Molecular breeding to develop resistance against anthracnose (fruit rot) in chilli

Chilli anthracnose is one of the most devastating fungal diseases affecting the quality and yield production of chilli. In India, primarily, C. capsici and C. gleosporoides are the main Colletotrichum species causing major damage on the green as well as red ripe stages of chilli fruits. Although, these fungi can also cause lesions on the leaves and stems, the most economically important damage results from the fruit rot symptoms. Characterization of anthracnose at the molecular level may help in better understanding of the disease, and identification and development of DNA based markers will further be extended to develop anthracnose resistant genotypes through marker-assisted selection. This study will lead to the characterization and identification of genotypes for anthracnose resistance and help understand the molecular mechanism of the disease. The information thus generated would eventually lead to the development of anthracnose disease resistant varieties/ hybrids.