Rl. Fery et Ja. Thies, EVALUATION OF CAPSICUM-CHINENSE JACQ CULTIGENS FOR RESISTANCE TO THE SOUTHERN ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE, HortScience, 32(5), 1997, pp. 923-926
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.