By Clint Thompson
Georgia vegetable growers must be wary of a relatively new disease that is mostly impacting pepper production.
University of Georgia Extension Vegetable Plant Pathologist Bhabesh Dutta cautioned producers about Choanephora rot, which has been very aggressive and concerning for pepper producers.
“It is a problem now in this season,” Dutta said. “We have seen very little before, but this time it has become a problem. It’s become a problem this year.”
Maybe most concerning is the disease’s impact is not reduced to one specific part of the plant’s growth cycle.
“This disease is causing symptoms irrespective of the growth stage of the plant. It can cause symptoms and sometimes complete death of the young seedlings. It can cause infection in mature plants and also on fruits,” Dutta said. “I’ve seen in mature plants that are loaded with fruit infected with Choanephora, infecting the fruits, leaves, everything.”
Dutta said the problem is mostly observed in pepper but has been present in squash as well.
“I’m not sure how different Choanephora is from squash to pepper. We have to do some lab-based assessment to see what species of Choanephora we are dealing with and if this species can go to other vegetable crops, other than pepper and squash,” Dutta said.
Dutta said the fungicide program that growers have implemented has not stopped the pathogen’s impact. It will lead to further research this fall.
“We have to go back to the drawing board and see what are the different fungicides that can be screened against this pathogen and provide informed knowledge to our growers,” Dutta said.
Symptoms appear as black, fuzzy growth on top of fruit with profuse sporulation, leading to fruit rot.