Abstract: The present study was conducted to test the effectiveness of nitrous acid induced mutants of PeMV in cross protection. Crude sap of pepper Capsicum frutescens L. `NM 6-4` infected with pepper mottle virus (PeMV) was treated with nitrous acid to induce mutants. Twelve isolates were selected from two distinct types of local lesions produced by nitrous acid treatment on Capsicum frutescens L. `tabasco`. Of the twelve isolates, five induced mild symptoms on both pepper foliage and fruit. When these mild isolates were inoculated to pepper plants and subsequently challenged with the wild type PeMV, they protected the plants from the severe effect of the wild type isolate. One hundred percent of marketable pepper fruit was produced from these protected plants.