Phytophthora capsici
Encyclopedia
Phytophthora capsici is an oomycete plant pathogen that causes fruit rot of peppers. It was first described by L. Leonian at a New Mexico Agricultural Research Station in Las Cruces in 1922 on a crop of chili peppers. In 1967, a study by Satour and Butler found 45 species of cultivated plants and weeds susceptible to P. capsici In Greek, Phytophthora capsici means "plant destroyer of capsicums".
Symptoms: General symptoms of the solanaceous crops and cucurbits include seed rot and seedling blight which discolors the roots and causes seedlings to topple over. Preemergence and postemergence damping-off are also possible symptoms that may occur. Symptoms on bean
include water-soaked foliage, stem and pod necrosis.
Although beans, lima beans, and soybeans were previously thought to be immune to P. capsici, in 2000 and 2001, "Phytophthora capsici was isolated from five commercial cultivars of lima bean in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. It was also recently isolated from commercial snap beans in northern Michigan"
Symptoms of Pepper: Infection of the pepper commonly starts at the soil line leading to symptoms of dark, water soaked areas. Dark lesions of the stem may girdle the plant resulting in death. Roots of the pepper plant appear brown and mushy. Leaf spots start out small and water soak and as time progresses may enlarge turn tan and crack. Blighting of new leaves may also take place. The fruit of the pepper is infected through the stem giving way to water soaked areas on the fruit that are overgrown by, "white-gray, cottany, fungal-like growth"(sporangia). The fruit mummifies and stays attatched to the stem.
Symptoms of Eggplant (Solanum melongena): Fruit rot is the primary symptom of the eggplant. A dark brown area of the fruit expands into a light tan region. Signs of fungal-like growth may be seen on the lesions.
Symptoms of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum): P. capsici can cause crown infections, leaf spot, and foliar blight in tomato. The plant may eventually topple over from the crown rot. Fruit rot with patterns of concentric rings is another possible symptom.
Squash: Foliar blight with rapidly expanding water soaked regions and fruit rot are common symptoms of susceptible species of summer and winter squash varieties. These lead to dieback of shoot tips, wilting, shoot rot, and plant death. White fungal growth is also a sign of the pathogen in squash.
Watermelon: Foliar symptoms are less common in watermelon than squash, but the leaves are still susceptible. Fruit rot is more common eventually leading to a total decay of the fruit.
Pumpkin: P. capsici causes pre- and post-emergence damping off
of seedlings. It also causes vine blight contributing to developing water soaked lesions on the vine which start off as dark olive and soon turn dark brown. This leads to rapid collapse and death of foliage above the lesions. Similar lesions may appear on the leaves and petioles of the pumpkin. Fruit rot is also a very common symptom.
Cantelope: Similar symptoms to that of the watermelon.
Cucumber:
fungi. The sexual types are designated as A1 and A2. Phytophthora capsici produces both a male and a female type gametangia called an antheridium and an oogonium. The antheridium is amphigynous in the species meaning that the oogonium arises from the antheridium. Karyogamy between these two gametangia results in the formation of an overwintering oospore. The oospores may directly germinate into a germ tube or indirectly germinate and give rise to sporangia which then indirectly germinates and gives rise to zoospores. Zoospores are biflagellate motile spores responsible for the polycyclic qualities of this disease.
Chlamydospores
, found in other Phytophthera species, have not been documented on P. capsici in nature or formed on isolates from a range of hosts and locations.
