Articles
A NEW FRUIT DISEASE OF PEPPER IN BULGARIA CAUSED BY PHOMOPSIS CAPSICI
Article number
830_79
Pages
551 – 556
Language
English
Abstract
In August–September 2007 green and still more ripening pepper fruits displaying uncommon visual symptoms were observed in the experimental field of the Institute of Genetics, Sofia.
The symptoms appeared as brown, leathery type rot extending more rapidly longitudinally than laterally in the tissue.
White felt mycelium developed inside the damaged fruits.
The lesions often occurred together and resembled slightly those resulting from infection by the anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) but differed in the shape and color of the infected areas and in the pliable leathery condition of the invaded tissue.
Infection frequently originated at the calyx end.
In old lesions the dead tissue became dry and bleached.
Small subglobose pycnidia (150–250 μm) appeared containing characteristic for genus Phomopsis two types conidia: alpha conidia – unicellular, straight, ovoid to oblong-fusoid, hyaline, biguttulate, averaging 6.84 x 2.88 μm and beta conidia – curved or hamate, eguttulate, averaging 29.82 x 1.81 μm.
Abundant alpha conidia developed first and germinated readily.
Less abundant beta conidia developed later and rarely germinated.
Gamma conidia were quite rarely found (unicellular, straight, paddle form, multiguttulate, averaging 11.05 x 2.93 μm.
The causal agent was determined as Phomopsis capsici (Magnaghi) Sacc.
Kochs postulates (isolation, culturing, inoculation, and reisolation) were conducted.
Ten days after inoculation, symptoms developed on the fruits.
Sampling of affected tissues resulted in reisolation of P. capsici. This appears to be the first report of P. capsici on pepper fruits in Bulgaria.
The symptoms appeared as brown, leathery type rot extending more rapidly longitudinally than laterally in the tissue.
White felt mycelium developed inside the damaged fruits.
The lesions often occurred together and resembled slightly those resulting from infection by the anthracnose (Colletotrichum spp.) but differed in the shape and color of the infected areas and in the pliable leathery condition of the invaded tissue.
Infection frequently originated at the calyx end.
In old lesions the dead tissue became dry and bleached.
Small subglobose pycnidia (150–250 μm) appeared containing characteristic for genus Phomopsis two types conidia: alpha conidia – unicellular, straight, ovoid to oblong-fusoid, hyaline, biguttulate, averaging 6.84 x 2.88 μm and beta conidia – curved or hamate, eguttulate, averaging 29.82 x 1.81 μm.
Abundant alpha conidia developed first and germinated readily.
Less abundant beta conidia developed later and rarely germinated.
Gamma conidia were quite rarely found (unicellular, straight, paddle form, multiguttulate, averaging 11.05 x 2.93 μm.
The causal agent was determined as Phomopsis capsici (Magnaghi) Sacc.
Kochs postulates (isolation, culturing, inoculation, and reisolation) were conducted.
Ten days after inoculation, symptoms developed on the fruits.
Sampling of affected tissues resulted in reisolation of P. capsici. This appears to be the first report of P. capsici on pepper fruits in Bulgaria.
Publication
Authors
R. Rodeva, Z. Stoyanova, R. Pandeva
Keywords
calyx infection, Capsicum, fruit stalk infection, leathery type rot, seed infection
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