Chilli Pests and Diseases (Pepper), Symptoms, Control

Chilli Pests and Diseases (Pepper), Symptoms, Control

Chilli Pests and Diseases and their control methods:

The following is about Chilli Pests and Diseases, Symptoms, Control Measures.

Diseases in chilli plants are less common, but often more dangerous to plants. Diseases mainly affected due to Bacteria, Fungi, Virus, and Other sources.

The Disease mainly affects yields by reducing the photosynthetic area in the early stages and infestation on reproductive parts and the yields at later stages. Disease controls the photosynthate flow in the plant (equivalent to blocking of pipes).

Major Factors for Diseases:

• The effect of the disease depends upon the susceptibility / Resistance of the plant to the pathogen.
• Diseases are categorized as soilborne seed- borne and airborne.
• Soil-borne diseases are affected due to improper pH levels in the soil, bacteria in the soil, cultural operations, and improper irrigation.
• Seed-Borne diseases affected due to high moisture levels in seeds, and improper storage
• Air Borne diseases affected due to high-temperature fluctuations and rains.

Diseases in Chilli (Pepper) Plants:

Bacterial leaf spot: It is a serious bacterial disease, the disease cannot survive in the soil for long and is spread through seeds, plants, and dead plant material. This bacterial disease spreads very quickly.

Symptoms

• You can observe small yellow-green legions and necrotic patches on the leaves. And sometimes you can observe brown lesions with yellow halos or patchy areas of dark and light green.
• The edge tissue of leaves becomes dry and brittle. This mainly affects older foliage, moving onto new growth soon after. Leaves and Stems develop brown cankers.
• Fruits have pale, water-soaked lesions, which become hard and brown.

Cure:

• Raising plants off the ground.
• Controlling the insect pests or keeping control of their numbers.

Pepper Mosaic Virus:

This virus is spread by aphids and whiteflies and is injected straight into the leaves and stems of chilli plants. This virus results in leaf curls along with molting.

Symptoms

• Green and yellow patches in a mosaic pattern on leaves.
• Curled and Distorted leaves
• Slows plant growth.
• Low pod growth and very poor yields.

Chilli Wilt:

This is a disease is caused due to an organism called a Water Mould. The disease causes lead to Leaf Blight, Fruit and Root Rot, which cause serious problems in chilli plants.

Symptoms

• Infected plants have Brown or black patches, along with halo of white molds.
• Fruits get soften quickly and dissolve into a watery mass.
• The Plant will suddenly wilt and dies, leaving brown stems.

Damping Off:

It is a soil born disease that leads to seed rot and/or newly emerged seedlings to collapse and die. The fungus in the soil, which are mobile in damp conditions, causes Damping Off.

Symptoms

• Seeds will fail to germinate. And if you dig down into the soil, you can observe the seeds that have become soft and mushy which will disintegrate.
• Young roots and stems of seedlings will be attacked at the soil line. Stem turns soft, waterlogged and thin, and start to disintegrate.

Cure

Affected pods should be picked off.

Slugs and snails: Common garden pests that decimate chilli plants and are uncontrollable if you are vigilant.

Symptoms

• Keep slime trails around the greenhouse.
• Apply mulches with the leaves around the plants.
• Cause holes in the pods.