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breeding Pepper crossing question

Hey all,

I wanted to get into pepper crossing this year. I kinda did last year but didn't emasculate the receiving flowers at all, so left it up to chance to see if they would pollinate by brushing the flower I wanted to use as my 'male' and then putting a very small seed ziplock plastic around it that also contained the male flower touching the pistol just in case my initial transfer didn't work. I do see somewhere between 25% to 50% of my crosses are much different looking so it was somewhat a success. I'll do the real steps (aka emasculating) for new crosses i want to make to get that up to 100% this year :). But anyway I had a question.

For the crossing guide on https://www.fatalii.net/growing_chile_peppers/breeding (chart below), they mention: "PF = F1 hybrids partially fertile", what does that mean?
The seeds of the cross I got last year that I am growing this year, aka my first year of the cross (aka F1), the seeds of those may or may not be fertile?
So if they grew out this spring and became plants this year, then Im good since that proves that particular F1 seed was Fertile? and every single plant of next year's generation will be viable/fertile and so on and so on (just have to stabilize the variation/genetics i want)?

or does that mean this years upcoming F1's seeds (which will become next years F2 plant) will only be partially fertile? So some of those seeds i collect this year may or may not actually grow next year?

Sorry if that was confusing, but hopefully someone can answer :).

NG = F1 hybrids germinate normally
EC = F1 hybrids raised by embryo culture
IV = fruits/seeds set, but F1 seeds inviable
PF = F1 hybrids partially fertile
HF = F1 hybrids highly fertile
 
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A fun #1 hot cross I didn't notice before as they ripen red but until then they are a orange and red mix. I think a few others had more of a orange-red ripening color, but this one had more of a mix.
Will debate saving seeds of these in case anyone wants
20231008_144820.jpg
 
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I did get a few interesting varieties from grower in Harrisburg...
smaller shaped peppers were only like 6% of peppers for me... but he got 3 out of 8. and 1 out of those 8 is not hot. So I kinda got what i wanted :) ...
a 'not hot' pepper, with a small shape (although not as small as Aji Charapita), and in a yellow/orange color which is what I prefered (#2 below).
I also got a peach colored round one from him that looks kinda interesting (#5 below)...
I would say its hot but on the lower spectrum, maybe 4 out of 10. I ate like 3 of them in a minute (maybe less than Aji Lemon Drop level heat [maybe even half as much]).

Harrisburg#1 (hot):
MVC-001F A H 1-1 09 Oct.JPG


Harrisburg#2 (Kinda small and NOT HOT):
MVC-003F A H 2-1 09 Oct.JPG


20231018_184412.jpg


Harrisburg#3 (hot):
MVC-005F A H 3-1 09 Oct.JPG


Harrisburg#4 (small hot):
MVC-008F A H 4-1 09 Oct.JPG


Harrisburg#5 (small, HOT but not super hot):
MVC-011F A H 5-1 09 Oct.JPG

MVC-013F A H 5-3 09 Oct.JPG

20231018_190651.jpg


Harrisburg#6 (hot):
MVC-016F A H 6-3 09 Oct.JPG


Harrisburg#7 (thin and medium sized, but hot):
MVC-017F A H 7-1 09 Oct.JPG





Size comparison of #2 vs #5:
20231018_145834.jpg



So I will save seeds of #2 and #5 to grow out next year.
Took alot of F2 peppers to get NOT HOT and Small-ish shape :).
Out of lets say 60-70 peppers plants so far, only 1 had both those 2 attributes.
 
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Here are my selections to grow for 2024.
If anyone wants any seeds of any of these selections, let me know.

A quick summary of the crosses:
####
#1: GrenadaSeasoning x BiquinhoYellow (Chinense x Chinense)
####
#2: GrenadaSeasoning x PĂ©rolaIaranja (Chinense x Chinense)

Last 2023 summer year was F2 generation so got some diversity in this generation, esp from #1.
#1 F2's were a mix of NotHots/Hots + many colors (red/yellow/orange/peach) + many different shapes
#2 F2s were more unform: all NotHots + yellow + slightly different shapes (but nothing too crazy in differences in shape, some closer to BY, some closer to GS, some a mix of both shapes)

My naming format below is basically:
${location}-${hybrid #1 or #2}-${plant at that location}

