Male-sterility in peppers (Capsicum annuum L.) was first documented in the 1950's. Since then considerable knowledge has been accumulated on the nature of the trait, the means of its identification and induction, inheritance of both genie and cytoplasmic genie male-sterility, its line maintenance, and the potential for breeding hybrid cultivars. Today, several internationally known seed companies use the genic mechanism msms on a large scale for producing hybrids, whereas the cytoplasmic genie source is used mainly for breeding pungent (S) Rf rf hybrids.

Capsicum annuum; cytoplasmic male-sterility; hybrid seeds; inheritance; male-sterility; pepper; variation