STUDIES ON PRODUCTION OF HYBRIDS PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L.): 2- ESTIMATION OF HETEROSIS AND TYPES OF GENETIC VARIANCES IN SWEET PEPPER (Capsicum annuum L. ) FOR SOME ECONOMIC TRAITS

            Four pepper cultivars  and their hybrids included reciprocals  were  evaluated in two experimental seasons ( 2003 and 2004 ) to the estimates of  heterosis , combining ability , types of genetic variations  and  heritability for some economic characters .  The results showed that , heterosis  was detected for all the studied traits in both seasons   , and  the highest values of heterosis were recorded for  early yield , total yield  and  quality traits , while flowering date and fruit shape  traits  gave a negative and significant estimates of heterosis, however flowering date as an exception showed heterosis, since it had negative value from both mid and better parent  . General  combining ability (G.C.A )  was significant for all the studied traits and   was the more important for all traits except for flowering date  , early yield and total soluble solids (T.S.S.) ,since, specific combining ability was the large component in inheritance these traits  .  Both additive and non-additive gene effects were involved in the inheritance of all  the studied traits , the additive gene effects were more important than the non-additive ones in the genetic mechanism for  the  all traits except for flowering date , early yield  and total soluble solids (T.S.S.) , the dominance genetic variance play the main role in inheritance of these  traits .  The presence of large amounts of additive gene variance indicated that selection for improving quantitative traits would be possible  in the segregating generations . Moderate to high heritability estimates were observed for all traits in both seasons and fruit characteristics and vitamin C gave the highest estimates of heritability .