Exploring bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L. var. grossum) germplasm resilient to leaf curl disease

Abstract

Chili leaf curl is a viral disease that has a negative impact on both the quality and quantity of bell pepper and is transmitted by the vector silverleaf whitefly (Bemesia tabaci). Natural screening alone is insufficient for determining the extent of resistance to specific diseases. As a result, natural and artificial screening has been identified as a more precise method for evaluating germplasm, facilitating the identification of resistant genotypes. To determine resistance to chili leaf curl disease, fifty bell pepper genotypes were subjected to both natural and artificial screening at Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, during 2022-23. Two genotypes were found resistant (PAU SM-27, PAU SM-45), seven were moderately resistant (PAU SM-5, PAU SM-16, PAU SM-28, PAU SM-32, PAU SM-43, PAU SM-56 PAU SM-86), eight were susceptible, twenty-five were moderately susceptible, and eight were highly susceptible under natural screening. In contrast, artificial screening identified two moderately resistant (PAU SM-16 and PAU SM-28), twenty-nine susceptible, fourteen moderately susceptible, and five highly susceptible genotypes. Under both natural and artificial screening conditions, the genotypes PAU SM-16 and PAU SM-28 were determined to be moderately resistant. Therefore, these genotypes can be utilized in breeding programs to develop genotypes resistant to chili leaf curl disease.