###Selections from Variety #1:##############################################################################

13-#1-2:
hot flavor (BUT I'm hoping to get notHot genetics in this 3rd generation) + yellow color + small size + small acorn shape
This had 2 out of the 3 attributes i wanted. Im hoping we get some 'not hots' from this generation as it was a very pretty cute acorn shape.
1709444041682.png

1709446308231.png


#########
23-#1-1:
NotHot flavor + pretty orange-peach color + medium shape + longer thin profile with little 'crinkles' or bend in the shape.
This one was a pretty notHot one so would like some people to try it. I didn't have as many seeds of this one, so only a few got it.
1709444095205.png

#########
HPF-#1-2:
NotHot flavor + pretty yellow-orange/peach color + small-medium size (although hoping to get even smaller selection in the 3rd generation) + shape is short but slightly oblong.
I wanted alot of people to try this as out of 150-200 plants we all grew, this was the smallest not-hot one. and hoping they get even smaller to a more round pea shape. It had 2.5 out of the 3 attributes i wanted (NotHot + but fruity hab flavor + small shape [but it was more small-medium sized so i only gave it half of a point there]). This was from one of our growers in Harrisburg, so I have to thank all of you for helping me grow these to find this selection. The name HPF is based on where he grew this variety #1 (aka Harrisburg) and his initials (P.F.) if you were curious.

#########
HPF-#1-5:
medium-level heat (but hoping to get NotHot genetics in this 3rd generation) + orange/peach color + small-medium size (although hoping to get even smaller selection in the 3rd generation) + shape is round. I didn't send this one to too many people as it only had 1 out of 3 attributes i wanted.

1709444234070.png

###Selections from Variety #2:##############################################################################

8-#2-1:
NotHot flavor + yellow color + medium size + its a bit fat/round shape at the top

#########
8-#2-2:
NotHot flavor + yellow color + longer size + the shape tapers to a point or 'scorpion-tail' curved point.
1709444145445.png

#########
38-#2-2:
NotHot flavor + yellow color + larger size + its a bit fat/round shape at the top (kinda a shape mix between Beqhiuno Yellow and Grenada Seasoning). even though i wanted more smaller shapes, this was maybe the largest NotHot one so might be worth trying to grow out.
I didn't have a pic of this one so i put a picture of a similar looking one (although 38-#2-2 were bigger than below pic).
1709444164806.png


#################################################################################
There were a few other NotHot minor selections that were good that I may grow out, basically any #2 had a NotHot flavor might be fun to try out, as i had some prolific ones:
1-#2-1, 1-#2-2, 1-#2-3
1709444356805.png

#########
4-#2-1
a larger Bequinho Yellow shape (has that 'fat top'):
1709446477310.png

#########
15-#1-1 was one of smallest [but hot] but only got 10 seeds of it, so ill prob only grow it myself to see if any NotHot genes get exposed in F3.
1709444313434.png

#########
Medium 5 lobed one #2 that was NotHot (pretty shape), I may have lost which variety this was hah (but most definately saved the seeds of it). Usually my records in Excel are impeccable... I might be able to find out soon by backtracking and see which #2's i saved seeds from that have < 30 seeds in the packet since from the date i can see i harvested in very late, so prob the only one i got seeds from:

20231029_111501.jpg
20231029_111449.jpg

#########
33-#1-2...
This was a yellow NotHot #1 that was the only one out of 150-200 plants had more rough 'dimply' skin similar to super-hots like BrainStrain:
1709444805603.png

#########
There were 2 plants that had green leaves the 1st week of December in Philly while all the other plants/leaves turned to mush after maybe around 2 frosts (one of them was more exposed to cold in a 3gallon pot which was more impressive). I didn't get any fruit from them (maybe cause I planted them very late in a 2nd round of growing).
I saved the plants to see the fruit in 2024 summer and see if the cold-hardyness was a fluke in chinesis hybrid.
#########

Here is one NotHot one a person grew in-ground that got huge size-wise (i only grew in pots mostly).
Wonder if it was hybrid vigor that will be more tame size-wise in next generation:
https://www.facebook.com/reel/3654432181502382

Anyway, if anyone wants any seeds of any of these selections, lemee know :).
-Arian
 
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