~ 1374 ~ International Journal of Chemical Studies 2018; 6(2): 1374-1376 P-ISSN: 2349–8528 E-ISSN: 2321–4902 IJCS 2018; 6(2): 1374-1376 © 2018 IJCS Received: 09-01-2018 Accepted: 13-02-2018 Chauhan Rinkal T Department of Plant Pathology, ACHF, NAU., Navsari, Gujarat, India PR Patel Department of Plant Pathology, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India VM Thumar Planning Officer, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India Correspondence PR Patel Department of Plant Pathology, ASPEE College of Horticulture and Forestry, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India Occurrence of seed borne pathogens in Chilli ( Capsicum frutescence L.) cv. GVC 111 in vitro Chauhan Rinkal T, PR Patel and VM Thumar Abstract An experiment was to know the occurrence of seed borne pathogens in chilli in vitro. Chilli (Capsicum frutescence L.) is mainly cultivated for its vegetable green fruits and for dry chilli as the spice of commerce. Chilli is affected by various fungal seed borne pathogens, which affected in chilli yield production. Occurrence of seed borne pathogen was carried out by two different methods viz., Standard blotter paper method and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) method. In standard blotter paper method A. niger was found dominant fungus in sterilized and unsterilized seeds and in PDA method per cent disease incidence was not recorded in sterilized seeds by A. niger, A. flavus, Fusarium sp., Rhizopus sp., Colletotrichum capsici and Penicillium sp. while maximum per cent disease incidence A. niger was found in unsterilized seeds. Keywords: Seed borne pathogens, in vitro Introduction Chilli (Capsicum frutescens L.) is most widely cultivated vegetable crop in the world. It is a solanaceous fruit vegetable mainly cultivated for its vegetable green fruits and for dry chilli as the spice of commerce. It is a rich source of Vitamin C, A and B. In India, it is an important cash crop, which is grown for the both domestic and export market. A fungal disease of chilli is very important as it reduces the market value of fruit and seed quality may cause yield losses of up to 50%. This disease was first reported in India on chilli from Coimbatore of Madras Presidency. The disease has been identified in all the chilli growing regions of the world and has become a serious constraint in chilli production. Different species of Colletotrichum, namely C. capsici, C. gloeosporioides and C. acutatum also Alternaria alternata, Fusarium oxysporum are known to cause fruit rot in chilli which also cause seed and seedling rot. Hence, in the present investigation an attempt was made to know the seed borne fungal pathogens associated with seed by standard blotter paper method and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) method. Material and Methods Popular local cultivar of chilli GVC 111 was obtained from Regional Horticulture Research Station (RHRS) farm, NAU, Navsari. Chilli seed samples were collected and subjected to planting by using blotter paper method as recommended by Mathur and Kongsdal (2003) [6] and Potato Dextrose Agar method. The Petri-dishes with seeds were arranged in seed trays and incubate it for 7-10 days at fixed temperature of 25⁰C under 12 hours alternate cycles of light and darkness to enhance seed borne pathogen population. Each seed sample at the end of the incubation was examined thoroughly under microscope. Whatsoever pathogens found associated with seeds that were carefully examined and identify based on their habit character. Slides of the respective pathogen were prepared and examine using compound microscope. Standard blotter paper technique: (ISTA, 1993) [2] Four hundred seeds from sterilized and non-sterilized seed samples plated on three layer water soaked blotter papers. Fifty seeds (depending upon the size of seeds) were placed in each Petri plate after surface sterilization with 1% sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) for one min and then washed them thrice in distilled water. These plates were incubated at 25⁰C under the 12 hours of alternating cycles of day/night under fluorescent light. After 7 days of incubation, seeds were examined under stereoscopic microscope.