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What are the control measures for truffle disease in oyster mushrooms?

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(1) Disease symptoms The mycelium of this fungus resembles that of the oyster mushroom and cannot be distinguished with the naked eye; it can penetrate deep into the substrate, competing with the oyster mushroom mycelium for nutrients, water and space from the bottom up, inhibiting the mushroom's fruiting capacity. Its physiologically mature mycelium forms ascocarps on the fruiting surface of the substrate, especially in bed cultivation where it occurs over large areas in the zone where the mushroom columns contact the soil; the clustered or grouped ascocarps are shaped like brain-like wrinkled masses, closely resembling walnut kernels with the bitter skin removed, all wrinkled and not spread out; when they first appear, most mushroom growers mistake them for oyster mushroom pinheads, but

(1) Disease symptoms The mycelium of this fungus resembles that of the oyster mushroom and cannot be distinguished with the naked eye; it can penetrate deep into the substrate, competing with the oyster mushroom mycelium for nutrients, water and space from the bottom up, inhibiting the mushroom's fruiting capacity. Its physiologically mature mycelium forms ascocarps on the fruiting surface of the substrate, especially in bed cultivation where it occurs over large areas in the zone where the mushroom columns contact the soil; the clustered or grouped ascocarps are shaped like brain-like wrinkled masses, closely resembling walnut kernels with the bitter skin removed, all wrinkled and not spread out; when they first appear, most mushroom growers mistake them for oyster mushroom pinheads, but after several days there is still no differentiation, only the ascocarps change from an initial milky white to pale milky yellow, then gradually to yellowish brown to red, and their volume keeps expanding; by this time it is too late to take any control measures. When this disease occurs severely, it can cause an entire batch of cultivation to produce no mushrooms at all. A strong smell of bleaching powder in the mushroom shed is one of the important signs of truffle disease.

(2) Causes of the disease Chromocleista sp. is a malignant contaminant fungus in edible mushroom cultivation. Its spores are abundantly present in the substrate and have extremely strong vitality; at temperatures of 16-35°C and air humidity above 70%, they can quickly germinate and cause damage. This pathogen is especially severe on oyster mushrooms grown with casing soil.

(3) Control measures

① The substrate must undergo thorough and even heap fermentation, and the moisture content must not exceed 63%.

② For the treatment of the soil used for cultivation, refer to the above.

③ Before the mushroom bags are brought into the shed, in addition to treating the shed as described above, re-spray 1-2 times with a bleaching powder solution at a concentration of 1.2% or above at 5-day intervals. In areas with a record of disease occurrence, add one more spray of a carbendazim-thiram solution.

④ Once truffle disease is detected, immediately increase ventilation in the shed, lower the temperature and humidity, and dig out the affected area plus 3 cm beyond its outer edge (the depth depends on the time and severity of the outbreak), removing both soil and substrate; backfill with treated fine soil, spray the entire shed with a 1% bleaching powder solution in a carpet-like manner, and apply a 400-fold dilution of 50% carbendazim wettable powder solution to the dug-out affected areas.

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