may reduce the number of pathogens in the soil, "a minimum of 3 years crop rotation to hosts is recommended to avoid build-up of P. capsici spores." Crops should also avoid conditions that would be conducive to the pathogen by using well drained soils and raised beds. As stated above, "Excess moisture is the single most important component to the initial infection and subsequent spreading of Phytophthora capsici." Overall, a study by K.H. Lamour and M.K. Hausbeck found that "crop rotation and mefenoxam are not likely to provide economic control" . Mefenoxem is the active enantiomer contained in the racemic fungicide metalaxyl used to defend against Phytophthora capsici. Sexual recombination provides the genetic diversity to promote resistance towards fungicides in P. capsici. The failure of crop rotation as a means to control P. capsici may also be due to weeds playing the role of an alternative host in the absence of common hosts. According to a study run by the University of Florida, "In Florida, and perhaps elsewhere, weeds may contribute to pathogen survival in the absence of a host crop or when propagules may not readily survive in soil or plant debris." To avoid fruit rot of vegetable crops in the Cucurbitaceae family, trellising cucurbit fruits and other ways to keep the fruit off the ground is a way to control secondary inoculents (zoospores) from physically being splashed from the soil onto the fruit. Control of Phytophthora capsici is easier in dryer areas with less rainfall such as California. In these areas, it is important to practice placing drip emitters away from the stems of pepper plant in order to reduce the incidence of crown rot in peppers. .
Although resistance has been developed in the cultivars Adra (Abbott and Cobb Seed Co.) and Emerald Isle (Harris Moran Seed Co.), they do not possess sufficient horticultural characteristics accepted by bell pepper growers in the U.S. Paladin (Novartis Seed Co.) has excellent resistance to the crown rot phase of Phytophthora blight and is acceptable to most growers. Yet, Paladin does not possess resistance to the foliar phase of this disease and one must use copper fungicides along with the resistant strain for control.
P. capsici is also important on a global scale. It is potentially the most destructive disease of peppers in Spain.
Hosts and Symptoms
Under field conditions, P. capsici has been found to affect a wide range of hosts in the Cucurbitaceae, Leguminosae, and Solanaceae families, including: cantaloupe, cucumber, watermelon, bell pepper, tomato, snap beans, and lima beans .Symptoms: General symptoms of the solanaceous crops and cucurbits include seed rot and seedling blight which discolors the roots and causes seedlings to topple over. Preemergence and postemergence damping-off are also possible symptoms that may occur. Symptoms on bean
include water-soaked foliage, stem and pod necrosis.
Although beans, lima beans, and soybeans were previously thought to be immune to P. capsici, in 2000 and 2001, "Phytophthora capsici was isolated from five commercial cultivars of lima bean in Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey. It was also recently isolated from commercial snap beans in northern Michigan"
Symptoms of Pepper: Infection of the pepper commonly starts at the soil line leading to symptoms of dark, water soaked areas. Dark lesions of the stem may girdle the plant resulting in death. Roots of the pepper plant appear brown and mushy. Leaf spots start out small and water soak and as time progresses may enlarge turn tan and crack. Blighting of new leaves may also take place. The fruit of the pepper is infected through the stem giving way to water soaked areas on the fruit that are overgrown by, "white-gray, cottany, fungal-like growth"(sporangia). The fruit mummifies and stays attatched to the stem.
Symptoms of Eggplant (Solanum melongena): Fruit rot is the primary symptom of the eggplant. A dark brown area of the fruit expands into a light tan region. Signs of fungal-like growth may be seen on the lesions.
Symptoms of Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum): P. capsici can cause crown infections, leaf spot, and foliar blight in tomato. The plant may eventually topple over from the crown rot. Fruit rot with patterns of concentric rings is another possible symptom.
Squash: Foliar blight with rapidly expanding water soaked regions and fruit rot are common symptoms of susceptible species of summer and winter squash varieties. These lead to dieback of shoot tips, wilting, shoot rot, and plant death. White fungal growth is also a sign of the pathogen in squash.
Watermelon: Foliar symptoms are less common in watermelon than squash, but the leaves are still susceptible. Fruit rot is more common eventually leading to a total decay of the fruit.
Pumpkin: P. capsici causes pre- and post-emergence damping off
Damping off
Damping off is the term used for a number of different fungus-caused ailments that can kill seeds or seedlings before or after they germinate....
of seedlings. It also causes vine blight contributing to developing water soaked lesions on the vine which start off as dark olive and soon turn dark brown. This leads to rapid collapse and death of foliage above the lesions. Similar lesions may appear on the leaves and petioles of the pumpkin. Fruit rot is also a very common symptom.
Cantelope: Similar symptoms to that of the watermelon.
