Detailed Guide to the Prevention and Control of Black Head Disease in Enoki Mushrooms
Enoki mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) is one of the common edible mushroom species in our daily lives, with high nutritional value and widely cultivated artificially. However, during cultivation, many diseases often harm the yield and quality of enoki mushrooms, and in severe cases cause total crop failure. Black head disease is a common disease of enoki mushrooms. Let's take a look at its prevention and control methods below.
1. Disease Symptoms
Black head disease, also known as bacterial brown blotch disease, is caused by a Pseudomonas bacterium, mainly causing brown rot in enoki mushrooms, with a huge impact on enoki mushroom production. Generally, the pathogen only infects the surface tissue of the fruiting body and does not penetrate deep. When the fruiting body is affected, small yellow or brown discolored areas appear on the cap, gradually turning into dark brown sunken circular or irregular lesions. Under extremely high humidity conditions, a layer of bacterial ooze appears on the surface of the lesions, with a foul odor. When the lesions dry out, the cap cracks, forming asymmetrical fruiting bodies. In severe cases, the lesions merge together, including the stipe, making the fruiting body unable to stand upright, with a slimy surface, and eventually the entire mushroom turns dark brown until it rots.
2. Occurrence Conditions
The external conditions for the onset of this disease are mainly when enoki mushrooms are in a high-temperature and high-humidity environment, or when contaminated water mist is sprayed onto the fruiting bodies, causing the pathogen to invade. The internal cause is that enoki mushroom varieties are not disease-resistant, making them susceptible to infection. In addition, when water droplets remain on the caps for a long time or when humidity is too high, this disease is also very likely to occur. Poor ventilation in the mushroom house will aggravate the development of this disease, and suitable temperatures also favor the onset of this disease.
3. Prevention and Control Methods
Promptly clean up diseased mushrooms and discarded cultivation materials. Regularly sterilize the mushroom house, bed frames, and cultivation tools thoroughly with Jinxing disinfectant and bleaching powder solution. Persist in cleaning daily, especially in mushroom houses with high disease incidence. Do not use high-toxicity, high-residue anti-contamination agents. Cultivation materials must be fully fermented, then thoroughly sterilized and disinfected before being put into production. Avoid fruiting during high-temperature and high-humidity seasons. In high-temperature and high-humidity environments, strengthen ventilation, cool down and dissipate heat, and reduce air humidity. During fruiting, the temperature must be controlled below 15°C. Once the temperature is too high, cooling measures must be taken, such as opening windows, removing films, and shading.
The above is an introduction to the prevention and control methods for black head disease in enoki mushrooms. We hope it can help you. For more related knowledge, please stay tuned to us.