Performance and Tolerance to Phytophthora Blight of Bell Pepper Varieties

Abstract

<jats:p>In 2011, total marketable yield, fruit size, and number of lobes; fruit discoloration due to silvering; and plant structure were compared among eight commercial green bell pepper (<jats:italic>Capsicum annuum</jats:italic>) varieties and four breeding lines at three field sites in central New York. Tolerance to phytophthora blight (<jats:italic>Phytophthora capsici</jats:italic>) was also assessed at one of these sites. No wilting or plant death due to phytophthora blight was observed on the four breeding lines. ‘Paladin’, ‘Intruder’, and ‘Aristotle’ had the highest levels of tolerance to phytophthora blight, among the commercial varieties and maintained their yields in the presence of disease. In the absence of phytophthora blight, yields from these three varieties were comparable to susceptible varieties, but fruit tended to be smaller, and incidence of silvering was high in ‘Paladin’ and ‘Intruder’. Less silvering was observed on ‘Aristotle’ fruit. Total marketable yields from the breeding lines and percent of fruit with four lobes was comparable to the commercial varieties, and some breeding lines also had a low incidence of silvering, but fruit were smaller and set later in the season. Overall, this study suggests that ‘Paladin’, ‘Intruder’, and ‘Aristotle’ will yield well in fields with a history of severe phytophthora blight, but new large-fruited varieties with low incidence of silvering and good tolerance to phytophthora blight are needed.</jats:p>

Evaluation of Commercial Bell Pepper Cultivars for Resistance to Phytophthora Blight (Phytophthora capsici)

“…The isolate was periodically inoculated onto a host in the greenhouse and re-isolated in order to maintain virulence. Each year, peppers were inoculated multiple times (Table 2), and inoculum was prepared as previously described (6). In the first years of the trial, plants were inoculated later in the season and with lower concentrations of zoospores at early inoculation dates (Table 2).…”

Red Harvest Yield and Fruit Characteristics of Phytophthora capsici-resistant Bell Pepper Inbred Lines in New York

“…Nine new bell pepper inbred lines with excellent resistance to P. capsici have been developed. Four of these lines were previously evaluated for disease resistance and green bell pepper yield (Dunn et al, 2013). In this study, the disease screening data from the full set of PR lines is reported.…”

“…Each plot consisted of 10 plants and plants were spaced 18 inches apart in a single row. Inoculation and data collection procedures were as described in Dunn et al (2013). Briefly, a New York isolate of P. capsici (NY 066-4, collected from a bell pepper on a commercial vegetable farm in central New York in 2006; Dunn et al, 2010) was used to inoculate bell peppers 2, 4, and 6 weeks after transplanting in 2011.…”

“…These PR lines displayed excellent resistance when challenged in a greenhouse assay using four Michigan P. capsici isolates (Foster and Hausbeck, 2010). They have also been evaluated in inoculated field studies and were found to be resistant to the crown rot phase of phytophthora blight caused by P. capsici (Dunn et al, 2013). In that study, the number and weight of fruit per plot of green (immature) harvested fruit of the PR lines were comparable to commercial cultivars, especially under disease pressure, and they had a low incidence of silvering (Dunn et al, 2013).…”

“…They have also been evaluated in inoculated field studies and were found to be resistant to the crown rot phase of phytophthora blight caused by P. capsici (Dunn et al, 2013). In that study, the number and weight of fruit per plot of green (immature) harvested fruit of the PR lines were comparable to commercial cultivars, especially under disease pressure, and they had a low incidence of silvering (Dunn et al, 2013). In this study, we evaluated the ripe red harvest yield and fruit characteristics of the PR lines and several commercial cultivars, compared their performances in organic, conventional, and conventional drought environments, and tested their potential to provide disease resistance as hybrid parents.…”