Making a new Chilli! Aji Bodysnatcher

[dennish]

I thought I would start a specific topic on my efforts to create a new variety, now dubbed Aji Bodysnatcher.
 
This all started in 2015, when I selected the parent plants, Lemon Drop & Aji White Fantasy. 
 

 

 
My thinking was, one has a great pod shape and the other is one of my favourite tasting so let’s see what happens when we combine the two!  Also, both c.baccatum so easier than cross-species crossing.
 
Some great guides out there, this is a good one;
http://fatalii.net/Growing_chile_peppers/Breeding
 
I got myself some surgical tweezers and some cheap reading glasses with 3x magnification.  The reading glasses were a breakthrough, allowing me to quickly and efficiently emasculate the parent plant flowers ready for pollination.  Before that I was either butchering the flowers or fiddling around trying to hold a magnifying glass at the same time which was a nightmare.
 
I eventually managed to get the cross to take in both directions Lemon Drop (parent) x Aji White Fantasy (pollinator) and vice versa, grew the pods to maturity and harvested the seed.
 
At the start of 2016 I planted both F1 variants and here are the results…
 
Lemon Drop x Aji White Fantasy F1 produced pods which closely resemble a Lemon Drop, infact at first I thought the cross hadn’t worked.  But after harvesting mature pods, I’ve noted that they are bigger and a paler shade of yellow than standard Lemon Drops.  The taste and heat profile similar, but subtly different to a Lemon Drop. 

 
Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F1 produced a whole new pod shape altogether and turned out yellow.  I saw a bit of variation in shapes with some of the later season pods developing spikes which was really cool.  Occurred to me the fruit looked like alien pods dangling in bunches from the plant, hence the name I came up with.  The taste profile is very similar to a Lemon Drop with the same zesty zing.  The heat profile I would say is slightly lower.  This is a great chilli to add flavour used fresh without overbearing heat, makes a sublime addition to fresh salsa!
 
My Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F1 first pods

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F1 lovely spikey pods…

 
Aji Bodysnatcher F1 pods ripening

 
I’m currently growing out the Aji Bodysnatcher F2 generation and hope for ripe pods with the right characteristics to select from this year so I can crack on with the F3 generation at the start of next year.  I’ll post back when I have the F2 results to share, so far lots of variation in the 6 plants I have indoors in 1l pots, not sure I’ve got a big enough sample to recreate the shape I’m looking for but I’m still hopeful!

 

[karoo]

Great post and pictures.
Did the F1 plant self pollinate or crossed with other F1 , with the reversed parentage?

 

[dennish]

Great post and pictures.
Did the F1 plant self pollinate or crossed with other F1 , with the reversed parentage?

Hi Karoo, cheers!  The F1 plants self pollinated.

 

[Lovepeppers]

Nice pods. Who was the mother?

 

[Jubnat]

Are you also growing out the LDxAF F2 to see if anything more interesting pops up? Or just the other cross?

I figured you called them bodysnatchers because some of them look like body bags. Like someone's trapped inside the pepper's walls, trying to kick their way out.

 

[dennish]

Nice pods. Who was the mother?

The first plant named in each case, as per above.  i.e. Lemon Drop (parent) x Aji White Fantasy (pollinator) and Aji White Fantasy (parent) x Lemon Drop (pollinator)
 

Are you also growing out the LDxAF F2 to see if anything more interesting pops up? Or just the other cross?

I figured you called them bodysnatchers because some of them look like body bags. Like someone's trapped inside the pepper's walls, trying to kick their way out.

I may grow it out next season, but haven't so far... investing the limited indoor space for the more interesting of the two at this stage.  
 
Yes I think the name fits well, cheers.

 

[kentishman]

Nice work Dennis.

 

[dennish]

So quick update on my little project...

The seasons end pods from both crosses are truly impressive.

Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F1, aka Aji Bodysnatcher kicking out some really nice large and unusual shaped pods, in keeping with the earlier pods but much bigger.

Lemon Drop x Aji White Fantasy F1 late season pods also nice and big and ripening to a very nice pale shade of yellow, almost ivory.

Here are the latest pods and side by side with a standard Lemon Drop for comparison. Lemon Drop Fantasy anyone? Think I'll grow this one out next year too.

My 6 Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F2 plants have thrown up some great variety and plenty of pods despite the 1l pots.

I've got something which looks very similar to the early Aji Bodysnatcher pods which I'll be growing out at F3 from new year.

I've also got what looks to be a white pod, almost spherical in shape with faint bumpiness which is very interesting and also going to be grown out next season if it turns out white. Working name, Aji Snowball.

And yes, naming crosses so early is perhaps premature, but these names are 'working titles' at this stage (somehow makes it more enjoyable having a name and vision how you want the cross to turn out) I'm not planning to release any seed until stabilised and proven worthwhile.

