Pesticide Use Principles and High-Yield Cultivation Techniques for Edible Mushroom Disease and Pest Control

1. During the fruiting period, pesticides must be used with great caution, because pesticide contamination on mushrooms will cause food contamination. At present, countries around the world have very strict inspections for pesticide residues in food, and pesticide residues will affect product quality and market competitiveness.

2. It is prohibited to directly use highly toxic agents such as organic mercury and organophosphorus compounds for mixing substrate or composting; pesticides with a long residual period, that are difficult to decompose, or that have a pungent odor also cannot be used on mushroom beds. In particular, when mushrooms are present on the bed surface, it is absolutely prohibited to use agents that are highly toxic, have a long residual period, or have a pungent odor.

3. To control edible mushroom diseases and pests, highly effective, low-toxicity, low-residue agents should be selected, and the type of agent and the concentration used should be chosen according to the target pest. For example, dichlorvos has fumigant and contact-killing effects and is particularly effective against adult and larval mushroom flies and springtails, but has poor killing power against mites; phoxim is a new type of highly effective, low-toxicity, low-residue organophosphorus insecticide, and in addition to being particularly effective against mushroom flies and springtails, it also has a good contact-killing effect on mites, with efficacy superior to dichlorvos; if phoxim plus acaricide is used to control mites, the effect is superior to other pesticides. When applying pesticides, an appropriate concentration should be selected. For phoxim plus acaricide, use a 500-fold dilution to prevent mites from the composting stage to the period before fruiting, but during the stage of fruiting body development the concentration should be reduced to a 1000-fold dilution.

4. When using pesticides, first become familiar with the properties of the pesticide. Abusing pesticides can sometimes form a layer of toxic substances on the casing soil layer or the surface of the culture substrate, affecting mycelial growth and causing reduced yield.

5. Use botanical insecticides and microecological preparations as much as possible, such as pyrethrum, derris extract, yield-increasing bacteria, and other preparations.

6. Protect natural enemies, and do not abuse pesticides.