EVALUATION OF CAPSICUM-CHINENSE JACQ CULTIGENS FOR RESISTANCE TO THE SOUTHERN ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE

Scotch Bonnet and Habanero peppers, extremely pungent cultivar classes of Capsicum chinense Jacq,, are increasing in popularity in the Unite d States. Because the southern root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incogni ta (Kofoid & White) Chitwood, is a major pest of many C. annuum cultiv ars, a series of greenhouse and field experiments was conducted to det ermine if Scotch Bonnet and Habanero peppers from available commercial and private sources also are vulnerable to the pest. In an initial gr eenhouse test, a collection of 59 C. chinense cultigens was evaluated for reaction to M. incognito race 3. All cultigens obtained from comme rcial sources were moderately susceptible or susceptible. However, fou r accessions obtained through Seed Savers Exchange listings exhibited high levels of resistance. Three of these cultigens (PA-353, PA-398, a nd PA-426) mere studied in subsequent greenhouse and field plantings, and each was confirmed to have a level of resistance similar to that a vailable in C. annuum. All three of the resistant cultigens are well-a dapted and each is potentially useful in commercial production without further development. None of the Habanero cultigens was resistant to the southern root-knot nematode. The resistant Scotch Bonnet cultigens may serve as sources of resistance for development of root-knot nemat ode-resistant Habanero peppers.