TABASCO PEPPER FLOWER ABSCISSION AT THE PEDICEL-STEM ZONE

Red-mature tabasco (Capsicum frutescens L.) pepper fruit normally separate with little force at the pedicel-fruit separation zone leaving the pedicel attached to the stem. Two lines of tabasco pepper were previously identified that differ in fruit separation at the pedicel-fruit separation zone. 'Mcllhenny Select' which separates readily, and 'HP' which requires more force to separate at the pedicel-fruit separation zone, were noted to also differ in separation in the stem-pedicel abscission zone. Greenhouse grown plants of these lines were investigated to determine the effect of deflowering on pedicel abscission. Abscission of deflowered 'McDhenny Select' pedicels was 1 day later than that of the 'HP' line. 'McDhenny Select' pedicel retention 3 days after treatment was 97 percent compared to 48 percent for the 'HP' line. At 7 days after treatment, pedicel retention had declined to 48 percent for 'Mcllhenny Select' and 10 percent for 'HP'. Application of auxin (N.A.A.) via infusion into the pedicel delayed the abscission of deflowered pedicels of both lines. The response to auxin was rate dependent. There was no difference, however, in the response to auxin on deflowered pedicels for the two tabasco lines.