The disease reactions of heirloom bell pepper “California Wonder ” to Phytophthora capsici

Greenhouse studies were performed to deter-mine the reactions of 10 “California Wonder” (Capsicum annuum) accessions to the three forms of Phytophthora blight (root rot, stem blight and foliar blight) caused by Phytophthora capsici. Differences in root rot, stem blight and foliar blight severities among accessions were significant. The accessions consistently differ-entiated into two groups across the three dis-ease syndromes. Simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers showed variability both within and be-tween accessions of California Wonder. The va-riability in the responses to the three forms of Phytophthora blight does not warrant its use-fulness as a standard susceptible control in studies involving the Capsicum-P. capsici patho-system