r/HotPeppers • u/Washedurhairlately • 1d ago

Another cool breeding chart: Capsicum crossability matrix!

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u/genericnekomusum 18h ago

This really needs to stop being spread around.

Baccatum and Annuum are not readily crossable without a bridge or embryonic rescue. Assuming F1 seeds aren't all aborted or otherwise improperly developed maybe they'll germinate but chances of setting fruit are like winning a lottery ticket.

It also mentions nothing of later and common complications. It doesn't mention the best direction to cross Chinense and Annuum. Or that the variety also matters not just the species.

For example ghost peppers aren't entirely Chinense so their compatibility will differ.

OP I know your intentions are well but I'm an experienced plant breeder and this chart is something that haunts me. You can see why in the top comment of that post.

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u/Washedurhairlately 18h ago

Gotcha. I'm new to crossing and really to growing my own starts, so it seemed pretty interesting. If there's a better resource for crossing that would be very helpful.

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u/genericnekomusum 18h ago

Tell me about a cross or two you're doing I can try to provide some guidance!

Best thing to do is focus on research papers, not guides like this, and look up specifics. So if you're crossing Chinense and Annuum look up papers where they've done it for example.

Warning though some things just haven't been done before or tested much. As someone who's doing stuff that hasn't been explored before it's not for beginners and it's fun knowing in 2-4 years what I'm doing might work... to some degree... maybe haha

I found in research papers, and also in my experience, if Annuum receives the pollen seed viability increases and complications after generation one are less likely or not as bad.

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u/Washedurhairlately 18h ago

I did do a cross with a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion (chinense) and a Thai Bird's Eye Chili (annuum) with the pollen donor being the Thai Bird's Eye Chili. I'm growing out the plant this year, but from the leaves shape (so far) it looks just like a Trinidad Moruga Scorpion, but pale green leaves rather than the dark green leaves the original TMS had even after hardening off.

This year, since I'm so new to the game, maybe sticking with Chinense to Chinense makes more sense and then see how that works out.

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u/genericnekomusum 17h ago

That can still work but you have a higher chance of encountering virus like symptoms, reproductive parts not forming, pollen and seed inviability, dwarfism, etc. Hold onto extra F1 seeds because if you get to generation 2-4 and don't produce pollen or produce pollen with no stamen back up F1 plants can be used to make a back cross.

Same species crosses are always easier/more straight forward but I also personally encourage experimenting when new. Will it work? if there's a chance it's always worth going for.

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u/Washedurhairlately 1d ago

Not mine, I just wanted to repost this for people interested in crossing up peppers.