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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Charleston, South Carolina » Vegetable Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #91983
Title: SOUTHERN ROOT-KNOT NEMATODE RESISTANCE IN HOT PEPPER (CAPSICUM CHINENSE): POTENTIAL FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF RESISTANT CULTIVARS FOR THE U.S. AND CARIBBEAN MARKETS

Author
item Fery, Richard
item Thies, Judy
item WEEKES, SHERMAN - CARIBBEAN AGRICULTURE RES

Submitted to: Integrated Pest Management Collaborative Research Support Program
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Capsicum chinense pepper cultivars are grown widely throughout the Caribbean and are becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. Since the southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita) is a major pest of Capsicum spp., a series of studies was conducted to determine the vulnerability of available C. chinense cultigens to this pest, to identify sources of resistance, and to determine the inheritance of resistance. Al commercial cultigens, all Habanero-type cultigens, and most of the cultigens obtained from heirloom seed collectors were found to be susceptible. However, four of the cultigens obtained from heirloom collectors exhibited high levels of resistance. Evaluation of parental, F1, F2, and backcross populations of a cross between resistant and susceptible C. chinense cultigens indicated that southern root-knot nematode resistance in C. chinense is conditioned by a single dominant gene. The results of an allelism test indicated that the dominant resistance gene in C. chinense is likely the N gene that conditions southern root-knot nematode resistance in the C. annuum cultivar Carolina Cayenne. Selections from three of the heirloom cultigens were released in 1997 as the southern root-knot nematode resistant germplasm lines PA-353, PA-398, and PA-426.