Int.J.Curr.Microbiol.App.Sci (2019) 8(3): 2362-2367 2362 Original Research Article https://doi.org/10.20546/ijcmas.2019.803.279 Standardization of Screen Aperture Size for Processing of Seeds of Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) Hybrid UARChH42 (JCH42) Neha Thakur 1* , S.N. Vasudevan 2 , B.V. Tembhurne 3 , S.R. Doddagoudar 1 , Sangeeta I. Macha 1 and M.G. Patil 4 1 Department of Seed Science and Technology, AC, UAS, Raichur- 584104, Karnataka, India 2 ZARS, V.C. Farm, Mandya, UAS, Bangalore, Karnataka, India, 571405 3 Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding, 4 Department of Horticulture, AC, UAS, Raichur- 584104, Karnataka, India *Corresponding author ABSTRACT Introduction Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) also known as pepper, is a member of solanaceae family and one of the most valuable fruit vegetables in the world. It is indigenous to South America and was first introduced to India from Brazil by Portuguese towards the end of fifteenth century. India is considered to be the secondary centre of diversity for chilli especially of C. annuum, the most important cultivated species. Chilli is grown all over the world for vegetable, spice, condiment, sauce and pickle. In India, chilli occupies an area of 311 thousand hectares with a production of 3761 thousand metric tonnes and productivity of 12.1 metric tonnes per hectare in 2017-18 (Anon., 2018). Among the most important states, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu accounts for three-fourth of the total area. Karnataka state (2016-17) stands third in dried chilli crop area Present investigation was carried out in the Department of Seed Science and Technology, University of Agricultural Sciences, Raichur, Karnataka during kharif 2016 and 2017. Seeds were extracted from red dried harvested fruit and well dried chilli hybrid seeds were subjected to processing by using five different bottom screen aperture size viz., 0.90 mm oblong, 0.80 mm oblong, 1.80 mm round, 2.00 mm round and 2.10 mm round. The observations on seed recovery percentage, germination, seedling length, seedling vigour index were recorded. The screen aperture size 0.80 mm oblong recorded maximum seed recovery and 2.10 mm recorded maximum per cent germination and other seed quality parameters. Also significantly on par values of recovery per cent and other seed quality parameters with the highest values was recorded in 2.00 mm round sieve size and it was higher than as prescribed by Indian Minimum Seed Certification Standards. Thus, the bottom screen aperture size of 2.00 mm round can be recommended for processing the seeds of newly released CMS based chilli hybrid UARChH42 (JCH42) Keywords Chilli, Seeds UARChH42, Screen aperture size Accepted: 20 February 2019 Available Online: 10 March 2019 Article Info International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 8 Number 03 (2019) Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com