Aggressiveness of Phytophthora boehmeriae and P. capsici isolates from India on hot pepper (Capsicum annum L.)

Phytophthora boehmeriae was reported as a dominant pathogen responsible for a severe foliar blight on hot pepper for the first time in India during 2011 and 2012 in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu states of India in addition to P. capsici. In the present study, four susceptible parental lines (‘Arka lohit’, ‘PI 201232’, ‘Yolo Wonder’, ‘PB 602’) and 28 germplasm collections (‘IIHR 4519’ to ‘IIHR 4549’, and ‘IIHR 3449’) maintained at Indian Institute of Horticultural Research were screened against Phytophthora isolates using detached leaf technique. The results showed that P. boehmeriae were highly aggressive on all chilli germplasmlines (P < 0.01) when compared to P. capsici isolates and no germplasm line exhibited tolerance. Thus, the studies indicated that P. boehmeriae may emerge as most destructive pathogen on chilies which warrants a vigil on this pathogen.