Source Material for Sweet Pepper Breeding for Increased Selenium Content in Fruits

Abstract

Modern breeding of vegetable crops is actively developing towards the creation of functional food products capable of compensating for the deficiency of essential microelements in the human diet. Of particular importance is selenium, a potent antioxidant, the systemic deficiency of which is recognized as a global problem. Biofortification of sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), a crop possessing a high natural biochemical potential, serves as an effective solution to this issue. However, the success of breeding for increased microelement content is limited by the lack of thoroughly studied source material. The aim of the study was to perform a comprehensive evaluation of a sweet pepper germplasm collection of diverse origin and to identify promising genotypes for breeding for enhanced selenium accumulation in fruits under the specific environmental conditions of the Astrakhan region. The experimental work was conducted in 2023…2025 at the Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution «Precaspian Agrarian Federal Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciens»FSBSI «PAFNC RAS». A single-factor field trial evaluating 31 cultivars and lines was laid out in a fourfold replication with a systematic plot arrangement, covering a total area of 0.19 ha at a planting density of 60,000 plants/ha. The evaluation was performed according to generally accepted field trial methodologies, as well as the guidelines of the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry (VIR). The selenium content analysis was carried out differentially during the technical and full ripeness phases of the fruits. During the screening, significant genotypic variability of the trait was revealed. The average selenium content in the technical ripeness phase was 160.45 mg/kg, increasing to 179,06 mg/kg of dry weight in full ripeness. A steady upward trend in element accumulation during fruit ripening was detected, which exhibited a strictly individual character: the absolute increase varied from 16 to 21 mg/kg depending on the genotype. Relative to the standard cultivar «Novichok VNIIOB», 8 high-accumulating samples were identified. The genotypes «Novogogoshary», «Novogogoshary orangevye», «Karapuz», and «Rubinovy» are recommended as priority donors of the target trait for quality breeding programs, as they combine maximum absolute values of selenium content with high intensity of its final bioaccumulation.