ABSTRACT
Species of the genus Capsicum, native to the Amazon, are scientifically unknown and are potential sources of genes of resistance to phytosanitary problems. The stem rot caused by the fungus Sclerotium rolfsii Sacc. is one of the most common diseases in pepper crops in the Amazon, causing the loss of plants in the field and in greenhouse. The aim of this study was to evaluate the resistance of 18 genotypes of Capsicum native to the Amazon to stem rot. The experiments were carried out in a greenhouse in a completely randomized design with three replicates. Inoculations were performed by depositing three discs of culture medium containing the colony of the pathogen in contact with the collar region of the plant at 35 days after sowing. Disease severity was evaluated according to a descriptive scale of disease symptoms progress. The area under the disease progress curve (AUDPC) was calculated, and means of data were compared according to Tukey’s test (p≤0.05). The genotypes MA03, BC16, LA02, TBT01, MA18, MA34, MA43, BC01, ATN01, IRB02, ATN02, ATN04, CDJ01, MA35 and MA37 behaved as resistant and have the potential for future studies on pepper and chili breeding to obtain cultivars resistant to stem rot.
Keywords
Chili; pepper; resistance