Screening of Germplasms for Disease Resistance Against Anthracnose of Chilli Caused by Colletotrichum capsici

Abstract

Chilli (Capsicum annuum Linn.) is an important extensively grown spice crop. It belongs to the family Solanaceae. Approximately 20-27 species of chilli are found, out of which five are domesticated viz., C. annuum, C. baccatum, C. chinense, C. frutescens, and C. pubescens in different parts of the world. Chilli crop suffers from various diseases in which anthracnose caused by Colletotrichum capsici is a very serious one, causes huge yield losses in India. Severely infected fruits look straw colour and bear numerous acervuli in concentric rings. Around 27℃ temperature, 80% relative humidity and soil pH 5-6 promote infection and disease progress. The average disease incidence level ranges between 66 and 84% which results in yield loss upto 12-50% This investigation was carried out at the Main Experiment Station Vegetable Science and Department of Plant Pathology, Acharya Narendra Deva University of Agriculture & Technology Kumarganj, Ayodhya (U.P) during the year 2021 -2022. Twenty genotypes of chilli were screened and none one genotypes are found resistant, nine genotypes namely, Mahycojalna, Arkalohit, Phulemukta, Arkaharita, Madhurima, Classica 152, Arkameghna, Sonakshi 44 and Divyajyoti were found moderately resistant and rest of the genotype were susceptible and highly susceptible.