Diseases and pests of fungi: description and methods of control

Like all representatives of the Kingdom of wildlife, mushrooms are not immune from damage by diseases and insect pests. Among the most common fungal diseases that infect the mycelium during cultivation, various spots and rots can be attributed. The most dangerous pests of fungi are flies, ticks, mosquitoes, nematodes and various types of rodents.

Growing mushrooms is an interesting and well-controlled process. A bountiful harvest depends on many factors. Sometimes the producer fails to get a significant harvest. This is influenced by abiotic and biotic factors. The first include such as relative humidity, temperature, moisture level in compost and soil. Biotic factors include diseases and pests of fungi. Diseases can appear at any stage of the development of fungi in the event of negative factors. For example, during the formation of mycelium, compost with negative indicators can cause a disease. Biotic factors can be the biggest problem when growing mushrooms, as the diseases they cause are similar in their symptoms. After all, to treat the disease, it is necessary to eliminate its cause, which is quite difficult to determine due to the similarity of the symptoms.

You can find the names and descriptions of fungal diseases, as well as ways to deal with them in this article.

Signs of diseases of fungi

The most common biotic signs of fungal diseases are parasitic fungi and antagonists, viruses, bacteria and pests (nematodes, mites, flies). In order to establish the disease, you will need the simplest equipment in the form of a binocular, a magnifying glass, etc. If you doubt your diagnosis, you will need to send samples to the laboratory for analysis.

Parasitic fungi, under favorable conditions, can severely infect grown mushrooms. Parasitic fungi are distinguished by several features. The most important of them is the spore-bearing structure. Most of these fungi do not affect the mycelium, but the fruiting bodies. The sooner the parasites appear, the more the mushrooms will damage. They can simply suppress their development or completely destroy them.

The effect of antagonist fungi on cultivated fungi is poorly understood. More often they appear due to improperly prepared compost. Some types of such mushrooms grow and develop together with the mycelium of cultivated mushrooms, taking away their nutrients. Other antagonists appear after the development of the mycelium and have a depressing effect on all parts of the mycelium, delaying its development and growth. In any case, they reduce the yield. Antagonist fungi can be seen in the compost or on the soil surface by mycelium or spores. They are also often referred to as plaster mold, lipstick mold, olive mold.

The equipment used when working with mushrooms cannot be used for other types of work. Otherwise, spores can be transferred from the soil to the substrate.

Weed mushrooms are also able to grow along with cultivated ones. For example, ink fungus is often found in mushrooms. It develops when the substrate is waterlogged and free ammonia is present in it.

Ink mushrooms can only be collected every day and destroyed so that they do not stain the bags. Over time, they stop appearing. But the yield of cultivated mushrooms is declining as the ink mushrooms have used up some of their nutrients.

The gray dung beetle is a competitive oyster mushroom. It consumes their nutrients, thereby reducing yields. It should be removed from the plantation and destroyed. To prevent its occurrence, you can not feed the plants near the beds with oyster mushrooms.

Bacteria play a dual role in the cultivation of mushrooms. Some types of bacteria are simply necessary for the successful development of mycelium, for the substrate; others, on the contrary, cause serious diseases. One of the most famous and serious diseases of cultivated fungi is caused by the bacillus. Bacteria are in the mycelium and do not affect its development. But they retard the growth of fruiting bodies, cause their deformity.

Diseases in the cultivation of mushrooms

Brown plaster caused by brown mold fungus. Most often it affects champignons. Occurs in the presence of free ammonia in a raw or unripe substrate. Also, the reasons for its appearance may be increased humidity of the air and substrate and insufficient ventilation. The causative agent feeds on the same nutrients as mushrooms, which is why it is also called the companion fungus. White spots of various shapes appear on the layer of the coating material or on the surface of the substrate. If the mycelium is rubbed with fingers, then a characteristic sweet smell is felt. After some time, the spots begin to darken from the middle. So the controversy begins. Spores are brown-coffee in color. White spots gradually disappear, and spores become invisible.

