بررسی اثر آلودگی به ویروس موزائیک خیار بر ویژگی‌های موفولوژیکی و فیزیولوژیکی گیاه فلفل دلمه‌ای (Capsicum annuum L.)

Nowadays, maintaining a healthy diet and incorporating vegetables into our meals is becoming increasingly important. The production of bell pepper (Capsicum annuum L.) is an important crop worldwide and in Iran, bell peppers are rich in fiber, vitamins such as C and A, antioxidants, and minerals. However, the benefits of this plant are not restricted to culinary use alone; bell peppers have a wide range of industrial applications, including the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries, but it could be restricted by viral infections such as cucumber mosaic virus (Cucumovirus CMV). In the present study, the “California wonder” cultivar was planted under greenhouse conditions, and various morphological and physiological parameters were examined using a random experimental design. These parameters included plant height, chlorophyll content, leaf area index, fresh and dry weights, and fruit weight. The two-leaf stage seedlings were inoculated using mechanical inoculation. As the plants reached full growth and produced pepper fruits, height was measured from the root crown to the terminal bud. Also, fresh weight was measured after washing, and then the samples were dried in an oven at 70℃ for 24 hours to measure dry weight. Chlorophyll content was measured by a SPAD 502 Chlorophyll meter, and the leaf area index was measured using a DELTA-T device. Statistical analysis was performed using Minitab software. Total phenolic content showed no significant change in infected peppers. Moreover, results showed a significant decrease in plant height, fresh and dry weights, chlorophyll content, leaf area index and fruit weight, indicating yield loss of C. CMV-infected bell peppers.