Relationship of Phytophthora Fruit Rot to Fruit Maturation and Cuticle Thickness of New Mexican-type Peppers

Experiments were conducted to determine the relationship between pepper fruit susceptibility to Phytophthora fruit rot and fruit maturity. Pepper fruits were harvested weekly throughout the 1991 growing season and were dipped in a suspension of Phytophthora capsici zoospores (5×10 3 zoosporesl/ml). The susceptibility of nonwounded fruit to infection decreased with increased ripening. Lesion elongation in nonwounded fruit decreased from 14.1 mml/day in green fruit to 10.7 mm/day in nondehydrated red fruit. Nonwounded fruit (immature green, mature green, and red) inoculated with 5×10 3 zoospores in a 100-μl drop also exhibited less infection as the fruit ripened [...]