To prevent this disease, it is necessary to properly compost and pasteurize the substrate. The room should be constantly ventilated, and the substrate should be pollinated with gypsum.

truffle disease observed more often in two-ringed champignon and is caused by Diehliomyces microsporias (Diehl and Lamb.) Gil. The false truffle lives in the soil. It gets into the substrate during composting on the ground. It begins to develop quite quickly at a high temperature of the substrate. The mycelium of the false truffle is not visible at first. It inhibits mushroom mycelium, the fruiting of which is sharply reduced. Gradually, the mycelium of the cultivated fungus dies completely and the substrate becomes viscous, it is already possible to see thick filaments of mycelium – rhizomorphs. After some time, small fungal bodies are formed on them, resembling the brain of a calf. These are the fruiting bodies of the fungus. They are yellowish white. Then they darken and disappear, as they break up into spores that infect a new substrate. Spores are very viable. They can withstand heat treatment of the substrate.

To prevent this type of fungal disease, do not compost on an earthen floor. In the piles, the temperature should be as high as possible. Compost zones should be mixed. After cutting, the collars must be sprayed with a 1% solution of copper sulphate. The cover layer should be treated thermally. Contaminated substrate should always be bagged before it is disposed of in a landfill. This will help prevent the transfer of spores from it to surrounding objects.

Bacterial spotting appears as dark spots on the mycelium. The cause of this disease are bacterioses that develop in a waterlogged substrate. They can also appear if the substrate has undergone insufficient or incorrect heat treatment, or if the temperature regime is not observed during the incubation of the substrate. To prevent this disease of fungal mycelium, all established rules must be strictly observed at all stages of work and the necessary microclimate must be maintained.

The substrate is also sometimes affected by trichoderma. The result of the disease are islands of green mold on it, which reduce yields. Infected substrate should be destroyed immediately. To prevent this disease, it is necessary to subject the substrate to thorough heat treatment. It is also noticed that the selective substrate is less exposed to infection with this disease.

Sometimes mushrooms grow with a small hat on a thin long stem. To correct this effect, it is necessary to additionally ventilate the room. This can be done using a conventional fan or make a blower with nozzles out of a plastic bag.

To prevent infection with bacteria, it is necessary to spray all rooms 2-2% bleach solution 4 times a year. After which they must be closed for 2 days. Then ventilate well also for 2 days. Twice a year, all walls should be whitewashed with a 1% bleach solution. All residues of the substrate must be carefully removed.

rusty spotting appears as well-defined rust spots. They darken over time. The bacteria of this fungal disease appear at high humidity. This disease can quickly cover the entire plantation at once. To prevent illness, any disinfectant that contains chlorine should be added to the water for irrigation.

Any cultivated fungus has viruses or virus-like particles. They come in various sizes and shapes. At the moment, the specific effect of viruses on the development of cultivated fungi is unknown. The only thing that can be said for sure is that all viruses and their particles lead to a decrease or even loss of yield, to various anomalies in the growth of fruiting bodies that cause a change in the shape of the fungus (early opening of the cap, too elongated legs).

White rot – one of the most common diseases of cultivated mushrooms. It could destroy the entire plantation. The causative agent of this fungal disease is in the casing soil. It should be disinfected to prevent disease. Affected mushrooms must be removed and burned. Ridges need to be watered with a disinfectant chlorine solution.

Dry rot also often infects cultivated fungi. Its pathogen is located in the soil cover. It affects cultivated mushrooms – brown spots appear on them. The legs of the affected mushrooms become thick, in old mushrooms they even crack. Such fungi should be immediately removed and destroyed. To prevent this disease, it is necessary to disinfect the cover soil.

The main signs of fungal diseases are shown in these photos:

Pests of cultivated mushrooms

Pests of cultivated mushrooms are mushroom flies, mites, mosquitoes, nematodes, mouse-like rodents.

mushroom flies often affect cultivated fungi and damage mycelium and fruiting bodies, which, in turn, are subject to bacterial infections. Flies come by themselves, they are attracted by the smell of mushrooms. They can also be brought along with the substrate. Most flies infect fungi in warm weather, when the air temperature is above 17 ° C.

