Hawaii-Grown Hot Peppers (Capsicum spp.) - ctahr

<strong>Hawaii</strong>-<strong>Grown</strong> <strong>Hot</strong> <strong>Peppers</strong><br />

(<strong>Capsicum</strong> <strong>spp</strong>.)<br />

Ted Radovich 1 , Glenn Teves 1 , Alton Arakaki 1<br />

Kevin Crosby 2 , Justin Butcher 2<br />

Archana Pant 1<br />

1 University of Hawai’i at Mānoa<br />

2 Texas A&M University

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It’s “Chile” in Hawai’i<br />

<strong>Hot</strong> peppers are important<br />

in Hawai’i.<br />

<strong>Hot</strong> sauces, Asian-Pacific &<br />

Latin Cuisine.<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong> has done some<br />

breeding and selecting.<br />

TAMU has extensive chile<br />

breeding program.<br />

No data on capsaicinoid<br />

concentrations in peppers<br />

grown under <strong>Hawaii</strong><br />

conditions.<br />

‘<strong>Hawaii</strong>an’ type; C frutescens<br />

‘Waialua’ <strong>Hot</strong> Pepper<br />

TAMU Mild Habanero

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Capsaicinoids

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Value-Addition

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Reducing production costs<br />

Local sauces are produced almost exclusively<br />

from imported peppers.<br />

Import replacement = high-value specialty crop<br />

for local growers, better marketability for<br />

products.<br />

Small fruited peppers are preferred by Asian &<br />

Pacific market.<br />

Labor costs expected to be major component<br />

of production costs.<br />

Can genetic variability in fruit size within<br />

“types” be exploited to reduce labor costs?

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Objectives<br />

1. Determine variability in capsaicinoid<br />

content among mulitple genoypes<br />

of peppers grown in Hawai’i.<br />

2. Determine links between fruit size<br />

and labor requirements for hand<br />

harvest of multiple hot pepper<br />

cultivars grown at two locations in<br />

Hawai’i.

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Methods<br />

14 cultivars grown June-<br />

November 2009.<br />

Waimanalo and Molokai<br />

Jalapeno, Habanero and<br />

small fruited cultivars<br />

developed by TAMU.<br />

Harvests (90-120 days after<br />

transplanting) were timed.<br />

Market mature fruits<br />

analyzed for capsaicin<br />

content at TAMU

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Weight of 10 fruits (g)<br />

Variability in fruit weight<br />

500<br />

400<br />

300<br />

200<br />

100<br />

0<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an/Thai<br />

Jalapeno<br />

Habanero<br />

Thai hot<br />

Firecracker<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an<br />

Orange Thai<br />

Rooster Spur<br />

Super chili<br />

Indian<br />

Peto Orange<br />

Carib Red<br />

TAM Mild Hab<br />

TAM Hab<br />

Waialua<br />

TAM Mild Jal<br />

TAM Jal

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Labor cost per pound<br />

($10.50/hr)<br />

Fruit size vs. labor cost<br />

Labor cost per pound<br />

($10.50/hr)<br />

$7.00<br />

$6.00<br />

$5.00<br />

$4.00<br />

$3.00<br />

$2.00<br />

$1.00<br />

$0.00<br />

$7.00<br />

$6.00<br />

$5.00<br />

$4.00<br />

$3.00<br />

$2.00<br />

$1.00<br />

$0.00<br />

0 100 200 300 400<br />

Fruit weight (g per ten fruit)<br />

0 10 20 30 40 50<br />

Fruit weight (g per ten fruit)<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an/Thai<br />

Habanero<br />

Jalapeno<br />

C. annuum<br />

Waimanalo<br />

C. annuum<br />

Molokai<br />

C. frutescens<br />

Waimanalo

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Total capsaicinoids µg*g -1<br />

25000<br />

20000<br />

15000<br />

10000<br />

5000<br />

0<br />

TAM Mild Habanero<br />

Habanero<br />

approximately equal to 320,000 SHU<br />

39ppm<br />

d<br />

c<br />

TAM Habanero<br />

b<br />

Peto Orange<br />

a<br />

Red Carib

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Total capsaicinoids µg*g -1<br />

2500<br />

2000<br />

1500<br />

1000<br />

500<br />

0<br />

TAM Mild Jalapeno<br />

Jalapeno<br />

b<br />

ab<br />

Waialua<br />

TAM Jalapeno<br />

a

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Total capsaicinoids µg*g -1<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an & Thai types<br />

16000<br />

14000<br />

12000<br />

10000<br />

8000<br />

6000<br />

4000<br />

2000<br />

0<br />

Indian<br />

d d<br />

Rooster Spur<br />

Super Chili<br />

C. annuum<br />

cd cd<br />

Thai <strong>Hot</strong><br />

c<br />

Orange Thai<br />

b<br />

Firecracker<br />

a<br />

<strong>Hawaii</strong>an<br />

C. frutescens<br />

pungent<br />

Habanero<br />

average<br />

~200,000 SHU<br />

pungent<br />

Jalapeno<br />

average<br />

~26,000 SHU

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To Conclude<br />

Selecting for varieties with large fruit within<br />

market type is expected to reduce labor<br />

costs.<br />

Labor costs also likely affected by plant<br />

characteristics, harvest crew, duration of<br />

harvest period etc.<br />

Capsaicinoid concentrations vary widely<br />

within and among pepper types.

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To Conclude<br />

Opportunity exists to match capsaicinoid<br />

concentrations with agronomic and sensory<br />

traits to create and expand niche markets<br />

for small growers in Hawai’i and elsewhere.<br />

Answering “How hot is it?”<br />

is expected to increase adoption of locally<br />

adapted germplasm by Hawai’i growers.

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Acknowledgements<br />

Roger Corrales, crew Waimanalo Exp. Sta.<br />

Faith Tuipolotu, Molokai Exp. Sta.<br />

Ray Uchida, Agricultural Diagnostic Service<br />

Center<br />

Gita Neupune, Christina Theocharis,<br />

Jessica Radovich.<br />

Funding:<br />

TSTAR<br />

HATCH<br />

WSARE

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Capsaicinoid Analysis<br />

HPLC conditions<br />

Column: Nova Pak C-18,<br />

15 x 0.46 cm, with a guard<br />

Mobile phase: 45%<br />

acetonitrile<br />

Flow rate:1 ml / min for 30<br />

min<br />

Detection: 280 nm<br />

( Modified from Collins, et al., 1995)

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36.47<br />

31.33<br />

26.19<br />

21.05<br />

15.91<br />

10.77<br />

5.63<br />

0.49<br />

Chromatogram of Capsaicin Analysis<br />

NC<br />

NDHC<br />

C<br />

NC – nor-capsaicin<br />

NDHC – nor-dihydro-capsaicin<br />

C – capsaicin<br />

DHC – dihydro-capsaicin<br />

HC- homo-capsaicin<br />

HDHC – homo-dihydro-capsaicin<br />

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19<br />

DHC<br />

HC<br />

Retention Time (min)<br />

HDHC