Chilli (Capsicum annuum L.) is one of the important
spice/vegetable/cash crop grown in India and belongs to family
Solanaceae. It is an essential ingredient of our Indian cuisine
because of its pungency, colour, flavour and aroma. It is grown
for its pungent fruits which are used both as green and ripe to
impart pungency and flavour to the food. Chilli suffers from
many diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, viruses, nematodes
and also abiotic stresses. Among the fungal diseases
anthracnose or ripe fruit rot caused by Colletotrichum capsici
(Sydow) Butler and Bisby is a wide spread problem limiting the
profitable cultivation and seed production throughout the major
chilli growing regions of India. The disease is both seed borne
and air borne and affects seed germination and vigour to a greater
extent (Perane and Joi, 1988, Mesta, 1996, Asalmol et al., 2001).
Bansal and Grover (1969) reported losses due to anthracnose
ranged from 10-25 per cent in 1966 and 20-60 per cent in 1967.
Thind and Jhooty (1985) reported losses due to anthracnose of
chilli varied between 66-84 per cent. So an attempt was made to
find out the status of seed borne incidence of anthracnose of
chilli in northern Karnataka and to evaluate the different seed
health testing methods for quick and accurate detection of
Colletotrichum capsici.