Classification and characterization of chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) found in Manipur using multivariate analysis

The present study was undertaken to understand and find out the morphological characters contributing to the diversity of chilli germplasm of Manipur. A total of 20 chilli cultivars were collected from different districts of Manipur and characterized using 41 morphological characters (both qualitative and quantitative) based on IPGRI Descriptor for chilli. Cluster analysis using NTSYS revealed grouping of 20 chilli cultivars into 3 major groups at a distance co-efficient of 0.04 - 0.05. The first major group consist of 5 cultivars  which are all bigger chilli cultivars and the second major cluster consist of 4 cultivars which are mainly consume in daily cuisine  and the last major cluster consist of 11 cultivars which are small to medium in size. The first 2 principal components explained 97% of total variance. Based on eigen values greater than (±0.6), all the 41 characters used were informative and contributes highly to chilli diversity. So, the present study revealed that all the 41 morphological characters proposed by IPGRI descriptors can be successfully used in classifying bigger chilli cultivars from medium and small size chilli and daily used chilli cultivars.