A Critical Insight into the Breeding for Resistance to Bacterial Diseases in Pepper (Capsicum spp.)

Abstract

Pepper (Capsicum spp.) is widely cultivated throughout the globe due to its diversified use in food (vegetable, spice, paprika, oleoresin) as well as non-food (industrial, pharmaceutical) sectors. Despite its economic value, pepper cultivation faces significant challenges due to bacterial diseases such as bacterial wilt, bacterial spot, bacterial canker, and bacterial soft rot globally. Existing chemical, and biological control strategies have numerous limitations such as the emergence of new resistant strains, negative environmental impact, and lack of user-friendly formulations. Hence, host plant resistance offers a sustainable solution restricting the use of harmful chemicals. Although significant progress has been achieved in the identification and utilization of bacterial wilt and bacterial spot-resistant genotypes, newly emerging threats in pepper like bacterial canker and bacterial soft rot require immediate attention. This article focuses on genetic resources, inheritance patterns, and molecular markers associated with resistance to bacterial diseases in pepper to develop resistant pepper varieties, hybrids, or rootstocks.