Anthracnose is the most prevalent fruit rot of pepper and also tomato and eggplant. Rain provides favorable conditions for splash dispersing the pathogen as well as for infection, and harvest delays due to rain increase opportunity for anthracnose to develop. Ripe and overripe fruit are especially susceptible but this pathogen can infect green fruit with symptoms not developing until fruit begin to ripen.
Spots on fruit initially are small, circular, and depressed. They can enlarge considerably over time with masses of pink to orange colored spores developing. Eventually the entire fruit will rot. Fruit nearest to the ground are most likely to be affected.
To manage anthracnose do not grow pepper or other Solanaceous plants in the same area for 3 to 4 years, plant treated seed that was tested for the pathogen, cover the ground with black plastic mulch or other material to provide a barrier between the pathogen in the soil and fruit, use drip irrigation, apply fungicides, and pick fruit as soon as it is ripe.
Fungicide applications are recommended starting at first fruit set and are most important as the fruit ripens. Targeted fungicides labeled for anthracnose in pepper and also tomato, eggplant, and other fruiting vegetables and permitted used on Long Island include Aprovia Top (FRAC code 3 + 7), Inspire Super (3 + 9), Mettle (3), Ariston (27), Cabrio (11), Flint Extra (11), Quadris (11), Quadris Top (3 + 11), and Tanos (11 + 27). PHI is 3 days for Ariston, Flint Extra, and Tanos; 0 days for others. As with all diseases, select targeted fungicides to use in alternation or combination based on their FRAC code so that products with different code numbers are applied together and in alternation. Label use restrictions state how many consecutive applications are permitted before a product with a different code must be used. Contact, protectant fungicides with chlorothalonil and mancozeb are also labeled.
Please Note: Fungicides mentioned are for use in commercial production, not gardens. The specific directions on pesticide labels must be adhered to — they supersede these recommendations if there is a conflict. Any reference to commercial products, trade or brand names, is for information only; no endorsement is intended. For up-to-date information on labeled conventional fungicides see Cornell Integrated Crop and Pest Management Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production and biopesticides see the Biopesticides website.
