In another topic, I observed of the new Butch T x Reaper cross that two growers starting with the same seed can wind up with very different peppers depending on what traits the process of seed saving follows. I just ran into a fantastic example of what I mean. Using the Butch T x Reaper, but going for a much broader conversation around the question what exactly is a pepper variety?
Baker's Peppers - Photo of a Butch T x Reaper cross
Rahi Seed Bank - Photo of a Butch T x Reaper cross
I think that the gene pool for both the Carolina Reaper and the Butch T are so deep that if anyone else were to cross the two peppers, we might come up with a third example of what might happen. Then depending on how the individual growers grow the thing out, which seeds are saved each generation, the thing will change even more.
I wonder at what point a grower should stop calling it by the peppers that were crossed and give it an entirely new name to avoid confusion.
Baker's Peppers - Photo of a Butch T x Reaper cross
Rahi Seed Bank - Photo of a Butch T x Reaper cross
I think that the gene pool for both the Carolina Reaper and the Butch T are so deep that if anyone else were to cross the two peppers, we might come up with a third example of what might happen. Then depending on how the individual growers grow the thing out, which seeds are saved each generation, the thing will change even more.
I wonder at what point a grower should stop calling it by the peppers that were crossed and give it an entirely new name to avoid confusion.