Thirty four pepper accessions (Capsicum chinense Jacq.) from the Caribbean were evaluated under controlled environmental conditions viz. darkness, 21.8 °C, and 90% relative humidity (RH) to determine the genetic variation and morphophysiological changes associated with loss of shelf life. The experiment was arranged in a randomized complete block design with three replications and 10 fruits per replication.
The following parameters were recorded over a period of 20 days: fruit weight, shrivelling score, and proportion of fruits showing incipient pedicel necrosis, up to 20% pedicel necrosis, total pedicel/calyx necrosis (but with no pericarp necrosis), incipient pericarp necrosis.