Capsicum & Chilli
Bacterial Soft Rot of Pepper
Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum
Bacteria
In a Nutshell
- Dark vein tissue of the leaves.
- Leaves become yellow and later die off.
- Water-soaked lesions on fruits, stems and fruit peduncle.
- Foul odor.
Can also be found in
Capsicum & Chilli
Symptoms
Initial symptoms often become visible as dark vein tissue and necrotic areas on leaves. Sunken, water-soaked lesions appear and expand rapidly on stems, fruits, and fruit peduncles. As the disease progresses, dry, dark brown or black stem cankers might develop, often resulting in the breakage of branches. Finally, the entire fruit has become a watery, soft, slimy mass. It hangs from the plant like a water-filled bag. In general, bacterial ooze can be seen in diseased tissues and a foul odor can be present. The affected plants wilt and die later.
Recommendations
Organic Control
Sorry, we don't know of any alternative treatment against Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum. Please get in touch with us in case you know of something that might help to fight this disease. Looking forward to hearing from you.
Chemical Control
Always consider an integrated approach with preventive measures together with biological treatments if available. A chemical treatment of the seeds and harvested fruits with a sodium hypochlorite solution can be useful to prevent further contamination. For example, seeds could be bathed in a 1% sodium hypochlorite solution (bleach) for 30 seconds and rinsed afterwards with clean water.
What caused it?
The soil-borne bacteria that cause soft rot are ubiquitous in the environment. They are associated with surface water and the soil. Warm and moist weather is highly favorable for infection. The bacteria enter the plant through wounds produced during the handling of the cultures, insect stings and sunscald. Pectobacterium carotovorum subsp. carotovorum have a lot of host plants, for example potato, sweet potato, cassava, onion, cabbage, carrot, tomato, bean, corn, cotton, coffee and banana.
Preventive Measures
- Provide good drainage to the soil during field preparation.
- Avoid planting pepper after potato or cabbage.
- Ensure careful handling of the plants during cultivation.
- Make sure to remove weeds in and around the field.
- Avoid working in the fields during wet conditions.
- Avoid excess of nitrogen fertilization and irrigation.
- Ensure good field hygiene (water, clothes, tools).
- Use disinfection products to clean hand and tools.
- Remove affected plants after harvest and destroy residues by burning them.
- Implement crop rotation with maize, bean or soybean.
- Plow deep to reduce inoculum in soil.
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