Anthracnose disease in Capsicum

Anthracnose is a major disease of chili caused by a complex of Colletotrichum species, with three common Colletotrichum species being Co. truncatum , Co. scovillei , and Co. siamense. Currrently, the taxonomy of Colletotrichum has dramatically changed due to the application of multi-gene phylogenetic analyses to resolve closely related species. The change has had a significant impact on the nomenclature of the Colletotrichum species infecting chili. To date, 24 Colletotrichum species causing chili anthracnose have been identified. The Colletotrichum life cycle, infection process, and lifestyles are discussed in this chapter. Based on pathogenicity studies carried out on a set of differential chili genotypes, Colletotrichum pathotypes were identified based on qualitative differential host reactions. Disease resistance assessment is the key to breeding for anthracnose resistance. The most popular inoculation method used in chili breeding programs is wounding inoculation on detached fruit. A well-known form of wounding inoculation is microinjection. Non-wounded, high pressure spray, and double inoculations are discussed as well as different disease rating approaches. Defense mechanisms in plants consist primarily of the plant’s physical barriers and subsequently of the induced defense network. A typical defense mechanism found in chili anthracnose resistance is hypersensitive reaction.