Robert- Sounds like damping off, anyway. "Pepper Diseases- A Field Guide" describes the conditions you discuss to a T on page 22, pointing the finger of fate at one of several Fungi. I lost several Aji seedlings to some type of fungi in the same manner you describe. Under a good microscope, you could see the spores around the sunken areas, but I never tried to identify which variety was doing it. Good luck, you'll need it if that's your problem. I solved mine with more air, less moisture, and more sun, but it will spread rapidly! Calvin Robert Farr wrote: > Aigghhhhh!! > > I woke up today to some sort of odd disease attacking my pepper plants. > > I'm growing around six or seven hundred seedlings. About 1/4 of them > are under attack from some kind of stem disease. > > The stems looked almost chewed in a variety of places - but there are no > insects. Some of the leaf stems (forget what they're called; it's the > piece where the leaf joins the stem) also have this problem. > > The stems, in places, are brown and sunken. Obviously no nutrition can > get up the stem after this occurs, so the plants are wilting. > > The stems are not girdled - they're not being attacked at the soil line, > so I don't think this is damping off. > > But my babies - they are dying!! > > Any thoughts are treatment recommendations are *most* appreciated. > > Thanks! in advance - > > Robert.