Chilli (Capsicum annuum) is an important spice as well as vegetable crop that are grown throughout the world especially in tropical and subtropical regions. India is a major producer, exporter and consumer of chilli. Chilli is grown in almost all states. Anthracnose disease can occur on leaves, stems, and both pre and post-harvest fruits. It is one of the major and devastating diseases of chilli causes severe losses (10-60%) both in yield and quality of the chilli depending upon the varieties. Diseases are the major problem for successful cultivation of chilli in India. For successful cultivation of chilli, it is important to identify resistant and tolerant varieties against anthracnose diseases. Therefore, experiment was conducted in the Department of Plant Pathology, college of Agriculture Gwalior and the field experiment were carried out in the Krishi Vigyan Kendra Research farm, RVSKVV Gwalior (M.P.) using CRD with 3 replication during kharif 2015-16. For Screening of 25 varieties & genotypes of chilli received from ICAR/National institutes were evaluated against anthracnose (Colletotricum capsici) under laboratory condition using three artificial inoculation treatment viz distilled water inoculation, without injury inoculation, injury + inoculation. Under laboratory/controlled condition, Semi-ripe full mature chilli fruits (25 days old) were chosen for this study. Fruits were carefully detached from plants and washed with sterile distilled water (SDW). Therefore suspension of conidia (5 x 105conidia ml-1 water) of pathogen isolate was prepared and drops of conidial suspension were placed at proximal and distal ends on each fruit after puncturing the fruit (0. 6 mm diameter × 1. 2 mm depth). Three sets of fruits were prepared for experiment. In 1st set, two drops (10µl. each) of conidial suspension were placed on two sites of fruits surface (Proximal and Distal ends). Similarly in another set of fruits were slightly puncher with sharp blade was inoculated with two drops conidial suspension (10µl. Each) on two sites (Proximal and Distal ends) of fruits observed anthracnose lesion development on fruit surface. In 3rd sets of fruits, sterilized distilled water was used instead of conidial suspension, which acts as control. After inoculation, the chilli fruits were placed in a plastic container/ box (30 × 20 × 7 cm3) lined with four layers of paper towel moistened with sterile distilled water to produce a well humid environment and later sealed with a plastic tape. Symptoms on the chilli fruit were examined and evaluated after 5, 7, and 10 days after inoculation by measuring the area of the lesion for disease development or % disease intensity. The PDI was observed on infected fruits. The percent disease severity on fruits was recorded by using 0-5 scale. The disease reaction of each genotype was categorised on the basis of following rating scale viz., 0%- immune, 0 to 5% - resistant, 5 to 25% - moderately resistant, 25 to 50% - susceptible, above 50% - highly susceptible. The genotypes were rated as resistant and susceptible based on the range of lesion area (mm) or of the disease incidence (%). Among the artificial inoculation, two drops of conidial suspension after injury the fruit was found to be best treatment of inoculation and no infection noticed in other remaining both treatments. It was observed that injury to the fruits favoured the C. capsici development on detached fruit surface. Varieties Arka Harita, Classica-152 and Madhurima-148 were showing resistance reaction under two drops of conidial suspension after injury the fruits while EC-341075, Pusa Jwala, Pant C-1, Arka Meghna, LAC-434 and Sonakshi-44 were show moderately resistance reaction as compared to rest of varieties after five, seven and ten days of inoculation.

Download this article as