Hot and Aromatic Round Pepper for Culinary and Processing Use

Intense Heat, Rich Aroma, Market Ready!

These round pepper varieties are suitable for national programs aiming to improve local food crops. They grow well in hot areas, produce flavorful and spicy fruits, and respond well in both home gardens and larger farms. Their strong aroma and taste make them popular in local cooking and food processing. Public institutions can use these varieties in seed distribution, nutrition programs, and rural development efforts. They are also a good option for building value chains in chili production and promoting food-based income.

This technology is pre-validated.

7•8

Scaling readiness: idea maturity 7/9; level of use 8/9

Adults 18 and over: Positive high

Increased productivity and reduced losses lead to more reliable earnings and better livelihoods, directly enhancing the economic situation for adult family members.

The poor: Positive high

By increasing yield reliability and reducing input costs, even small-scale and resource-poor farmers can improve their standard of living and resilience.

Under 18: Positive medium

Stable, increased pepper production enhances family well-being, ensuring that children have access to better quality food and potentially more resources for education and health.

Women: Positive high

Higher yields and reduced reliance on chemical inputs can reduce labor burdens, increase profits, and improve women’s standing in the household and community.

Climate adaptability: Highly adaptable

Enhanced resilience to temperature shifts and rainfall variability helps farmers maintain productivity as climate conditions change.

Farmer climate change readiness: Significant improvement

Access to hardy, disease-resistant varieties helps farmers adapt to climate fluctuations and reduces the risk of crop failure, improving long-term livelihood security.

Biodiversity: No impact on biodiversity

The technology itself is not designed to increase plant species diversity, but lowering chemical inputs may indirectly support local ecosystems and natural predators.

Carbon footprint: A bit less carbon released

Less reliance on chemical production and transportation, and improved yields per area, may decrease overall greenhouse gas emissions per unit of produce.

Environmental health: Moderately improves environmental health

By using disease-resistant varieties, farmers can maintain productivity with fewer harmful inputs, improving overall ecosystem health.

Soil quality: Does not affect soil health and fertility

Healthier soil biodiversity and reduced chemical load help maintain long-term soil fertility and productivity.

Water use: Same amount of water used

While not a water-saving technology, healthier plants with stable yields may indirectly encourage more efficient irrigation practices, improving overall water management.

Problem

Reduced Production: Frequent yield losses among smallholder farmers limit national pepper production and reduce the availability of high-heat, aromatic varieties that can boost farmer incomes.
Health and Environmental Risks: Heavy pesticide use in pepper zones poses challenges to public health and environmental safety, complicating regulatory efforts.
Weak Seed Systems: Inefficient varietal pipelines in public seed systems hinder extension services from delivering improved, consistent pepper varieties with desired heat and aroma.
Low farm productivity constrains the impact of rural development and poverty-reduction strategies centered on small-scale agriculture.

Solution

Strong Disease Resistance: Helps farmers produce more peppers, boosting national vegetable production.
Reduced Pesticide Use: Makes farming safer, protecting farmer health and the environment.
Early Maturity and Reliable Yield: Enables extension services to support farmers in increasing income.
Heat and Aroma Traits: Enhances pepper quality to meet consumer preferences and market demand.
Wide Climate Adaptability: Suitable for national agriculture, food security, and climate-adaptation programs.

Key points to design your project

These round pepper varieties, developed by the World Vegetable Center, are ideal for regions affected by diseases such as Phytophthora root rot, Potato Y Virus, and heat stress. Offering reliable yields, early maturity, strong heat and aroma, and robust disease resistance, they provide an effective solution for enhancing productivity, stabilizing farmer incomes, and promoting sustainable pepper farming systems.

The following steps should be considered when integrating these improved round pepper varieties into a project:

Secure access to quality seed by collaborating with WorldVeg and trusted local seed companies. Engage national seed authorities early for variety registration, licensing, and import clearances if required.
Identify target production zones using agro-ecological suitability and local disease incidence data. Prioritize regions experiencing frequent disease outbreaks and heat stress where local pepper varieties typically underperform.
Partner with experienced seed producers or certified cooperatives to ensure local availability of quality seed. Provide specialized training on isolation distances, rouging, and sorting to maintain variety purity and disease resistance.
Strengthen agro-dealer and distribution networks to ensure timely seed availability in various retail sizes, catering to both smallholders and commercial growers.
Establish demonstration plots and training hubs in collaboration with agricultural extension services and NGOs. Highlight yield advantages, disease resistance, and fruit quality compared to traditional varieties.
Plan and manage input supply effectively, including adequate seed volumes, appropriate fertilizers, and essential post-harvest equipment. Coordinate input distribution with local planting schedules and agro-dealer stock management.
Train extension officers and lead farmers on best agronomic practices, including disease identification, integrated pest management (IPM), and optimal harvest methods to maximize productivity and market quality.
Develop outreach campaigns and materials in local languages to encourage widespread adoption. Utilize accessible communication tools such as posters, community radio programs, and short educational videos to illustrate the economic and practical benefits of these varieties.
Integrate production into market linkage initiatives, connecting grower groups directly with processors, aggregators, and traders. Emphasize the varieties' uniform fruit characteristics and suitability for processing and export markets.
Implement robust monitoring and evaluation systems to track adoption rates, yield performance, disease incidence, and market impact. Use gathered data for strategic improvements and comprehensive reporting to stakeholders and policymakers.

Cost: $$$ 2336 USD

All production cost for 1 hectare

ROI: $$$ up to 434 %

over 10 harvests

6.8–18.01 t/ha

over 10 harvest

70–85 days

Days to Maturity after Transplanting

Officially released in Benin in 2025

IP

Open source / open access

Countries with a green colour: Tested & adopted
Countries with a bright green colour: Adopted
Countries with a yellow colour: Tested
Countries with a blue colour: Testing ongoing

Countries where the technology is being tested or has been tested and adopted
Country	Testing ongoing	Tested	Adopted
Benin	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Burkina Faso	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Djibouti	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Ethiopia	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Gambia	Testing ongoing	–Not tested	–Not adopted
Ghana	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Kenya	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Mali	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Nigeria	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted
Rwanda	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Tanzania	–No ongoing testing	Tested	–Not adopted
Togo	–No ongoing testing	Tested	Adopted

This technology can be used in the colored agro-ecological zones. Any zones shown in white are not suitable for this technology.

Agro-ecological zones where this technology can be used
AEZ	Subtropic - warm	Subtropic - cool	Tropic - warm	Tropic - cool
Arid	–	–	–	–
Semiarid		–
Subhumid
Humid		–

Source: HarvestChoice/IFPRI 2009

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that are applicable to this technology.

Goal 2: zero hunger

By increasing cayenne pepper yields and reducing losses due to diseases and pests, these improved varieties contribute directly to food availability and affordability. This helps ensure a more stable food supply, particularly in regions where peppers are a key part of local diets.

Goal 5: gender equality

Women often play central roles in agriculture—growing, harvesting, processing, or marketing crops. Improved pepper varieties and related practices can enhance their productivity, income, and decision-making power. As a result, women gain greater economic independence and recognition, contributing to gender equality.

Goal 13: climate action

Disease-resistant, resilient pepper varieties reduce reliance on chemical inputs, lower environmental risks, and help maintain stable yields even under challenging climate conditions. By improving the ability of farming systems to cope with climate variability, these varieties support climate adaptation efforts and more sustainable use of resources.

This line can be used following the standard cultural practices in different environments. Please refer to the downloads below for more information.