‘Geumdang’ and ‘Superbigarim’ as comparison varieties now being domestically marketed and genetic resources collected from Hungary were placed in Benlate T 500-fold fluid for sterilization during 30 minutes, and placed in a vessel of constant temperature at 30°C for three days, and sewen with 50 seeds each, 3 times repetitively in a plug tray. Two months later, after the seedlings were planted with 10 plants in a row, spaced 40 cm with the furrow 110 cm wide in the rain shelter greenhouse, horticultural traits were evaluated. The experiment was conducted based on the guidelines for survey on genetic resources. To verify resistance against disease, the number of the plants that contracted a disease per plant planted for each 35 genetic resources was identified, with a focus on natural occurrence of diseases.

Hot peppers out of evaluation resources rated at 35 points were imported, heat-dried with their seeds removed. Rinds and placenta were ground by a pulverizer and passed through a 0.5 mm sieve. The pepper powder was analyzed for American Spice Trade Association (ASTA) coloration values and hot taste, and sugar contents were analyzed. Coloration ASTA was measured at 460 nm, using a spectrophotometer (HP-8452, USA) after 100 mL acetone was added to 0.1 g hot pepper specimens by modifying the method of Han (1995) and extracted for 16 hours. For capsicinoid contents, after 10 mL acetonitrile was added to 1 g powder specimen and mixed for 2 minutes, and 1 mL supernatant fluid was taken, 9 mL distilled water was added, and injected into sep-pak plus C₁₈ cartridges (Waters short body), capsaicinoids were absorbed, and the fluid isolated by means of 4 mL acetonitrile was analyzed by means of HPLC (LC-900, Jasco). Sugar contents were analyzed after 100 mL distilled water was added, steam boiled at 80°C for 25 minutes at 40 rpm, and then the specimen was left alone at normal temperature for 4 hours. After it was refined by a 0.45μ m membrane filter, it was analyzed by HPLC (LC-900, Jasco).

Results of evaluating horticultural traits of genetic resources show that 4 resources such as 12011038 were isolated and collected for seeds in a mixture as shown in Table 1. However, the 31 resources that remained turned out uniform in plant shape. As for the duration of the period required for flowering, ‘Geumdang’ and ‘Superbigarim’ native to Korea flowered after 89 days and 92 days, respectively, while the Hungarian red pepper varieties flowered after 92 to 103 days showing that the Hungarian varieties flowered later than Korean varieties. The stem height of the Hungarian hot peppers averaged 133 cm, as much as 30 cm shorter than those of Korean origin. This makes the Hungarian resources the right kind suited to rain shelter green houses with their cultivating area being steadily expanded. Hot pepper varieties now on the local market are largely disease-resistant varieties, featuring superb quantity productivity. As for disease incidence of resources collected from Hungary in the seedling field, 66% of the resources was free from contagious diseases, while 5 resources including 12011030 resources contracted diseases and showed their cultivation traits were unsuitable for the purpose of developing resources. However, since this is the outcome of having surveyed disease incidence with a focus on contraction in the seedling field, further detailed studies are needed for verification of resistance against diseases by conducting seedling test or molecular marker (Lee et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2011). 83% of the fruits collected from Hungary were of the sweet banana type, which is now being marketed in Korea, 5 resources of the cherry type were also observed, and 12011056 resource took on an emerald giant fruit shape (Table 2). The fruit length of the sweet banana type was 13.5 cm long similar to the kind on the local market but the fruit diameter of 3.0 cm was showed largely big in fruit size than 2.2 cm, the variety now on the local market. The raw fruit weight averaged 34.7 g, a figure higher than ‘Geumdang’ that weighs 23.4 g and ‘Superbigarim’ that weighs 27.5 g. The thickness of the flesh averaged 3.0 mm, a little thicker than the comparison variety. Though the shape and state of the fruit were generally similar to the varieties cultivated in Korea. But it was thought that the fact that the fruit diameter was generally wider and fleshly parts were thicker and heavier makes it a suitable model from which to develop a new variety so that it may adapt to local environment. Of them all, the 12011035 resource, which looks much like a sweet banana in shape, features a superior shape, fruitbearing, and extremely short fruit lengths, compared with those on the domestic market, making it ideal as a breeding stock plant (Fig. 1). Hot pepper is also finding its way into the ornamental pot plant market. Hot peppers planted in a flower pot are lovely to look at, making it an ideal item as a pot plant, too. Furthermore, hot pepper fruits last longer than ordinary flowering plants, enabling onlookers to enjoy them for long, another favorable feature unique to hot pepper. Of the resources collected from Hungary, the two resources 12011055 and 12011059 are lovely with their cherry-like fruits and short in stem length, making it an excellent ornamental horticulture item.

When pigment contents have been expressed in ASTA values, hot peppers of Hungarian origin averaged 88, similar to ‘Geumdang’ now on the local market. However, 9 resources exceeded 100, of which the resource 12011035 reached 172 (Table 3), making it an ideal item for breeding for domestic cultivation. Taste of a hot pepper is determined by contents of combined capsaicin and sugar (Jung et al., 2006). The sugar content of the Hungarian hot pepper averaged 11%, a level higher than that of ‘Geumdang’ that averaged 8.2%, and lower than ‘Superbigarim’ that averaged 12.4%. Contents of capsaicinoids make the red pepper taste hot. The bulk of the red peppers collected from Hungary lacked hot taste, with an average capsaicinoid content pointing to 13 mg%, a level higher than that of the comparison variety that reached 4.9 mg% and 3.6 mg%. Four resources such as 12011042 exceeded 40 mg% in the level of hot taste. Of them all, 12011053 and 12011055 resources amounted to 80.5 mg% and 93.7 mg%, a level extremely hot. At this time when changes and diversification in the dietary style today demand a variety of hot tastes in the case of raw hot pepper fruits and powdered hot pepper (Jung et al., 2006), imported resources which are not hot at all on the one hand and hot varieties such as 12011053 and 12011055 with a capsaicinoid content rated at 80 mg% or over on the other could ideally be combined to adjust the level of hot tastes. Genetic resources of hot peppers serve the purpose of collecting new resources every year, breed new varieties, study their traits and select resources that will best serve as breeding domestic stock plants. The results of evaluating horticultural traits of the resources collected from Hungary in 1999 show that most of them were found to be suitable for domestic cultivation and management in rain shelter green houses, with their relatively low stem length. The line in 12011035 in particular features high pigment levels, bigger in fruit size as well as shorter in stem lengths, making it an ideal variety to breed as a high pigment plant for cultivation in domestic rain shelter green houses. However, it is recommended that further efforts be made to breed superior varieties featuring excellent coloration and tastes in view of changing trends of general consumer’s preferences (Hwang, 2008).