Evaluation of Biorational Approaches for the Control of Seedling Pathogens, Phytophthora blight and Verticillium wilt in Chile Pepper

This project supports the effort of the New Mexico chile industry to identify effective biorational approaches for controlling chile wilt. The questions addressed are: Is it beneficial to apply microbial formulations in rotational or fall-grown cover crops? Does application of pecan byproducts induce resistance to chile wilt? Why is Phytophthora blight severity lower in Jalapeño than in non-Jalapeño cultivars? The objectives of the project are to determine the efficacy of microbial formulations applied in rotational or cover crops, the effects of pecan byproducts in inducing resistance to chile wilt, and the factors underlying the reduction of Phytophthora blight in Jalapeños.