Fruit and seed morphometry of "aji mochero" Capsicum chinense Jacq.

Capsicum chinense Jacq. "aji mochero" is cataloged a gastronomic heritage for its pleasant spicy or pungency degree that flavors many internationally recognized Peruvian dishes. The gastronomic boom in Peru has led to the export of many national inputs, including aji mochero. Therefore, many basic agronomic studies that provide information on the productive state of fruits and seeds of this crop are necessary. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine the morphometry of fruits and seeds of "aji mochero" C. chinense. For this, fruits from the Moche district, province of Trujillo, department of La Libertad were collected; in the laboratory, the weight of the fruit and pulp were evaluated, in addition to the length, width and number of seeds. A descriptive statistical analysis was performed with 50 repetitions for each component evaluated. The average fruit weight is 2.4 g and the average pulp weight is 2.1 g. The seed has an average length of 4.3 mm, and an average width of 1.4 mm. An average of 16.4 seeds per fruit were recorded. A high coefficient of variation and a high correlation (p < 0.01) were found between the evaluated parameters. It is concluded that the morphometry of fruits and seeds of "aji mochero" C. chinense differentiates it from other species and varieties such as C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens. This information is essential to promote its industrialization and support its designation of origin.