The Effects of Tobacco mosaic virus Infection on Growth and Physiological Parameters in Some Pepper Varieties (Capsicum annuum L.)

Changes in some growth (plant leaf number and area, plant biomass, plant height, root length, and plant stem diameter) and physiological (photosynthetic pigments, relative water content (RWC) and proline content) parameters of pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) varieties were studied as they were affected by Tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) infection. The greenhouse pepper cvs ‘Ergenekon F1’, ‘Kumsal F1’, and one candidate variety (‘497 F1’) were used as material to compare infected versus non-infected control plants. Infected plants showed various degrees of stunting; necrosis on stems, leaves and fruits; mosaic symptoms on leaves; deformations, defoliation of leaves, and reduction in fruit size. Besides these, TMV infection resulted in reduction of vegetative growth parameters, RWC, chlorophyll a and b, plant fresh and dry production in different parts of the plants, but increase of proline content in leaves. The level of response differed depending on varieties.