Materials & Methods Conclusion References Introduction Abstract Results HETEROSIS IN BELL PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.) FOR YIELD AND YIELD ATTRIBUTING TRAITS P. GANGADHARA RAO 1, K.MADHAVI REDDY 2, P. NARESH 3 AND M. VENKATA RAMANA 4 Division of Vegetable Crops, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bangalore. 1, 3 and 4 Research Scholars, 2 Principal Scientist Present investigation was carried out at IIHR, Bangalore during 2013, to study the magnitude of heterosis in 33 crosses derived from crossing between three lines and eleven testers in line × tester fashion. This study showed high heterosis for total fruit yield and other yield attributing traits in bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Higher magnitude of heterosis observed over the commercial check hybrid (Indra) for all the 12 quantitative traits. Research findings revealed that, the crosses Arka Mohini × IIHR-4103, Arka Mohini × IIHR-3341, Arka Mohini × IIHR-4107 and Arka Basant × IIHR-4096 were identified for the best heterotic cross combinations for F 1 hybrid breeding. Highest heterosis percentage recorded for number of fruits per plant in the cross Arka Mohini × IIHR-4107 (77.27%) over the Indra. Maximum standandard heterosis for fruit yield per plant (kg) exhibited in Arka Mohini × IIHR-3341 (131.82%), fruit length (cm) Arka Basant × IIHR-4096 (8.35%), fruit width (cm) Arka Mohini × IIHR-4096 (19.05%) and number of locules per fruit Arka Basant × IIHR-4107 (7.69). Hybrid between Arka Mohini × IIHR-3341 showed maximum standandard heterosis (43.72 %) for the trait average fruit weight (g). For Fruit pericarp thickness (mm) Arka Mohini × IIHR-4105 hybrid showed maximum standard heterosis (11.11%). These cross combinations could be exploited for indigenous F 1 hybrid development breeding programme in bell pepper in future.  Bell pepper occupies a pride of place among vegetables in Indian cuisine, because of its delicate taste, color and pleasant flavour coupled with rich ascorbic acid, vitamin-A and other vitamins and minerals.  The high market price is due to the heavy demand from the urban consumers and inadequacy of supply due to low productivity, which can be attributed due to lack of indigenous based F 1 hybrids in india.  As the required goals of increasing productivity in the quickest possible time can be achieved by utilizing heterosis breeding, which is feasible in this crop (Joshi and Joshi, 1986).  Information on the magnitude of heterosis in capsicum basic requirement to assess the varieties as well as pure lines. Plant materials  Three lines (Female parents) Arka Mohini (L 1 ), Arka Gaurav (L 2 ) and Arka Basant (L 3 ) and eleven testers (Male parents) IIHR-4096 (T 1 ), IIHR-4103 (T 2 ), IIHR-3338 (T 3 ), IIHR-3341 (T 4 ), IIHR-3342 (T 5 ), IIHR-4104 (T 6 ), IIHR (T 7 ), IIHR-4106 (T 8 ), IIHR-4034 (T 9 ), IIHR-4033 (T 10 ), and IIHR-4107 (T 11 ) were used for the experiment.  Parents were selected on the basis of the diverse morphological characters, indigenous adaptable lines, fruit size, fruit shape and fruit weight. Breeding technique  Male and female Parents were generated in line x tester method during 2012 (August to December), at IIHR, Bangalore, model suggested by Kempthorne (1957).  Thirty three hybrids along with 14 parents were evaluated in RBD with two replications. The popular hybrid Indra (Syngenta Seeds Pvt. Ltd.) used as a check during February to June 2013, at IIHR, Bangalore.  Recommended agronomic practices and need-based plant protection measures were taken under investigation.  Data were recorded on five random plants for 12 yield and yield attributing traits. Replication-wise mean values were then subjected to RBD analysis and calculated the heterobeltiosis and standard heterosis.  The hybrids showing positive heterobeltiosis indicating non-additive gene effects, which we can take advantage to exploit the heterosis for those traits.  the crosses Arka Mohini × IIHR-4103, Arka Mohini × IIHR-3341, Arka Mohini × IIHR-4107 and Arka Basant × IIHR-4096 were identified for the best heterotic cross combinations for F 1 hybrid breeding.  These four productive hybrids had significantly higher per se values than the commercial check in respect of number of primary branches, number of secondary branches, fruit length, fruit width, average fruit weight and number of fruits per plant.  The promising four hybrids such as, Arka Mohini × IIHR-4103, Arka Mohini × IIHR-3341, Arka Mohini × IIHR-4107 and Arka Basant × IIHR-4096 exploited for higher productivity in future. The range for mean performance of crosses and various heterotic effects for standard crosses identified on the basis of commercial check (Indra) CharactersRangeNo. of F 1 with significant heterosis effect (based on CC) Best hybrids based on CC Per se performance Heterosis HybridsCC+ve-veCC Plant height (cm)64.15 To To L 2 × T 2 Primary branches2.00 To To L 3 × T 6 Secondary branches3.30 To To L 3 × T 6 Days to 50% flowering64.5 To To L 3 ×T 7 Days to first harvest To To L 1 × T 2 no. of fruits/plant7.50 To To L 1 × T 11 Yield/plant (kg)1.13 To To L 1 × T 4 Fruit length (cm)6.38 To To L 3 × T 1 Fruit width (cm)4.08 To To L 1 × T 1 Average no.of locules/fruit 2.13 To To L 3 × T 11 Average Fruit weight (g)90.00 To To L 1 × T 4 Pericarp thickness (mm)4.50 To To L 1 ×T 7 Best performing hybrids Joshi, S. and Joshi, S., 1986, Results of heterosis breeding on sweet pepper (Capsicum annuum L.). Capsicum and Eggplant News., 5: Kempthorne O An Introduction to Genetic Statistics. John Willey & Sons. Inc., New York. pp. 545.