Field survey, morphological and molecular characterization of phytophthora capsici, causes foot rot disease of black pepper in karnataka, india

India is one of the exporters of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) but the production of this crop is in the decline stage, because of the foot rot disease. The objective of this study was to determine the morphological and molecular characters of Phytophthora capsici, the causal agent of foot rot disease of black pepper in Karnataka. Six major pepper growing areas were surveyed and confirmed for the incidence of foot rot disease. Chickmagalur district (Boothanakadu village) had the highest disease incidence (18%) followed by Shivamogga (Kunjavalli village) (16%) and the lowest incidence at Belgaum district (5%). Based on the morphological characterization, the foot rot pathogen exhibited chlamydospore, torulose hyphae and lemon-shaped sporangia with long pedicel.