Determination of Seed Yield and Nutrient Element Contents of Pepper Plants Under Organic and Conventional Conditions

This study evaluated the fruit morphological traits, seed yield components, physiological seed quality, and mineral element contents of seven hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) cultivars under organic and conventional production systems over two consecutive growing seasons (2022–2023). Overall, both the production system and cultivar significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced all evaluated parameters. Conventional farming yielded higher average fruit weight (19.59 g vs. 7.85 g) and provided superior physiological seed vigor, with ‘Demok’ achieving the highest germination percentage (96.00%) and ‘Tatlı Sivri Çetinel’ exhibiting the shortest mean germination time (5.02 days) and highest 1000-seed weight (5.96 g). Conversely, the organic production system promoted mean fruit length (15.13 cm vs. 12.46 cm) and generative seed set capacity. Under organic conditions, ‘Demok’ stood out by reaching the highest fruit length (18.00 cm), fruit diameter (17.86 mm), fruit weight (20.79 g), seed number per fruit (142.34 seeds/fruit), and seed weight per fruit (0.74 g/fruit). Regarding nutrient accumulation, organic management significantly enhanced fruit potassium (10,697.71 mg kg−1 in ‘Demok’) and iron contents, whereas conventional management resulted in higher boron and molybdenum levels. ‘Burdem 016 Demre’ accumulated the highest molybdenum (1580.41 mg kg−1), ‘Yalova Çorbacı Sarı Sivri’ recorded the highest iron under conventional conditions (73.58 mg kg−1), and ‘Sürmeli’ achieved the highest calcium (813.78 mg kg−1) and boron (22.02 mg kg−1) under organic production. In conclusion, performance under organic conditions is strictly trait- and cultivar-dependent, highlighting ‘Demok’ as a superior candidate for organic seed production when appropriate selection criteria are applied.