Damping-off, caused by Rhizoctonia solani Kuhn. and Pylhium spp., is of frequent occurrence in nurseries. The seed may rot or the seedlings may be killed before they emerge from the soil.

Small yellowish spots appear on the ripe fruit, which increase in size during damp weather and become sunken and soft. Dempsey and Brantley (1953) state that it may be overlooked and only appear after the fruit has been held for several hours. According to Sastri (1950), the same fungus can cause a die- back of the plants in India. It is important to plant disease-free seeds. Control is the same as for anthracnose.

Blue mould or downy mildew of tobacco, Pef6n ospora tabacina Adam, also attacks capsicum and occasionally causes serious losses in nurseries in the south-eastern United States. The leaves show pale spots which later become covered with a pale-blue coating of fungal spores. Spraying with ferbam or zineb is recommended by Boswell et al. (1964).

Capsicums are attacked by a large number of viruses, including tobacco mosaic, tobacco etch, cucumber mosaic, potato x virus and potato y virus. The plant may be attacked by more than one virus. The usual symptoms are a yellow mottling and curling of the leaves. Viruses may also cause a yellow spotting of the fruits with.dark-green raised spots, and yields may be greatly reduced.

Severely spotted leaves turn yellow and drop. On the fruits small blister- like spots occur, later turning brown with a warty appearance. The disease is described by Boswell et al. (1964), who suggested that, as the bacteria are seed-borne, the seeds can he treated with corrosive sublimate. The bacteria are also soil-borne, so rotations are important. The nurseries and plants in the field may be sprayed with a copper fungicide such as Bordeaux mixture. It causes a widespread defoliation in India.

Anthracnose, Gloeosporium piperatum Ell. & Ev., is widespread. Infected fruits develop dark, circular sunken spots, 2.5 cm or more in diameter, which may occur on both green and ripe fruits. The disease spreads rapidly during wet weather, when dark, raised spore bodies may be coated with pink masses of spores. Saving seed from disease- free fruits and crop rotation are two practical measures of control. Disinfection of the seed will destroy the fungus on the surface, but will not kill it within the seed coat. Boswell et al. (1964) state that zineb, nabam, ziram and maneb help to prevent fruit rot. A similar spotting of the fruits is caused by Colletotrichum nigrurn Ell. & Halst., which is a saprophyte attacking through wounds and injuries (Boswell et al., 1964; Sastri, 1950).