Growth and yield response of a local pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) accession to begomoviral caused disease in the medium elevation land

Abstract

The experiment aimed to evaluate resistance of a local pepper accession to begomovirus caused disease which is annually observed in pepper cultivation in Aceh, Indonesia. The evaluation was conducted by assessing the growth and yield response of the pepper plants in the median elevation. The field experimental was conducted in Agricultural Staff Training Center (BLPP) Saree and Horticultural Laboratory of Syiah Kuala University from December 2018 to August 2019. Purpose sampling method was established to for plant selection devided into two clusters. The first cluster of 930 plants was evaluated for typical symptom of begomovirus caused disease from 15 to 135 days post transplanting (dpt). Second clusters plants were selected and divided into two group of early-symptomatic and late-symptomatic plants consisted of 12 plants, respectively for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based begomovirus diagnosis and yield survey. Typical begomovirus symptom started to be observed at 30 dpt in small number of plants (3%) and reach the highest rate (100%) at 105 dpt. The difference productivity of early-symptomatic plants was 0,26 tons ha−1 higher than late-symptomatic plants. Begomovirus species which prevalently infect the plants both early and late symptomatic plants was pepper yellow leaf curl Indonesia virus (PepYLCIV).