What are the control methods for soft rot in edible fungi?
There are many kinds of edible fungi. Because of their rich nutritional value, they perform very well on the market and are especially popular among elderly people. In recent years, the economic benefits of edible fungus cultivation have improved somewhat. In the specific cultivation process, what are the control methods for edible fungi contracting soft rot?
1. Symptoms of soft rot in edible fungi
When edible fungi contract soft rot, white mycelium appears on the mushroom bed and spreads rapidly. If it is not controlled in time, it can spread across the entire mushroom bed. Under relatively high humidity, it can completely “devour” the fruiting bodies so that only a mass of white mycelium is visible; in the later stage, the white mycelium turns pinkish. Mushrooms are infected by this pathogen throughout their entire development period, and the infected fruiting bodies gradually turn brown until they rot.
The soft rot pathogen of edible fungi is widespread in soil, forms colonies on the casing soil or the surface of the mushroom bodies, and produces spores within a short time. These spores spread through airflow, water droplets splashed during watering, and juice exuded from the mushroom bodies. This disease is prone to occur when the casing soil is too wet and the temperature is low. In mushroom houses, this disease often occurs in small patches and rarely becomes widespread.
2. What are the control methods when edible fungi contract soft rot?
1. Disinfect the casing soil.
2. When the disease occurs locally, reduce the number of times water is sprayed on the mushroom bed, strengthen ventilation in the mushroom house, and lower the humidity. Spray the affected area with a 2%% to 5%% formaldehyde solution or a 500-fold dilution of thiophanate-methyl for control, or scatter quicklime powder for control.
3. Notes on spring cultivation of edible fungi
1. Prevent the infection rate from rising
In spring, the weather warms and flowers bloom, all things revive, and the various competitor molds that are the mortal enemies of edible fungi gradually become active. Preventing the infection rate from rising is the main task of spring edible fungus cultivation. From the beginning of spring, the temperature gradually rises, so use sterilized substrate cultivation as much as possible and avoid open inoculation as much as possible.
2. Start pest prevention early
In spring, various pests also gradually become active. I rarely mention pest control in my blog because Gu Xing Tian Xia advocates using as few chemicals as possible in edible fungus cultivation. Therefore, in spring we must do a good job of pest prevention in advance. If there is time, fumigating an empty shed once with insecticidal chemicals is best, and install insect-proof nets at the ventilation openings; afterward, use physical methods as much as possible for pest control.
3. Finish up low-temperature varieties as soon as possible
After April, the temperature rises quickly, so low-temperature varieties cultivated in winter should fruit as soon as possible to avoid the effects of being unable to fruit normally due to rising temperatures.
4. Do a good job of wind protection
Spring winds are relatively strong, especially in the north, so do a good job in advance of wind protection and fire prevention for the mushroom sheds.
5. Strengthen humidity management
In spring, the relative humidity of the natural environment rises somewhat compared with winter, but because the wind is strong, when ventilating you must handle the relationship with humidity well to avoid losing control of the humidity in the mushroom shed due to excessive ventilation. On windy days, ventilate frequently, make each ventilation period a little shorter, or reduce the area of the ventilation openings.