Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Chemical Control Techniques for Edible Mushroom Diseases and Pests

Pests are both direct attackers of edible mushrooms and important vectors for pathogen infection, so disease prevention and pest control must be carried out simultaneously. On the basis of taking all preventive measures, appropriately selecting some high-efficiency, low-toxicity, low-residue chemical agents for control can minimize the damage caused by diseases and pests. Commonly used chemical agents are as follows:

a1. Lime. The rice straw used for cultivating button mushrooms, straw mushrooms, and bottle mushrooms can be adjusted to a slightly alkaline reaction with 1%-2% lime water, which is beneficial for disease prevention and promotes mycelial growth; after harvesting mushrooms, the clear supernatant of lime water can also be sprayed, which helps increase yield and prevent disease. When local areas of the mushroom bed compost are found to be damaged by Trichoderma, lime powder can be wrapped in gauze and a thin layer can be sprinkled directly on the contaminated area, which can control the spread of the disease. When cotton plugs are damaged by Neurospora, the cotton plugs can be sterilized over a flame and then sprinkled with lime powder. When log cultivation is damaged by certain macrofungi such as Trametes cinnabarina, after scraping off the fruiting bodies, the scraped wound surface should be promptly coated with 5% lime water (or Bordeaux mixture) to prevent regrowth.

a2. Sulfur. For disinfection of the mushroom house before bringing in materials, sulfur can be fumigated at multiple points, with a dosage of 5 grams per cubic meter. After igniting the sulfur, keep it sealed for 48 hours, and bring in materials after 1-2 days.

a3. Kerosene or diesel. If pink Neurospora mold layers are found on cotton plugs, adhesive tape, and other places, an appropriate amount of kerosene or diesel should be dripped on promptly, then wrapped with plastic film, which can cause the mold layer to rot.

a4. Formaldehyde. When spawn bags or spawn blocks are locally contaminated by Trichoderma and other miscellaneous fungi, a 2% formaldehyde solution can be injected or applied. When mushroom compost is infected by Diehliomyces microsporus, the contaminated compost and casing soil should be promptly dug out, and then the infected bed surface should be sprayed with a 2% formaldehyde solution.

a5. Bleaching powder. When Trichoderma occurs locally on mushroom bags, a 10% bleaching powder solution can be applied. The walls, floor, bed frames, and other parts of the mushroom house can be disinfected with bleaching powder water before use. The general dosage is 0.5 kg of bleaching powder dissolved in 75 kg of water.

a6. Antibiotics. Adding an appropriate amount of antibiotics such as streptomycin, gentamicin, and chlortetracycline to the mother culture medium can inhibit bacterial growth. The general addition amount is preferably 100-200 units per milliliter. When red yeast contamination is found in white fungus, the diseased fruiting bodies should be promptly scraped off and streptomycin at 100-200 units per milliliter should be sprayed.

a7. Superphosphate. Some pathogens such as white plaster mold and brown plaster mold prefer high temperature and slightly alkaline conditions. When stacking materials, the content of superphosphate and gypsum can be appropriately increased, which can both provide nutrients and have a disease-preventive effect. When these pathogens occur locally on the mushroom bed, superphosphate can also be sprinkled directly on the diseased material, which can inhibit the spread of the pathogens.

a8. Bordeaux mixture. It is generally prepared from 1 kg of copper phosphate, 1 kg of quicklime, and 100 kg of water, and should be used immediately after preparation. The pathogen of mushroom Lecanicillium disease is very sensitive to copper preparations. Directly spraying Bordeaux mixture or diluted copper sulfate solution on the diseased area has a certain effect on controlling the expansion of the disease.

a9. Trichlorfon. When straw mushroom winged fungus gnats, oyster mushroom Sciaridae, and similar pests occur severely, a 1000-fold dilution of 90% trichlorfon can be sprayed before fruiting or after harvesting mushrooms.

a10. Dichlorvos. Regularly spraying a 1:1000 dilution of 50% dichlorvos around mushroom and fungus houses can effectively eliminate pest sources.

a11. Deltamethrin. When oyster mushroom Sciaridae occur severely, a 1500-2000-fold dilution of 2.5% deltamethrin can be sprayed after harvesting mushrooms.

a12. Poison bait trapping. Adult pests such as Drosophila melanogaster like to feed and lay eggs on rotten fruit or fermented substances. Some rotten fruit and distiller's grains can be placed in a dish, and a small amount of 1000-fold dilution of 50% dichlorvos can be poured in to trap and kill adults. Adult flies of the genus Fannia are attracted to vinegar-alcohol liquid. A sugar-vinegar-alcohol liquid with alcohol:sugar:vinegar:water = 1:2:3:4 plus a few drops of dichlorvos solution can be placed under light to trap and kill adults. Poison bait made from calcium arsenate and bran (1:10) can be scattered near the cultivation area in the evening to trap and kill slugs and snails.