Introduction
Phytophthora capsici is an economically significant oomycete plant pathogen that impacts production
of several crops worldwide, especially solanaceous and cucurbitaceous vegetable crops.
With adequate moisture, this pathogen causes Phytophthora blight, which affects all aboveground
and belowground parts of susceptible hosts [1]. Under conducive environmental conditions,
P. capsici can cause up to 50% yield loss on chile pepper (Capsicum annuum), an
economically important crop in the Southwest United States [2].
Hemibiotrophic in nature, P. capsici establishes infection through haustoria-like structures
and intercellular hyphael growth and initiates host cell-death within 48 h of successful colonization
[3]. Current management of this pathogen, including the use of fungicides and tolerant
cultivars, is limited in terms of reducing Phytophthora blight due to the significant amount of
genetic diversity in populations of P. capsici, and the ability of the pathogen to rapidly produce