Genetic analysis of bacterial wilt resistance in hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.)

Abstract

Chilli or hot pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is
economically important vegetable cum spice crop. It
belongs to nightshade Solanaceae family. Owing to its
high cash value, it is widely cultivated in India. During
2017-18, India produced 2.40 million tons of chilli from
an area of 859790 ha and exported 0.44 million tons
(Spice board 2017-18). However, the productivity in
India is very low (1.9 t/ha) due to many biotic and abiotic
constraints. Among biotic category, bacterial wilt caused
by soil-borne pathogen Ralastonia solanacearum is
pervasive across the hot and humid tropics of world.
This pathogen has very wide host range of 54 families
plant species (Wicker et al. 2007) and considered as
second most economically important pathogen among
bacterial pathogens (Mansfield et al. 2012).