 

[kentishman]

Good work Dennis.

 

[dennish]

Here's a pic for scale on the Aji Bodsnatcher pods, nice size as you can see!

 

[dennish]

So, exciting times as I have a decent number of F2 pods ripe from all 6 plants. As you can see below, quite a big variation in colour, size and shape! Even some round white pods in the mix for good measure!

I'll be rounding the selection process off with a taste test, but I've got a few pods which resemble the 'early' pods seen in the F1 generation. Bottom left are the closest to what I am looking for...

The great thing here is that I've managed to grow these out in 1l pots in quite a small space, my plan next year will be to adopt this approach then select the plants with the best pod formations for investing in growing on in bigger pots....

Stay tuned for F3 & F4 next year, it's been pretty much 12 months of solid growing to achieve two generations but I'm determined to stabilise and be sure of something worthwhile before releasing the seed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[karoo]

Good work. thanx for the updates.
Can't wait to start crossing.

 

[b3rnd]

So, exciting times as I have a decent number of F2 pods ripe from all 6 plants. As you can see below, quite a big variation in colour, size and shape! Even some round white pods in the mix for good measure!

I'll be rounding the selection process off with a taste test, but I've got a few pods which resemble the 'early' pods seen in the F1 generation. Bottom left are the closest to what I am looking for...

The great thing here is that I've managed to grow these out in 1l pots in quite a small space, my plan next year will be to adopt this approach then select the plants with the best pod formations for investing in growing on in bigger pots....

Stay tuned for F3 & F4 next year, it's been pretty much 12 months of solid growing to achieve two generations but I'm determined to stabilise and be sure of something worthwhile before releasing the seed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 
 
Hey Dennish, great work there! Sick looking pods. Could you share your method with us? I've been looking into growing just to cross, and breeding plants in 1l pots sounds perfect. What is your approach?

 

[dennish]

 
 
Hey Dennish, great work there! Sick looking pods. Could you share your method with us? I've been looking into growing just to cross, and breeding plants in 1l pots sounds perfect. What is your approach?

 
Sorry for the lack of reply b3rnd!  I missed this completely.  I've followed the excellent guide on Fatalii.net  generally and had good success.
 
I find that using 1l pots forces early fruiting and allows me to grow a larger sample of plants to determine pod shapes before I select the ones I like for growing out in bigger pots.  This has also allowed me to do two generations in the same calendar year in the UK!

 

[dennish]

So time for an update... the F3 generation of Aji Bodysnatcher are well underway!  
 
I grew 6 plants in 1l pots, starting the seed at the beginning of January.  The plants are pretty vigourous and all had very similar habits initially...
 
Seedlings...

 
Young plants...

 

 
This is about as big as they get in 1l pots before being forced into early fruiting...

 
Typical baccatum flowers

 
I have now selected two with the desired phenotype for growing out in the greenhouse in bigger pots.  
 
The pod shapes are spot on and they seem even more productive than last year!  
 

 

 
Have you ever seen branches so loaded!?  Can't wait till they ripen...
 

 

[b3rnd]

 
Sorry for the lack of reply b3rnd!  I missed this completely.  I've followed the excellent guide on Fatalii.net  generally and had good success.
 
I find that using 1l pots forces early fruiting and allows me to grow a larger sample of plants to determine pod shapes before I select the ones I like for growing out in bigger pots.  This has also allowed me to do two generations in the same calendar year in the UK!

 
No problem dennish! I've just (hopefully) succesfully created my first cross, also by Fatalii's guide! It's a Lemon Drop x Brazilian Starfish. Pretty excited about that one, could have some cool shapes too. I removed everything except the pistil, brushed it with the pollen from the other one, and it still fruited. Should be a good sign, right? I did a LD x BS and a BS x LD. You think there's going to be a difference?
 
On the topic: Your cross is looking really cool, those branches are packed! I can't wait too see how those pods ripen! Very nice to still see the bodybag shape. Now let's hope the flavour is just as good! 

 

[Slug]

Very cool, Dennish.  This year's grow looking good.

 

[ShowMeDaSauce]

Very very cool. I love the high yield of baccatums.

 

[Gorizza]

Lemon Drop x Aji White Fantasy F1 late season pods also nice and big and ripening to a very nice pale shade of yellow, almost ivory.

My 6 Aji White Fantasy x Lemon Drop F2 plants have thrown up some great variety and plenty of pods despite the 1l pots.

 
I didn't realize the importance maternal effect alleles have in capsicum, good on you for doing a reciprocal cross!

 

[dennish]

First Aji Bodysnatcher F3 pod picked... wow! Big Lemon Drop flavour from nice fat pod and good heat, with juicy thick walls and quite a bit of placenta to boot. Great pod, now harvesting seed for the F4 growout in the 2nd part of the year!