Chilli leaf curl virus disease: Cause and control RASHTRIYA KRISHI Volume 12 Issue 2 December, 2017 123-125

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Chilli leaf curl virus disease: Cause and control

Abstract
Chilli pepper or hot pepper is an important spice and vegetable crop of family Solanaceae. Chilli is susceptible to various
pathogens involving viruses, which cause heavy production losses. So far 65 viruses have been reported, including chilli leaf
curl virus (ChiLCV) infecting chilli throughout the world. The viruses belonging to the family Geminiviridae are among the
major limitations that causes huge losses to chilli production. ChiLCV is the most destructive virus in terms of incidence and
yield loss. The disease can be identified by typical upward leaf curling, crinkling, puckering and reduction of leaf area along
with stunting of whole plants. It is transmitted by whitefly. Although a number of insecticides had been effectively used to
manage this pest in the past but it is able to develop resistance very rapidly. Conventional plant breeding techniques remains
the major antiviral strategy so far for the development of resistant chilli varieties.

Chilli pepper or hot pepper is an important spice and leaves which get reduced in size. The whole plant gives a
vegetable crop. Chilli is susceptible to various pathogens bushy appearance and stunted growth. The diseased plant
involving viruses, which cause heavy production losses. bear fewer flowers and fruits and those that are formed
So far 65 viruses have been reported, including chilli leaf are much reduced in size. In other type of symptoms the
curl virus infecting chilli throughout the world (Nigam et affected plants became erect and bushy and the leaves
al., 2015). In tropical and subtropical parts of India, chilli are dark-green. The leaf tips curled downwards, the shape
leaf curl virus disease has been a major problem to chilli. of the leaves became oval to round with no upward rolling
Chilli leaf curl virus is the most destructive virus in terms of the edges followed by severe puckering and leatheriness
of incidence and yield loss. In severe cases, 100 per cent of the leaves. There is pronounced vein-thickening and
losses of marketable fruit have been reported (Senanayake leafy outgrowths or enations on the undersurface of the
et al., 2012). The typical symptoms consisting of leaf leaves. A very high disease incidence was observed (up
curling, rolling and puckering; blistering of interveinous to 100% of plants during December 2004) in farmer’s
areas, thickening and swelling of the veins, shortening of fields in Narwa and Tinwari villages at Jodhpur Distt.
internodes and petioles, crowding of leaves and stunting Rajasthan (Senanayake et al., 2007). A disease incidence
of whole plant. ChiLCV is transmitted by whitefly Bemisia upto 100% was reported during December 2008 in
tabaci. A single whitefly is able to transmit the virus and Vellanad region of Kerala. Incidence of the disease varied
eight or more whiteflies per plant resulted in 100% from field to field and village to village (14–100%). The
transmission. Virus diseases are commonly seen in incidence was greater in Tiwari, where 100% of the plants
agriculture crops and have a major impact on their of chilli variety Haripur Raipur showed severe leaf curl.
cultivation. Evasive measures, such as pesticide sprays A survey was carried out in major pepper growing areas
to control vectors, removal of diseased plants and in Punjab and a maximum leaf curl incidence was observed
agronomic interventions have been tried without much in Ludhiana (79.4 %) followed by Tarn Taran (77 %),
success. Development of host plant resistance is effective, Sangrur (72.2%), Sangrur (72.2 %), Patiala (68.6%) and
economical, ecologically safe and durable approach of Ferozepur (57.5%) (Kaur et al., 2016). Some of the
disease management, especially the ones caused by recently developed resistant varieties have been given in
viruses. Table 1.
Symptoms and disease incidence : The symptoms Measures of control : The control of this vector is
consist of abaxial and adaxial curling of the leaves mainly done by pesticides and physical barriers.
accompanied by puckering and blistering of interveinous Conventional chemical management of the whitefly is very
areas and thickening and swelling of the veins. In advanced difficult to achieve because the immature forms are found
stages of the disease axillary buds produce clusters of primarily on the underside of leaves with older larvae and

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Table 1 : Recently developed varieties resistant to chilli leaf curl virus disease
Sr. No. Name of variety Reference
1. Surajmukhi, Japani loungi, Pant chilli-1, Pusa Jwala and PBC-473 Awasthi and Kumar (2008)
2. Punjab Sindhuri and Punjab Tej Dhaliwal et al. (2013)
3. CH-27 -F1 hybrid Dhaliwal et al. (2015)
4. Saurian 2010, Perennial and Japani Loungi Ahmad et al. (2016)

(a) (b) (c)

(d) (e) (f)

(g) (h) (i)

Fig. (a-i) : Different symptoms of chilli leaf curl virus disease

pupae located lower in the plant canopy. Although a pending the development of a satisfactory integrated pest
number of insecticides had been effectively used to management program. Following methods can be used:
manage this pest in the past but it is able to develop Cultural control:
resistance very rapidly. Thus, the current dependence on – Use seeds from healthy plants of previous season.
chemical control must be considered a short-term measure, – Growing of nursery in protected structures.
Rashtriya Krishi | Vol. 12 (2)| Dec., 2017 124 HIND AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH AND TRAINING INSTITUTE
 CHILLI LEAF CURL VIRUS DISEASE: CAUSE & CONTROL

