EVALUATION OF ELITE HOT PEPPER VARIETIES - IPMS ...

een developed and some management practices like spacing, sowing date, rate of fertilizer,
planting method, seeding rate and disease and pest control measures were recommended
(MARC, 2003). Currently different research activities are also in progress at different centers
to alleviate some of the main production constraints and develop better productive varieties
from local collections and imported materials.
Among the selection work conducted earlier at Bako and Awasa Research Centers two local
selections Mareko Fana and Bako Local cultivars were developed by mass selection, since
then they are widely grown in different parts of the country. Mareko Fana with larger and
pungent pods with highly demanded dark- red color and Bako Local with high pungency
content and yield, in which Bako Local was recommended for high rain fall Western part of
the country and Bako areas, for Mareko Fana was recommended for Southern and Oromiya
region and other areas with similar environmental and soil conditions. These cultivars are
highly preferred by the local consumers owing to their pungency level, attractive color
content and high powder yield and acceptable color. Particularly cultivar Mareko Fana is the
only cultivar being used for a long time by the local factories for the extraction of capsicum
oleoresin for the export market (MARC, 2003).
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