Methods and Technical Key Points for Pest and Disease Control in Stropharia rugosoannulata Cultivation

Stropharia rugosoannulata has strong resistance and is easy to cultivate. According to cultivation practice and promotion in recent years, no diseases that seriously harm the growth of Stropharia rugosoannulata have occurred. However, before fruiting, some competitor fungi are occasionally seen, such as Coprinus comatus, Pezizales, Psilocybe, and other competitive fungi, among which Coprinus comatus is more common. During the cultivation of Stropharia rugosoannulata, the more common pests include mites, springtails, mushroom gnats, ants, slugs, and so on. The main control measures are described as follows:

(1) Coprinus comatus often occurs on beds where mycelial growth is poor or when poor-quality rice straw is used as the substrate for cultivation. The main control measures are:

① Rice straw should be fresh and dry. Before cultivation, expose it to the blazing sun for 2-3 days to use sunlight to kill spores of Coprinus comatus and other competitor fungi.

② During cultivation, properly manage the moisture content of the substrate to promote vigorous mycelial growth and allow the mycelium to hold an absolute advantage.

③ Coprinus comatus and Stropharia rugosoannulata both belong to the fleshy fungi and grow in the same environment, so complete elimination is difficult. If fruiting bodies are found on the bed, they should be pulled out as early as possible.

(2) Control measures for common pests

① Choose a good site, and strictly prohibit cultivation in places with many termites. The site should preferably not be continuously cropped for many years, so as to avoid breeding pests.

② During cultivation, place cotton balls dipped in 0.5% dichlorvos around the bed to repel pests such as mites, springtails, and mushroom gnats. Newspaper or waste cloth dipped in sugar solution can also be placed on the bed, or freshly roasted and fragrant pig bones or oil cake powder can be placed there to trap and kill mites. For springtails, a mixture of 1 part honey, 10 parts water, and 2 parts 90% trichlorfon can be used for trapping and killing.

③ If an ant nest is found in the cultivation site or straw pile, pesticide should be applied promptly to kill them. If they are red ants, red ant powder can be sprinkled in places with ant trails; after the ants eat it, the entire nest can be killed, with very good results. If they are white ants, 1-3 grams of termite powder can be sprayed into the nest, and results can usually be seen after about 5-7 days.

④ Slugs like to live in dark and damp environments, so a cultivation site with higher terrain, convenient drainage and irrigation, and 50%-70% shade should be selected. To control slugs, their habit of hiding on clear days and emerging in rain can be used for manual capture and killing, and 10% salt water can also be sprayed around the site to drive slugs away.

⑤ In outdoor cultivation sites, rats often make nests in straw piles, damage the beds, and harm mycelium and mushroom buds. In the early stage, the method of cutting off food or trapping and killing can be used. Rat blood can also be dripped around the cultivation site and beside the beds, so that other rats flee when they see it.