Solanum nigrum, a new host for powdery mildew disease of Capsicum annuum in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, India

Solanum nigrum, a new host for powdery mildew disease of Capsicum annuum in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu, India

2007

E00548

In October–November 2004, a severe outbreak of powdery mildew disease incited by Leveillula taurica was observed on Capsicum annuum (cv. K2) (chilli) and caused yield loss up to 80%. A similar type of symptom was also recorded on Solanum nigrum grown in and around chilli fields. Based on the morphological characteristics and cross infectivity, it has been confirmed that the powdery mildew pathogens from C. annuum and S. nigrum are the same. The pathogen from C. annuum could infect S. nigrum and vice versa. Other cultivated plant species were not infected. This might be due to the probable occurrence of physiological races. This is the first report of this organism causing powdery mildew in S. nigrum in the Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. The ability of L. taurica to infect the native host S. nigrum is particularly important because this host plant might serve as an inoculum reservoir for adjacently cultivated C. annuum.

v.2:97-98, AUSTRALASIAN PLANT DISEASE NOTES

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