Kaala Bell Pepper from Hawaii

Kaala is a sweet pepper resistant to Bacterial Wilt and tolerant to root knot nematodes. Fruits are 1/3 the size of normal bell peppers(102 g) and will turn red when mature. Matures in about 75 days. Available from University of Hawaii: http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/seeds.asp#pepper

One gardener pointed out that Kaala bell lasted the longest in his garden but the peppers were miniatures, 1/3 of a normal bell pepper, "so very disappointing."

‘Kaala’, a bell-type pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) and ‘Waialua’, a jalapeño type pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) were released around 1996 by the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources. The cultivars were developed for those areas in Hawaii and in the subtropics that have limited pepper production because of bacterial wilt (Pseudomonus solanacearium E. F. Sm.) disease.

Origin

‘Kaala’ and ‘Waialua’ were the result of a cross between ‘Chabai Merah’ and ‘Keystone Resistant Giant’. ‘Chabai Merah’ is a standard cayenne-type pepper grown in western Malaysia and is highly resistant to bacterial wilt and to root-knot nematode [Meloidogne incognita (Kofoid & White) Chitwood]; it is a very pungent fruit that averages 7.5 to 10 cm in length and 2 cm in diameter. ‘Keystone Resistant Giant’ is a bell- or sweet-type pepper.
The objectives of the cross were to obtain bell and pungent types resistant to bacterial wilt disease and root-knot nematode. ‘Kaala’ and ‘Waialua’ are the result of 15 years of continuous selection in bacterial wilt infested test plots.



References:

http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/seed/seeds.asp#pepper

'Kaala' and 'Waialua' Peppers - HortScience
http://hortsci.ashspublications.org/content/31/6/1054.full.pdf

Hawaiʻi Public Seed Initiative | Presentations | A program of The Kohala Center http://bit.ly/1CbEeiO

Overview of crop improvement projects in Hawaii (PDF, 1982) http://buff.ly/1ZyEH7r