What are the control methods for mushroom damping-off disease?
Mushroom damping-off disease, also known as wilt disease, is caused by infection with Fusarium oxysporum and Fusarium solani f. sp. phaseoli. It is mainly spread through contaminated soil. The fungus has a strong saprophytic ability and can survive for a long time in soil and diseased plant debris. This disease mainly attacks the mushroom stipe; after infection, the pith of the stipe shrinks and turns brown. Early-infected diseased mushrooms show no difference in appearance from healthy ones, except that the fruiting body becomes shorter and smaller, the cap is darker in color, and the fruiting body stops growing and gradually becomes a "rigid mushroom." In addition, after the fruiting body is infected, the pathogen secretes toxins that destroy mycelial growth or cause small primordia to die, thereby affecting the next flush of mushrooms, which either fails to grow or dies. Pink mold patches can be seen on the surface of the growing medium.
For control measures, refer to the control methods for rust spot disease. In addition, once damping-off disease occurs, the following fungicide can be sprayed onto the mushroom bed: mix 11 parts ammonium sulfate with 1 part copper sulfate, then take 56 grams of this mixture, add 18 kilograms of water, stir well, and spray.