Diseases of chili and their management

Chilli was introduced to India by Portuguese traders but now it is the most cultivated crop across the country. Having cultivated mostly in open agricultural fields, the crop has been invaded by several diseases. In this blog let us understand the strategies for managing major diseases of the crop. Chilli (Capsicum annuum L., family Solanaceae) is an important spice and vegetable crops on the basis of its high consumption, nutritional and cash value to the farmers and consumers in the tropical and sub-tropical area. Chilli fruits are consumed as fresh, dried or processed products, table purpose, spice and condiments. Moreover, the green fruit of chilli is one of the richest sources of vitamin C and A (Howard, 2000). Chilli is infected by several fungal, bacterial and viral diseases which incite severe economic losses. Among the diseases anthracnose/die back or ripe fruit rot caused by Colletotrichum capsici. At the present time the disease is mostly managed by using chemical fungicides. The continuous and indiscriminate use of chemicals resulting accumulation of harmful residues in the soil, water and grains which break down the ecological balance by killing the beneficial and/or antagonistic microorganisms