Identification of Resistant Sources Against Anthracnose Disease Caused by Colletotrichum truncatum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides in Capsicum annuum L.

• DOI: 10.1007/s40011-018-0965-1
• Publication Date: 2018-01-19T12:00:19Z
• Authors: Rukmini Mishra; Ellojita Rout; Raj Kumar Joshi
• Keywords: 2. Zero hunger; 0303 health sciences; 03 medical and health sciences

Anthracnose disease of chili (Capsicum annuum Linnaeus.) caused by Colletotrichum spp. has been a serious constraint to chili production worldwide. Two species- Colletotrichum truncatum and Colletotrichum gloeosporioides are known to cause anthracnose of chili in India of which the former is the most predominant one. Host resistance breeding is the most effective method to control anthracnose in chili, but the non-availability of resistance sources is a major setback. In the present study, 49 chili genotypes were screened for anthracnose resistance under both in vitro and field conditions against both the pathogens. The study indicated that disease development started at 3 days after inoculation (DAI) but 9 DAI was found to be more appropriate for recording disease severity. Anthracnose symptoms were visible in both matured green and red ripened fruits and the disease resistance was assessed by using 0–9 disease severity scores. Screening results revealed six resistant (Acchar lanka, CA-4, Pant C-1, Punjab Lal, Bhut Jolokia and BS-35) lines under both field and in vitro conditions against both the pathogens. Hence, the newly identified resistant lines can be recommended as donors in the breeding program for anthracnose resistance in chili.