**3. Symptomatology**

Several symptoms (**Figure 2**) may be caused by *P. capsici* in different phenological stages of the plant [23], which can vary depending on host resistance, affected tissue and/or climatic conditions [24]. In susceptible plants, the initial symptoms can appear between four and seven days after inoculation (DAI), and can die at approximately 10 DAI [25, 26]. Meanwhile, in resistant plants after 10 DAI, slight lesions appear, mainly due to the ability to counteract the advance of colonization [3, 27].

The root system is the first affected tissue (**Figure 2A**), showing a brown rot [3]. Later, brown lesions with a rough shape can be observed on the crown tissues (**Figure 2A**) [28]. Other symptoms observed in adult plants are stunting (**Figure 2B**) and generalized wilting (**Figure 2C**) [9, 26, 29]. In the foliar area, leaf blight may be

### **Figure 2.**

*Symptoms caused by* Phytophthora capsici *on different organs of* Capsicum *plants: A) root and crown rot; B) dwarf; C) wilting; D) leaf blight; E) fruit rot. Rc: Root crown. Rs: Root system. Source: Unpublished photographs from the authors.*

observed (**Figure 2D**) starting with small dark water-soaked lesions, which later become necrotic with a light brown center and dark edges [30, 31]. Fruits are also affected by the oomycete, initially, minute lesions with clear whitish centers are observed in the tissue [32, 33], advancing rapidly until this organ completely rots (**Figure 2E**) [18]. This last symptom is often presented in young fruits, compared to mature fruits that present more resistance to *P. capsici* [34].
