The state-of-the-art in the genetics of resistance to the colletotrichum species complex in Capsicum

Abstract

Anthracnose, caused by a complex of Colletotrichum species, causes severe damage in various crops, including sweet and chili peppers (Capsicum spp.). The present work is an overview of the breeding advances, challenges and limitations to the identification and characterization of genetic resistance and analytical tools employed for the development of Capsicum cultivars in breeding programs aimed at anthracnose resistance. The complexity and variability of the Capsicum-Colletotrichum pathosystem have practical implications for the germplasm resistance assessment protocols and the selection of representative populations of the pathogens. The methods and tools used for phenotypic evaluation must be adjusted to increase the reliability of the data, which in turn, is essential for the identification of unique genotypes able to contribute to the development of cultivars with durable resistance.