Edible Mushroom Preservation Methods and Key Disease Prevention Points: Cutting Off Transmission Routes Is Key

The unique production methods of edible mushrooms and their fruiting body tissue structure, which differs from that of higher plants, require producers not to spray chemical agents during the fruiting body growth stage, and disease prevention must be put first. Adopt the policy of prevention first and integrated control, reduce the use of chemical pesticides, improve the level of product quality and safety, and take integrated control measures to control disease and pest damage. In view of the cultivation characteristics of edible mushrooms, the main integrated disease and pest control measures are:

Cut off the transmission routes of diseases and pests. In edible mushroom cultivation, there are three sources of diseases and pests: first, spawn carrying insects and pathogens; second, compost and casing soil carrying insects and pathogens; third, natural transmission inside and outside the mushroom house (shed). Cutting off these three transmission channels is the top priority of integrated disease and pest control.

Environmental control to reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests. 1. Lower the substrate temperature: for example, keeping the substrate temperature of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) during spawn running below 21°C can effectively control Diehliomyces microsporus; keeping the spawn running temperature of enoki mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) below 20°C; oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) bags kept below 20°C can prevent bag contamination. 2. Strengthen ventilation and air exchange. Ventilation and air exchange is the best way to disinfect air; never create a stuffy and damp fruiting environment, as no ventilation has a hundred harms and not a single benefit. 3. Light regulation. Different varieties have different light intensity requirements. For example, button mushroom should be somewhat darker, while white king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus nebrodensis) needs stronger light.

Agronomic control measures. Different soils have different microbial flora, and different ecological environments have different biological communities. Practice shows that soil-shed cultivation is generally good in the first year and poor in the second year; the reason is that the ecological environment of the soil shed becomes increasingly poor, that is, there are more pathogens, more pests, and the air quality is also poor. For this reason, it is necessary to improve ecological conditions, optimize the fruiting environment, and reduce and lower the occurrence of diseases and pests.

Chemical control. Chemical control is generally used for preventive measures. During the fruiting period, chemical control is prohibited, because the tissue structure of the fruiting body is prone to producing toxic residues, affecting consumption and export. Therefore, during the fruiting period, chemical control is prohibited; even if it must be used as a last resort, it can only be sprayed before fruiting, and it is best to use plant preparations, bitter alkaloids, etc.