Cucumber:
Disease Cycle
P. capsici is a heterothallicHeterothallic
Heterothallic species have sexes that reside in different individuals....
fungi. The sexual types are designated as A1 and A2. Phytophthora capsici produces both a male and a female type gametangia called an antheridium and an oogonium. The antheridium is amphigynous in the species meaning that the oogonium arises from the antheridium. Karyogamy between these two gametangia results in the formation of an overwintering oospore. The oospores may directly germinate into a germ tube or indirectly germinate and give rise to sporangia which then indirectly germinates and gives rise to zoospores. Zoospores are biflagellate motile spores responsible for the polycyclic qualities of this disease.
Chlamydospores
Chlamydospore
A Chlamydospore is the thick-walled big resting spore of several kinds of fungi. It is the life-stage which survives in unfavourable conditions, such as dry or hot seasons....
, found in other Phytophthera species, have not been documented on P. capsici in nature or formed on isolates from a range of hosts and locations.
Environment
Disease initially occurs in low areas of filed where water accumulates, often leading growers to believe that stunting and death of the cultivar is due to water logging. P. capsici grows best at 80 degrees Fahrenheit. It rapidly spreads in warm wet conditions. The asexual spores called sporangia spread by irrigation water, drainage water, and rain. Theses spores indirectly germinate and release zoospores.Management
Crop rotationCrop rotation
Crop rotation is the practice of growing a series of dissimilar types of crops in the same area in sequential seasons.Crop rotation confers various benefits to the soil. A traditional element of crop rotation is the replenishment of nitrogen through the use of green manure in sequence with cereals...
may reduce the number of pathogens in the soil, "a minimum of 3 years crop rotation to hosts is recommended to avoid build-up of P. capsici spores." Crops should also avoid conditions that would be conducive to the pathogen by using well drained soils and raised beds. As stated above, "Excess moisture is the single most important component to the initial infection and subsequent spreading of Phytophthora capsici." Overall, a study by K.H. Lamour and M.K. Hausbeck found that "crop rotation and mefenoxam are not likely to provide economic control" . Mefenoxem is the active enantiomer contained in the racemic fungicide metalaxyl used to defend against Phytophthora capsici. Sexual recombination provides the genetic diversity to promote resistance towards fungicides in P. capsici. The failure of crop rotation as a means to control P. capsici may also be due to weeds playing the role of an alternative host in the absence of common hosts. According to a study run by the University of Florida, "In Florida, and perhaps elsewhere, weeds may contribute to pathogen survival in the absence of a host crop or when propagules may not readily survive in soil or plant debris." To avoid fruit rot of vegetable crops in the Cucurbitaceae family, trellising cucurbit fruits and other ways to keep the fruit off the ground is a way to control secondary inoculents (zoospores) from physically being splashed from the soil onto the fruit. Control of Phytophthora capsici is easier in dryer areas with less rainfall such as California. In these areas, it is important to practice placing drip emitters away from the stems of pepper plant in order to reduce the incidence of crown rot in peppers. .
Although resistance has been developed in the cultivars Adra (Abbott and Cobb Seed Co.) and Emerald Isle (Harris Moran Seed Co.), they do not possess sufficient horticultural characteristics accepted by bell pepper growers in the U.S. Paladin (Novartis Seed Co.) has excellent resistance to the crown rot phase of Phytophthora blight and is acceptable to most growers. Yet, Paladin does not possess resistance to the foliar phase of this disease and one must use copper fungicides along with the resistant strain for control.
Importance
Phytophthora capsici was first described by Leon H. Leonian at the New Mexico Agricultural Research Station in Las Crucesin in 1922. Since then there have been historical issues in Arkansas River Valley of Colorado signed in the 1930's and 40's. Major research was initiated by M.K. Hausbeck and K.H. Lamour when crop losses due to P. capsici threatened to bankrupt numerous vegetable producers in Michigan (which could potentially threaten 134 million dollars worth of vegetable crops).P. capsici is also important on a global scale. It is potentially the most destructive disease of peppers in Spain.