– Removal of infected seedlings and weed hosts various diseases have threaten sustainable crop production
from nursery as soon as seen. and are of serious concern to world agriculture. By
– Treatment of seedlings with proper systemic Studying the evolution of geminiviruses and their associated
fungicides to control vector. satellite molecules, different strategies can be developed
– Use of yellow sticky traps above the plants to that may control the speed of their development. The
control insect vectors. emergence of a new vector biotype (B biotype of B.
– Destroying previous year susceptible crops, tabaci) and increasing vector population are mainly
particularly solanaceous weeds and volunteer plants. responsible for the appearance of geminivirus disease
– Good weed control in the crop that may be problems.
alternative host to virus and vectors. Well-characterized resistance genes hold a lot of
– Transplanting dates should be adjusted to avoid promise in controlling begomoviruses and there is need to
peak season of vector population. introgress these genes into popular varieties. Hence, more
– Use of reflective (silver color) plastic mulch. work needs to be done to search for natural begomovirus-
– Use of live mulches, border crops, or hedges more resistant wild varieties of crop plants, against
attractive to the vectors than pepper crop. begomoviruses. The exciting developments on plant–virus
Biological control of vector : interactions, promise many more avenues of begomovirus
– Predators- Coccinella septempunctata, control opening up in the near future. These need to be
Clitostethus arcuatus, Orius spp, Chrysoperla carnea, urgently deployed to assure crop protection against the
Chrysopa spp., Sinea confusa huge losses incurred due to begomoviral infections in India.
– Parasitoids - Eretmocerus emiratus, References:
Eretmocerus eremicus, Encarsia accenta, Encarsia
Ahmad, A., Sharma, A., Zehra, S.B., Kang, S.S., Bhat, M. and
adusta etc
Hussain, A. (2016). Evaluation of chilli genotypes against Chilli
– Pathogens (Fungi)- Verticillium lecanii and
Leaf Curl Virus. Indian J. Ecol., 43: 144-147.
Paecilomyces fumosoroseus, Paecilomyces farinosus
– Mycoinsecticides- BotaniGard, Bea-Sin, Boveril Awasthi, L.P. and Kumar, P. (2008). Response of chilli
genotypes/cultivars against viral diseases. Indian Phytopath.,
PM, Mycotal, Ago Biocontrol Verticillium, Pae-Sin
61: 282-284.
Chemical control of vector using Synthetic
insecticides: Dhaliwal, M.S., Jindal, S.K. and Cheema, D.S. (2013). Punjab
Sindhuri and Punjab Tej: new varieties of chilli. J. Res. Punjab
– Difenthiuron 50 WP @ 0.75 g per l
Agric. Univ., 50 : 79-81.
– Spraying diazinon, malathion, metasystox at 10
days interval Dhaliwal, M.S., Jindal, S.K. and Cheema, D.S. (2015). CH-27:
– 0.07% monocrotophos with 0.25% wettable A multiple disease resistant chilli hybrid. Agric. Res. J., 52 :
127-129.
sulphur
– Imidachloprid 17.8 SL (0.003%) Kaur, S., Kang, S.S., Sharma, A. and Dhillon, N.K. (2016).
– Imidacloprid (0.05%), Acephate (0.1%) and Prevalence and incidence of viruses and root knot nematode
Malathion (0.05%) infecting pepper (Capsicum annuum) in Punjab. Pl. Dis. Res.,
31: 91-98.
Control of vector using natural extracts :
– Neem oil, neem guard, repellin and biosol Nigam, K., Suhail, S., Verma, Y., Singh, V. and Gupta, S. (2015).
– Raw cow milk and Trichoderma Molecular characterization of begomovirus associated with leaf
curl disease in chilli. World J. Pharm. Res., 4 : 1579-1592.
– Neem seed kernel extract (5%)
– Seed extract of Sapindus trifoliatus and Senanayake, D.M.J.B., Mandal, B., Lodha, S. and Varma, A.
Solanum trilobatum (2007). First report of Chilli leaf curl virus affecting chilli in
– Clerodendrum aculeatum (leaf extract), India. Plant Pathol., 56 : 343
Terminalia arjuna (bark extract) Senanayake, D.M.J.B., Varma, A. and Mandal, B.J. (2012).
Conclusion: Due to the tropical climate of India, large Virus–vector relationships, host range, detection and sequence
number of begomoviruses have been reported from India comparison of chilli leaf curl virus associated with an epidemic
of leaf curl disease of chilli in Jodhpur, India. Phytopathol.,
which causes serious diseases in many crop plants. The
160: 146–155.
destructive outbreaks caused by the emergence and re-
emergence of new strains of geminiviruses causing Received : 14.09.2017 Revised : 25.10.2017 Accepted : 10.11.2017

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