Will cross polination on chillies and peppers affect the heat?

[Superh]

I've read that if your different varieties are to close and cross pollinate, it can affect the taste and the heat. For example, a habanero next to a sweet bell pepper could give a very mild habanero or a hotter than expected bell pepper?

I thought it only affected the seeds or the next generation of plants, but it turns out the seeds contain heat aswell, so in turn affects the heat levels of the first generation fruits!

Anyone growing multiple pepper varieties in a small greenhouse or close together ever experience this?

thanks.

[rustylady]

I would have thought that it would only affect the next generation if you're saving seeds.

[Superh]

I would have thought that it would only affect the next generation if you're saving seeds.

I thought so too! I think ive got some bogus info here but i can never be to sure after last year!!

[FB.]

Different pollination partners for fruit trees appears to have some effect on the fruit in terms of size, flavour etc - and almonds and plums will cross-pollinate to produce "off-flavoured" plums or nuts.

So I don't see why it's not possible in other plants. After all: the seeds within the "fruit" control its development, and the half of a seed's genes inherited from the father therefore will play a small part in the development of the fruit.

If the plants don't flower at the same time, cross-pollination is much less likely (although pollen grains can adhere to insects for a week or two and therefore pollinate something which flowers later).

[Alison]

I grow several types of hot chillie and sweet peppers together in the polytunnel and all the fruits taste true to type. I don't however keep seeds from those plants and isolate any I want to save either at home in the greenhouse or with enviromesh.

[DGoulston]

The seeds of a chilli plant do not contain much Capsaicin, hardly any actually (the chemical that makes the chilli hot).
It's actually the white stuff that connects the seeds to the wall of the chilli that contains most of it.
Everyone always thinks its the seed.

So the seeds should not really affect the heat of the chilli.
I grow 5 different chilli's of varying heat (Orange Harbanero, Scotch Bonnet, Twilight, Purple Gusto & chenzo) and none of them seem to have changed in heat at all, and they are all grown next to each other!