Pepper (Capsicum frutescens) fruit anthracnose in the humid forest region of south-western Nigeria N.A. Amusa I.A. Kehinde and A.A. Adegbite The authors N.A. Amusa and A.A. Adegbite are Research Scientists at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ibadan, Nigeria. I.A. Kehinde is a Lecturer in the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. Keywords Fruits, Nigeria Abstract The etiology of fruit anthracnose in hot pepper (Capsicum frutescens) was investigated at Ibadan, Osogbo, and Ikenne in the lowland forest zone of western Nigeria. Collectotrichum capsici (Synd) Butler & Bisby was found associated with the fruit anthracnose of hot pepper in all locations. Out of 300 plants examined in all the locations, over 70 per cent had fruit anthracnose, while in some pepper fields all the fruits produced had the disease symptom. The pathogen overseasoned in pepper plant debris. A high inoculum population of 4:9 £ 10 6 g 21 colony forming units/g was estimated in the soil of pepper fields. The seed from the infected hot pepper fruits also carried propergules of the pathogen. The fungus was also found on Lycopersicon esculentus, C. annum and Vigna unguiculata growing in and around the pepper fields. Pepper fruits infection by the disease occurs during the peak of the rainy season beginning in patches which spread later, resulting in extensive infection of the pepper field. Electronic access The Emerald Research Register for this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/researchregister The current issue and full text archive of this journal is available at www.emeraldinsight.com/0034-6659.htm Introduction Pepper (Capsicum frutescens L.) belonging to the family Solanaceae is a perennial shrub producing small very hot chillies in clusters, known as bird or fire chillies (Williams et al., 1991). The main production areas are India, Thailand, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Kenya, Sudan, Uganda and Nigeria (Hill and Waller, 1988). The crop is mostly adapted to tropical lowland conditions where yields exceed 30 tons/ ha during the fruit-bearing period of over 6 months (Williams et al., 1991). The fruits which are variable in size, could be up to 75 mm long, 10 mm in diameter and mostly red when ripe, many seeded and usually very pungent. The fruits are produced 80-100 days from transplanting. C. frutescens fruits are used in sauces, soups and stews and generally as a flavoring agent. The fresh fruit (100 g) consists of 74 ml of water, 94 calories, 4.1 g protein, 2.3 g fat, 18 g carbohydrate, 6.0 g fibre, 58 mg calcium, 101 mg phosphorus, 9.0 mg iron and vitamins (B-carotene (7,140 mg), thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and ascorbic acid) (Platt, 1962). In many Nigerian villages, the production and sales of pepper provide income for the producers, especially women and the children. Despite the pungency of this crop, it is susceptible to several diseases (Bandara, 1980; Mushtaq and Hashmi, 1997; Tindall, 1983). However, of all the diseases of hot pepper in the tropics, anthracnose disease incited by Collectotrichum spp. is rated as one of the most destructive diseases of the crop (Tindall, 1983). Anthracnose symptoms on pepper plants include pre- and post-emergence damping off, dieback of shoots, leaf spots, and fruit rots (Agrios, 1978). Fruit losses due to fruit anthracnose of between 50 and 100 per cent have been reported in India, North America and in tropical Africa (Grover and Bansal, 1968). In the humid forest of south-western Nigeria, fruit anthracnose in hot pepper has been a major constraint to pepper production. In many pepper fields, losses of up to 95 per cent have been recorded, while several farmers have abandoned pepper production due to the effect of the disease. A search of the literature revealed that little or no information existed on the fruit anthracnose diseases of hot pepper in the tropical humid forest of south-western Nigeria. The aim of this study therefore was to investigate the etiology and epidemiology of fruit anthracnose of hot pepper in the humid forest of south-western Nigeria. Nutrition & Food Science Volume 34 · Number 3 · 2004 · pp. 130–134 q Emerald Group Publishing Limited · ISSN 0034-6659 DOI 10.1108/00346650410536755 130