Quick Wilt/ Foot Rot

Phytophthora capsici Phytophthora palmivora strain MF4

Symptoms
Collar infection:
Vascular discoloration beyond the point of infection

Collar infection

Wet slimy dark patch on the collar Rotting Foliar yellowing Drooping & flaccidity of leaves

Defoliation, Breaking of stem at nodal regions, Withering & shrivelling of berries, Heavy spike shedding
Spike shedding & defoliation

Sudden wilting & death of vines

Root infection:
Starts from tender lateral roots Water soaked dark patches on roots Decaying

Shredding of roots

Foliar infection:
Water soaked lesions on lamina Dark brown spots with fimbricate margin

Uniformly dark lesions on young leaves

Lesions with greyish centre & concentric zonation on mature leaves

Defoliation Spike shedding

Tender stems: dark wet spots & rotting, sporulation, later dieback symptoms Runner shoots & cuttings: rotting of sprouts leads to shoot rot Branches: drying & defoliation

The dead vines

Epidemiology
Heavy rainfall & intermittent showers High RH >90% Low temp 22 250C Less sunshine hours Soil digging around the vine, nematode infestation, root mealy bug attack, etc predispose the infection

Mode of Spread & Survival

Survive in soil & infected plant debris Survival structures: oospores, chlamydospores Secondary inoculum: zoospores Spread through soil, water, rain splashes, root contacts, movement of people, slugs, snails, use of contaminated implements

Management
Phytosanitation Cultural practices:
Lop the branches of supporting standards & shade trees Prune the runner shoots / tie back them Prune off leaves & shoots to a height of 2 feet Establish legume cover in the plantation

Cover basin with thick dried leaf mulch Ensure effective drainage Keep soil digging operations to minimum during monsoon Apply balanced dose of manures & fertilizers Apply 1 Kg lime & 2 Kg neem cake/ standard/ year

Biological control:
Inoculate pepper vines with native isolates of VAM, Trichoderma harzianum or/ and Pseudomonas fluorescens at the time of planting in nursery & main field.
Trichoderma against Phytophthora

Chemical control:
Apply Bordeaux paste at collar region up to 50cm height Prophylactic spraying & drenching with 0.2% COC or 1% BM During initial phase of infection drench vines with 0.2% Potassium/ Sodium phosphonate & spray with 0.1 0.15% potassium/ sodium phosphonate Spray & drench using Ridomil MZ @ 2g/ L or Alliette @ 2g/L

Rejuvenate plantation if infection is < 50%

Disease resistance:
Tolerant varieties: IISR Thevam; IISR Sakthi; hybrids involving P 1* Karimunda & Narayakodi* Neelamundi; P-24; P- 603 Tolerant cultivars: Narayakodi, Kalluvally, Uthirankotta, Balankotta, Neelamundi

Related species: Piper colubrinum

Slow wilt/ Slow Decline/ Pepper Yellows

Radopholus similis Meloidogyne incognita Rhizoctonia solani Fusarium sp. Pythium sp.

Symptoms
Foliar yellowing Die back of aerial stems & tip burn symptoms Interveinal chlorosis Flaccidity of leaves

Root system show root knots & necrosis Gradual loss of vigour & productivity Vine dies after 2 5 years

Epidemiology
Moisture stress Malnutrition

Management
Use nematode free rooted cuttings for planting Apply green mulch of Eupatorium odoratum @ 45t/ ha

Use less susceptible live standards like Garuga pinnata, Erythrina indica Treat with VAM/ Trichoderma harzianum/ Pseudomonas fluorescens/ Paecelomyces lilacinus/ Bacillus macerans Apply 30g Phorate/ 100g Carbofuran/ vine twice a year

Anthracnose/ Fungal Pollu

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Colletotrichum necator

Symptoms
Leaves:
Irregular/ spherical grey white to dark brown spots Lesion surrounded by yellow halo

Leaf blight Defoliation Shot hole sometimes seen

Spikes: Black discolouration on attached portion Spike shedding

Berries: Brown sunken areas with characteristic fungal growth Cross splitting Mummified, turn black & hollow Berry shedding

On developed berries cracks develop on berries & they split radially

Epidemiology
Airborne fungus Severe infestation seen immediately after monsoon

Mode of Spread & Survival

Survive in infected parts of plant & debris in soil 10 inoculum: airborne conidia

Management
Phytosanitation Biological control:
Prophylactic spray: Pseudomonas fluorescens @ 20g/ L Apply talc based formulation of Trichoderma harzianum/ Aspergillus niger @10g/ Kg of potting mixture followed by 2% foliar spray twice at 15 days interval

Chemical control:
Prophylactic spray of Bordeaux mixture 1%, 0.2% COC before flowering & at berry formation stage. In infected gardens spray Bavistin/ Tilt/ Contaf/ Topas @ 0.1% at 2-3 week intervals Spray Carbendazim / combination of Carbendazim + Mancozeb @ 0.05%

For combined foliar infection of Phytophthora & fungal pollu dissolve Contaf/ Tilt 1ml in 1L of water & spray on leaves & spikes at fortnightly interval for 2 4 times

Disease resistance:
Tolerant cultivars: Karimunda, Kottanadan

Stump Rot/ Black Root Rot

Rosellinia bunodes

Symptoms
Dark brown strands mixed with soil Few plants nearby or single plant appear as if suffering from drought Leaves wither sudden, turn brown & drop off

