Genus Capsicum L. and Diseases of Sweet and Hot Peppers (Review)

Abstract

This paper reviews taxonomy, importance and diseases of pepper plants belonging to Capsicum genus. Five species of the genus are domesticated, Capsicum annuum being the most cultivated species followed by C. chinense and C. frutescens while C. baccatum and C. pubescens are grown in limited areas of some regions. Review of the available literature data has shown that more than 122 species of microorganisms can cause pepper diseases, including >58 species of fungi, 11 oomycetes, 15 bacteria, 32 viruses, > 6 species of nematodes, and some higher parasitic plants. From these 18 species of fungi, 2 oomycetes, one bacterium, two viruses, one root-knot nematode, two species of each of dodder and broomrape have been recorded in Uzbekistan. However, all of these organisms but one powdery mildew fungus has been registered on other than pepper plants. Previously the authors of the current paper have found that deadly crown rot of both sweet and hot peppers caused by Fusarium oxysporum (supposedly f. sp. radici-capsici) occurred widely in six districts of Uzbekistan.