Resistance of Pepper Cultivars and Accessions of Capsicum spp. to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

Abstract

Sclerotinia stem and fruit rot, caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary, is a potentially serious disease of bell peppers (Capsicum annuum L.), affecting both seedlings and mature plants. Management options for the disease are limited and information is not available on resistance in Capsicum spp. to this pathogen. The level of resistance of 12 commercial pepper cultivars and 110 Capsicum spp. accessions to Sclerotinia sclerotiorum was determined by using limited-term and ascospore inoculation methods. None of the commercial cultivars tested were resistant to Sclerotinia stem rot. Stem rot incidence among the Capsicum spp. accessions tested by ascospore inoculation ranged from 0 to 100%. Fifty-eight accessions had significantly less stem disease than the susceptible commercial cultivar Marengo. There was no correlation between results of the limited-term and ascospore inoculation tests. These results demonstrate for the first time that a high level of Sclerotinia stem rot resistance exists among the Capsicum spp. accessions. Several accessions may be suitable for use in breeding programs to increase resistance in commercial pepper cultivars.