Occurrence Patterns and Control Measures of Edible Mushroom Diseases and Pests
As the area of edible mushroom production expands, the variety of diseases and pests tends to increase, and the degree of damage is gradually worsening. According to surveys, the edible mushroom varieties with the most frequent disease and pest occurrences include oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom, button mushroom, and white king oyster mushroom. The main diseases and pests are as follows:
1. Mushroom flies. Damage is severe in the production of button mushroom, oyster mushroom, and enoki mushroom, and is especially common in oyster mushroom cultivation in the pear-growing area of eastern our county. Yield losses caused by mushroom fly infestation vary depending on variety and control measures; the damage rate for oyster mushroom is relatively high, reaching about 50% at its worst.
2. Mites. Mites have been found sporadically in button mushroom cultivation, with a relatively mild degree of occurrence. The reason may be related to the regular relocation of mushroom sheds in production. Mushroom farmers' sheds are moved approximately once every 2-3 years, and crop rotation of the land in edible mushroom production can effectively prevent the occurrence and damage of mites.
3. Nematodes. In recent years, nematodes have been found causing partial damage in cultivated varieties such as button mushroom and shaggy mane. In production, the spread of damage is often caused by improper selection of control pesticides.
4. Bacterial diseases. These occur prominently in mushroom sheds with high temperature, high humidity, and high cultivation density. Varieties severely affected include spring button mushroom, black oyster mushroom, and enoki mushroom. Diseased spots show symptoms such as brown spots, black spots, deformity, and rot.
5. Button mushroom soft rot. This occurs severely in mushroom sheds with high temperature, high humidity, high water content, and poor air permeability. The affected areas of the mushroom bed are covered by dark green mycelial threads of the pathogen, causing few or no mushrooms to emerge at the affected areas, or causing the mushroom bodies to become wet and rot and die after emergence.
There are many diseases and pests of edible mushrooms. In production, the control policy of giving priority to agricultural control and supplementing with chemical control should be followed, and comprehensive control should be carried out against the diseases and pests that occur. The main measures are as follows:
1. Promptly remove mushroom bags severely infected by diseases and pests, as well as residual mushrooms and rotten mushrooms in the shed.
2. Practice rational crop rotation. Movable mushroom sheds should be relocated to a new site after 2-3 years of use, and the concentration of multiple sheds should be avoided.
3. The same variety and the same greenhouse should not be cultivated year-round; it is advisable to rotate with varieties not susceptible to the same types of diseases and pests. For example, enoki mushroom sheds should not be followed by cultivation of straw mushroom or button mushroom, to prevent continuous reproduction of mites and mushroom mosquitoes.
4. Using 100-mesh insect-proof netting to cover cultivation sheds can effectively block the invasion of pests with a body size above 1 mm, such as mushroom mosquitoes, phorid flies, armyworms, grain moths, termites, slugs, and snails, significantly reducing the sources of invading insects. Spraying pesticides on the insect-proof netting can kill adult insects resting on the net, effectively reducing the next generation of insect sources.
5. Strengthen preventive treatment work. Measures such as shed cleaning, fumigation and disinfection, soil treatment, and substrate treatment can eliminate diseases and pests in the early stages of mycelial growth and mushroom emergence.
When using pesticides for control during the mushroom emergence period, pesticide varieties registered by the Ministry of Agriculture must be selected, and the right pesticide must be used for the specific problem; do not use pesticides blindly. Pests such as mushroom flies, armyworms, grain moths, termites, slugs, and snails can be controlled by spraying with Gujing (4.3% beta-cyfluthrin • emamectin benzoate emulsifiable concentrate) and fipronil (Regent) at 1000-fold dilution; Mycogone perniciosa, Trichoderma, etc. can be controlled by spraying with Gufeng (30% prochloraz • thiram wettable powder) and 40% prochloraz and Sportak at 500-1000-fold dilution; mites and nematodes can be controlled by multiple sprays of Gujing at 500-1000-fold dilution.