New Mexico No. 6

In 1950, Dr. Roy Harper released New Mexico No. 6 from a selection made in 1947 from an undesignated local chile (Harper, 1950). It yielded 23% more dry chile than New Mexico No. 9 and was particularly well suited for the processing industry and for producing green chile for the fresh market. It produced a high proportion of large, smooth, thick-fleshed pods that ranged from 6 to 8 inches in length and averaged 2 inches in width. The pods were long-elliptical to oblong in shape, bluntly pointed, and small-based in proportion to their size. The shoulders of the green pods were generally well rounded and smooth. New Mexico No. 6 produced a higher proportion of well shaped pods than Anaheim. The pods were a uniform medium green in color. The fruit had thick walls and dried more slowly than those of New Mexico No. 9, and its heat level ranged from 700 to 900 SHU — half that of New Mexico No. 9. Under average conditions, New Mexico No. 6 plants branched lower and did not grow as tall as New Mexico No. 9.

In 1957, New Mexico No. 6 was made less hot, and renamed New Mexico 6-4. It was released to a local green chile processor and is still a popular chile cultivar. New Mexico 6-4 matures earlier than New Mexico No. 9. The fruit is thick-fleshed, medium green, very smooth with well rounded shoulders, blunt-tipped, and suitable for canning.