Mode of spread & survival

Perpetuates mainly on collateral hosts Eg: Grevillea robusta, Litsaea angustifolia,etc. Spreads mainly in soil along with roots

Management
45cm deep trench should be made around infected plant & cut 1 row of nearby plants Diseased plant should be removed with root system & whole should be burnt Sprinkle COC @ 4g/ L before replanting Add ammonium sulphate in soil after liming

Thread Blight/ Die Back

Corticium solani Pellicularia filamentosa Marasmiellus scandens

Symptoms
Whitish fungal threads traverse along stem spreads to petioles, leaves and spikes

Infected leaves & stems dry up Dried up leaves hang in infected bush gives a blighted appearance Infected spikes turn dark & dry up

Mode of spread
Wind blown dried up leaves aid in spread

Management
Collect & destroy severely affected stem & hanging leaves Spray 1% BM twice at 3 - 4 weeks interval

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium solani f.sp. piperis

Symptoms
Root rot Flaccidity & yellowing of foliage Plants killed within short period

Management
Phytosanitation Chemical control:
Prophylactic application: soil drenching with Benomyl 0.05% & thiobendazole 0.06% at fortnightly interval Spray COC @ 2g/ L Spray benomyl, carbendazim / thiobendazole @ 0.5 0.6%

Red Root Rot

Ganoderma lucidum

Symptoms
Start as dirty white colour in rhizosphere Dark red colour found later Root rot

Mode of spread & survival

Source & reservoir of infection: old tree stumps

Management
At an early stage, rotten roots & strands of mycelium should be removed & burnt Spray root system with 0.1% copper sulphate solution

Sooty Mould

Capnodium sp.

Symptoms
Charcoal black, grey black, velvety, crust like fungus coating on surface of leaves, twigs & spikes Coated leaf may fall prematurely

Epidemiology
Severe during summer months Honeydews secreted by aphids, soft scales, mealy bugs, etc invite the fungus

Management
Mould can be washed off Control insects by spraying broad spectrum insecticides Spray 1% starch solution. After drying spray with a solution of mild soap & warm water to remove the mould

Leaf spot

Cercospora piperita

Symptoms
Minute dark brown to black dots in clusters on leaves Lesions surrounded by an yellow halo Older leaves are more affected

Velvet blight

Septobasidium sp.

Symptoms
Whitish cushiony growth later turns to light pink/ cream coloured on branches, spikes & leaves Growth can be peeled off Branches dry up

Management
Prune the affected branches

Nursery diseases

Basal Wilt

Sclerotium rolfsii

Symptoms
Infection start at the collar region as water soaked lesions Soft decay of collar region cause girdling of stem Leaves become flaccid, turn yellow & fall off Grey lesions at the base of stem covered with white mycelium

Leaf Rot & Blight of Rooted Cuttings

Rhizoctonia solani

Symptoms
Leaves:
Infection starts as small brownish/ dark grey spots Dark grey patches formed later Mature lesions appear brittle & whitish to dark grey

Stems:
Dark brown lesions spread upward & downward Leaves beyond infection droop & dry up

Roots:
Root system rots gradually

Epidemiology
Occur during April May Warm humid conditions favour disease

Mode of spread
Splashed soil particles cause infection

Stem Rot

Colletotrichum gloeosporioides Pythium sp. Phytophthora capsici

Symptoms
Colletotrichum gloeosporioides:
Rotting starts at soil surface & spread both upwards & downwards Affected portions turn black

Pythium sp.:
Decaying starts at lower end of cuttings spreads upwards

Phytophthora capsici :
Tender stem tips as well as stem as stems get infected & rot Root infection result in sudden wilting

Epidemiology
C.gloeosporioides: Cloudy atmospheric condition favours disease Pythium sp.: Low atmospheric temp, increased humidity Frequent intermittent rains Phytophthora capsici : Disease occur after 1st monsoon showers received

Leaf Spot

Phytophthora capsici

Symptoms
Spots on tender leaves with fimbricate margin Leaves blighted within 2- 3 days Older spots show concentric zonation with whitish centre Infected leaves drop off In severe cases entire plant rots

Epidemiology
Infection inoculum in the form of incipient inoculum in runner shoots Passively infection from soil particles adhering to runner shoots In rapid multiplication nurseries year round infection occur

Disease Management in Nurseries

Selection of area:
Open elevated places with ample drainage Change nursery site once in 2 -3 years

Collection of planting material:

Runner shoots must be collected from disease free gardens Trailing roots on runner shoots must be removed

Wash the material in water Dip the cuttings in Mancozeb or any copper fungicide before planting

Preparation of nursery mixture:

Sterilize the mixture using methyl bromide/ through solarisation After solarisation drench with 0.2% COC The mixture fortified with VAM/ Trichoderma & Gliocladium Disinfect the nursery area using 0.2% COC

Planting & aftercare:

Planting should start by middle of February & over by March end. Avoid water logging Fortnightly spraying & drenching of Bordeaux mixture 1%/ Akomin 0.2%/ Metalaxyl 200 ppm/ Validamycin 0.2%

After sprouting completed shade shall be reduced to minimum possible Regular & systematic phytosanitation Rooted cuttings planted in the nursery & ready for planting in main field are to be given a protective spraying using Bordeaux mixture1%