Diseases Affecting Mushroom Production-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Research into Diseases Affecting Mushroom Production. Answer: Disease signs and symptoms Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour) and Bradysia ocellaris (Comstock) both are flies that causes disease in mushrooms. These flies lay their larvae on fungal mycelium of the crop compost land and further those larvae affects the fruiting body too (Navarro Gea, 2014). Infection generally leads to small cavity or holes on the stem as well as on hyphae. Furthermore, if not treated properly, causes brown and soggy mushrooms with smelly compost. Moreover, other symptoms includes brown pitted marks on distorted stem and cap, distorted fruiting body and sometimes smelly and brown blotches are also seen near the cap Cloonan, Andreadis Baker, 2016). Mode of action of pathogen Both of these flies are biggest threats for mushroom cultivation as throughout the world, mushroom cultivation pest management includes intervention to protect the crop from these flies (Navarro Gea, 2014). The Adult flies do not feed on the crop, however the Sciarid larvae feeds on the moist portion of the compost and due to their strong mouth part, they feed on developing mycelium present in the compost and damages the sporophore primordia and further by moving into the stalk or stem section of crops, they hamper the mature sporophores. According to Shamshad (2010), the larvae generally affects the casing layer and if the infected mushrooms are not destroyed, pupation occurs within that sporophores only. This is the way, these flies infests mushroom crops. How the host responds? The effect of pathogen on the host is drastic and if not controlled, the pathogen inhibits the growth of host in the compost. According to Navarro Gea (2014), after the heavy infestation of pathogenic larvae in the mycelium and sporophores, excess amount of fecal material is produced by the larvae. As a result, the host becomes unable to colonize as the compost becomes contaminated. The most damaged regions will be underdeveloped pinheads and buttons, tunneling may cause pinheads to turn brown and hollowed or even entirely consumed by the larvae (Smamshad, 2010). How and when it infests during commercial mushroom production phases? These flies and their larvae can attack mushroom at any stage of development from mycelium to developed crops. However, maximum larvae infects mushrooms while the mycelium is in the developmental stage within the compost and utilizing the nutrients to develop its structure. According to Cloonan, Andreadis Baker (2016), there are instances, when the fly has been seen infecting the mushroom after the pasteurization process as well. Hence from phase-1 of mushroom production to cookout, cropping and emptying, the crop can be infected with Bradysia ocellaris, Lycoriella ingenua and their larvae at any stage (Shamshad, 2010). How producers control infection? There are several key factors present, which should be kept in mind while cropping for mushrooms. Producers generally avoid preparing composts in uncovered soils as it leads to temperature raise and the ascospores becomes activated (Cloonan, Andreadis Baker, 2016). Hence, they use concrete land for the production of compost and take special care of the pasteurization and conditioning process (Shamshad, 2010). Producers generally picks fresh truffles for further cultivation as brown and soggy fruit bodies may infect the entire crop. Finally, a proper and appropriate cook out process helps them to eliminate spores of pathogen in the compost. This is the process the producers uses for proper cultivation of mushrooms (Navarro Gea, 2014). References Cloonan, K. R., Andreadis, S. S., Baker, T. C. (2016). Attraction of female fungus gnats, Lycoriella ingenua, to mushroom?growing substrates and the green mold Trichoderma aggressivum.Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata,159(3), 298-304. Navarro, M. J., Gea, F. J. (2014). Entomopathogenic nematodes for the control of phorid and sciarid flies in mushroom crops.Pesquisa Agropecuria Brasileira,49(1), 11-17. Shamshad, A. (2010). The development of integrated pest management for the control of mushroom sciarid flies, Lycoriella ingenua (Dufour) and Bradysia ocellaris (Comstock), in cultivated mushrooms.Pest management science,66(10), 1063-1074