Effect of delayed inoculation after wounding on the development of anthracnose disease caused by Colletotrichum acutatum on chili pepper fruit

Abstract

Detached chili pepper fruits were inoculated with the conidial suspension of Colletotrichum acutatum JC-24 simultaneously (simultaneous inoculation, SI) and at delayed time (delayed inoculation, DI) after wounding with (delayed wound inoculation, DWI) or without additional wounding (delayed non-wound inoculation, DNI) at the inoculation time. Disease severity was significantly lowered by DNI, compared to SI. By DNI, the disease reduction rates were proportional with the length of delayed time, and greater at the high temperature range (18, 23 and 28°C) than at the low temperature (13°C) tested. DWI was also effective in reducing the disease severity especially at 18°C; however, its effectiveness was lower than for DNI. In light microscopy, parenchyma cells at the wounding sites were modified structurally, initially forming new cell walls crossing cytoplasm, enlarged with multiple periclinal cell divisions, and finally layered like wound periderms. In DWI, the above structural modifications occurred, showing the restriction of the fungal invasion by the cell walls in enlarged modified cells, while no definite cellular modifications were found with proliferation of fungal hyphae in SI. Sclerenchyma-like cells with thickened cell walls were proliferated around the wounding sites, which were partially dissolved by DWI, probably leading to some disease development. All of these results suggest that the decline of the anthracnose disease in pepper fruit by the delayed inoculations may be derived from the structural modifications related to the healing processes of the previous wound inflicted on the tissues. © The Korean Society of Plant Pathology.