Journal of Advances in Biology & Biotechnology

Bell pepper is an important high-value vegetable crop grown mainly during the winter season, providing substantial economic returns to small and marginal farmers. The present study was done to evaluate the sixteen diverse bell pepper genotypes for different horticultural traits and to identify superior genotypes suitable for cultivation under the Terai agro-ecological conditions of West Bengal. The experiment was designed in Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) at the Instructional Farm, Uttar Banga Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Pundibari, Cooch Behar, West Bengal, during the winter season of 2023–24. The results showed the highly significant differences were observed among genotypes for all traits studied. Genotype Super Wonder recorded the highest yield per plant (603.42 g) and yield per hectare (205.16 q/ha), coupled with maximum average fruit weight (107.56 g) and fruit length (9.92 cm). California Wonder exhibited superior performance for plant vigour, yield (571.59 g/plant) and highest ascorbic acid content (151.42 mg/100 g). Arka Basant produced the maximum number of fruits per plant (10.13) and showed early marketable maturity (81.40 days). Higher total soluble solids were recorded in 2022/Cap/Variety 2 and 2022/Cap/Variety 6 (7.00 °Brix), while Pusa Capsicum-1 and 2022/Cap/Variety 7 exhibited superior pericarp thickness and lobe number. The study identified Super Wonder, California Wonder and Arka Basant as superior genotypes for yield and economic traits, while selected advanced lines excelled in quality attributes. These genotypes are recommended for large-scale cultivation to enhance bell pepper productivity and profitability in the Terai zone of West Bengal.