Effect of Pathogenicity of Seed Borne Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) Anthracnose Disease on Chilli Fruit

The current study was conducted at AICRP on Seed (Crops), National Seed Project, University of Agricultural Sciences, Gandhi Krishi Vigyan Kendra, Bangalore, Karnataka. To evaluate the pathogenicity, four different kinds of seeds were used viz., T1: Naturally infected seed sample, T2: Artificially inoculated seed sample, T3: Apparently healthy seed sample and T4: Surface sterilized apparently healthy seed sample. For inoculation of chilli fruits, pinprick method was used and treated seeds were used for sowing in poly house. From the present study, it was observed that plant height at 60, 90 DAT and at harvest was maximum in surface sterilized seed sample (35.25 cm, 60.50 cm and 63.25 cm, respectively) and minimum was recorded in naturally infected seed sample (24.50 cm, 37.00 cm and 37.00 cm, respectively). Significantly higher number of fruits per plant was recorded in apparently healthy seed sample (18.75) which was on par with number of fruits per plant obtained in surface sterilized apparently healthy seed sample (18.00). Surface sterilized seed sample showed highest fruit length (15.25 cm), fruit diameter (5.10 cm), fruit weight (9.60g) and maximum fruit yield (172 g/plant). Whereas, least value for fruit length (6.00 cm), fruit diameter (3.50 cm), fruit weight (5.75 cm) and fruit yield (35.98 g/plant) were recorded in naturally infected seed sample. Therefore, early seed health detection and suitable seed treatment before sowing would help in monitoring the yield loses caused by Colletotrichum capsici in chilli.