Pest and Disease

Common pest and diseases in Bell pepper

This is from my subject crpt 2. Bell pepper, also known as sweet pepper or a pepper (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) and capsicum (in India, Australia and New Zealand), is a cultivar group of the species Capsicum annuum. Cultivars of the plant produce fruits in different colors, including red, yellow, orange, green, chocolate/brown, vanilla/white, and purple. Bell peppers are sometimes grouped with less pungent pepper varieties as "sweet peppers".

            Peppers are native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America. Pepper seeds were later carried to Spain in 1493 and from there spread to other European, African and Asian countries. Today, China is the world's largest pepper producer, followed by Mexico and Indonesia.

Ideal growing conditions for bell peppers include warm soil, ideally 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F), that is kept moist but not waterlogged. Bell peppers are sensitive to an abundance of moisture and excessive temperatures.

Common pests and diseases of bell pepper

Blossom-end rot  -  lack of calcium in enlarging fruits.

Viruses  - Cucumber Mosaic, Potato Y and X, Tobacco Mosaic and Tobacco Etch

Bacterial spot - Xanthomonas campestris pv.vesicatoria

Root knots  - caused by nematodes

Curling leaves  - caused by aphids

Blights and wilts - Phytophthora blight, Fusarium wilt and southern blight

Greenhouse Whitefly

Armyworms

Cyclamen Mites

European Corn Borer

The integrated pest management (IPM) approach to preventing or managing pepper problems is recommended and can be summarized as follows:

1. Correctly identify the problem; if insect or disease, learn the life cycle and habits.

2. Learn to anticipate and prevent problems; reduce plant stress.

3. Monitor the problem for worsening symptoms.

4. If the level of damage becomes unacceptable, choose the least toxic control.