New pepper varieties selected by Embrapa Vegetables are currently being validated with growers. These materials were developed to meet different demands and market niches—including producers, processing industries, and the ornamental plant market.
The group includes two jalapeño-type varieties intended for sauce processing or dehydration; a murupi-type pepper suitable for fresh consumption or processing into sauces and preserves; a "pimenta-de-cheiro" (aromatic pepper) for fresh consumption; and an ornamental pepper cultivar recommended for pot cultivation.
These materials were developed under Embrapa's Capsicum pepper breeding program, as part of a project aimed at creating cultivars with superior agronomic, industrial, and functional traits to support sustainable production and greater competitiveness.
Expanding the cultivar portfolio
Researcher Cláudia Ribeiro, coordinator of Embrapa Vegetables' pepper and sweet pepper breeding program, explains that continuing the project is essential to meet the demands of the production sector and various market niches.
"There is strong demand for different types of pepper cultivars with superior agronomic and industrial traits, adapted to various production systems, especially organic farming. We are also developing materials better suited for mechanized and semi-mechanized harvesting, and in this regard, the program has delivered very promising results," she says.
With more than four decades of work, the breeding program has already released varieties from several groups widely adopted by the production chain, such as jalapeño, paprika, dedo-de-moça (long red chili), biquinho, bode, and habanero, as well as a rootstock hybrid for sweet peppers.
Genetic bank drives innovation
According to the researcher, the program's progress is made possible by Embrapa's pepper germplasm collection, considered the largest in Latin America.
The collection includes around 2,000 accessions and supports a breeding program with more than 30,000 materials. These serve as the foundation for developing more productive, resilient cultivars aligned with the needs of both the production chain and consumers.
Source: www.embrapa.br
