The test seedlings grown from these grow tall just like other baccatums, i'm nearly convinced that's what they are. No hint of Chinense smell or taste with these.


aJIaMARILLO.jpg

^^^^ Also got a bag of the Aji Yellow aka Aji Amarillo longs, these are Baccatums. About 1/2 the peppers were already removed from the bag. The word "Mirasol" means they were sun dried. These have a much better germination rate of at least 75% or higher. Only $1.99.
 
Got a bag of dehydrated Aji Panca's, i'm nearly positive they are Baccatum. Around here they sell them in foreign food stores and supermarkets with foreign food sections. They are dirt cheap for the quanitity you're getting, i wouldn't doubt if there were 500 seeds in the bag.

Now you're making me second guess myself on the flowers. I could've sworn they were not the classic baccatum interior petal "spot".

Or...I've heard Panca is used for the same brown color in multiple species. Dunno.
 
Is it possible that perhaps Aji Panca is a Baccatum/Chinense cross?

To my knowledge, Baccatum/Chinense crosses usually turn out predominantly Baccatum.... which could explain why Aji Panca looks very much Baccatum but would also explain the abnormalities (such as the "speckleless" flower and brown colour of the pods)?

I dunno, I really don't know enough.
 
Are commercial seed lots dried at a higher temp than ambient summer?

I've seen pics where they lay out tons of these ajies onto the desert sand to dry in the sun. Not sure how hot the peppers get using this method. The ajies were dried for consumption not seed saving, so I don't think they are concerned if the temp gets too high for seeds to stay viable.
 
I've seen pics where they lay out tons of these ajies onto the desert sand to dry in the sun. Not sure how hot the peppers get using this method. The ajies were dried for consumption not seed saving, so I don't think they are concerned if the temp gets too high for seeds to stay viable.

If it's the desert, I can't imagine it gets hot enough to sterilize the seed. Unless it's in an enclosed area. I dry seed in the middle of summer here on a dark brown deck. My guess is 110F+. No problems yet. But you've made me curious about drying seed in the oven at bread proofing temps or maybe a little higher. I wonder what the highest non-damaging temp would be? Interesting.

Thanks for the gear oil.
 
Now you're making me second guess myself on the flowers. I could've sworn they were not the classic baccatum interior petal "spot".

Or...I've heard Panca is used for the same brown color in multiple species. Dunno.
Your findings with the flowers is the reason i used the phrase "nearly convinced", i still sorta wonder myself. Maybe there are a bunch of crosses floating around, or that the word Panca is used for different species. That one Panca pic floating around looks more like a shrived/wrinkly annuum and not the peppers i have in this bag.

As for drying temps, i recently read that certain food dehydrators render pepper seeds sterile, i just can't remember the associated temp. My gut tells me it was 120f but ...

Can't wait to grow these out in 2012, for myself and for the giveaways. Can't wait to see the looks on people's faces when their plant bushes 6ft across with tons of Aji's. I'm going to have to do some flower + plant comparisons then too.

Edit: i'm going to revisit the store where i bought them. By now they would fresh stock so i want to see what they look like. If they all look completely different, like with thicker/wider tops and blockier tips, then i'll probably buy another bag.

We may be revisiting this thread next year.
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