Mushroom flies massively develop during the period of growth and maturation of the mycelium. At this time, the substrate is in the room. It is usually kept for 5–6 weeks, and the larvae develop into adult flying flies within 24–38 days at an air temperature of 20–30 °C. This period is most favorable for the development of pests with its comfortable indicators, such as temperature and humidity.

The first signs of the appearance of larvae of these fungal pests are dark spots near the perforation of the fungal block.

The danger increases if material of different ages is stored in the room (flies and mosquitoes that are in the old block infect new ones). Pests enter through holes in the polyethylene and lay their eggs. The larvae that emerge from them damage the mycelium, which, in turn, is infected by moldy fungi and bacteria.

The main measures to combat the mushroom fly are preventive. They should be carried out before seeding the mycelium into the substrate. All sources of infection must be removed before laying the substrate and during further care of the mushrooms. The room should be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. If the air at the same time contains a large amount of vapors and harmful gases, then it is advisable to use a gas mask when working.

If the production of mushrooms is quite large, then special preparations can be used against adult insects. Before starting work, the entire room should be fumigated with pairs of Monofos or Pogos preparations (1000 g per 800 m). After that, the room must be closed for several hours. Then ventilate well and repeat the operation after a few days. These drugs are strong poisons, so you need to work with them very carefully. Light traps, sticky tapes, hand vacuum cleaners are also used to fight flies. They are also repelled by some smells, such as vanilla.

For the same purpose, it is better to equip rooms for incubation and cultivation separately from each other.

Also, common houseflies are able to lay their larvae on the substrate.

Slugs may also appear on the substrate. They spoil the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. To combat slugs, potassium salt or superphosphate is used, which is sprinkled on the soil 3-4 times a year.

mushroom mosquito is one of the most dangerous pests for champignons and oyster mushrooms. This is a very small insect only 3 mm long. Mosquitoes fly quickly and well, moving exactly to the room where it smells delicious of compost and mycelium. Each female is able to lay up to 200 eggs. After a few days, larvae appear from them, similar to white worms with a black head. They are 4–6 mm long and can be easily seen with the naked eye. They live 12–20 days. During this time, the larvae manage to destroy the entire crop. They eat both mushrooms and mycelium. The quality of the products is also declining. In addition, mosquitoes carry ticks, spores of pathogenic microorganisms, nematodes.

The larvae gradually turn into pupae, then after 4-7 days – into adults.

These insects develop very quickly and have high fecundity. They almost instantly fill the entire mycelium. Therefore, it is very difficult to deal with them. It is important to prevent infection, i.e., to prevent the first laying of pest eggs in the substrate. Why is it necessary to install fine-mesh nets on the ventilation openings. In the room itself, it is necessary to create excess pressure. All cracks should be sealed and doors sealed; you can also hang glue traps, use ordinary sticky tapes against flies. Also, for this purpose, some gardeners use light traps, and special precautions are required.

If all of the above does not work, then it is necessary to apply chemical means of protection.

They are usually used to disinfect rooms between production cycles or treat the surfaces of the substrate and cover material when the mycelium is just starting to grow. But this should be done no later than 25 days before the start of the harvest.

If the terms and doses of insecticides are violated, then this can cause the appearance of ugly fruiting bodies, delay the growth of fungi, and lead to the accumulation of a residual amount of pesticides in mushrooms. Therefore, the most important rule of mushroom pickers is in no case to use pesticides during the period of fruit formation.

Before starting work, all equipment and shoes should be disinfected with a 50% formalin solution. Then it must be washed off with water.

The working fluid needs to be used quite economically: no more than 0,2 l / m for compost, and for the cover material a little more – 1 l / m. One of the best anti-fungal mosquitoes are microbiological preparations based on Bacillus Thuringiensis. But their working dose is less – about 25-30 g / m, however, these drugs are environmentally safe.

You can also use folk remedies against mushroom mosquitoes. The beds must be covered with tomato tops, sprayed with dill oil.

Maintaining order and cleanliness in and around the mushroom room should be mentioned as preventive measures. You also need to constantly remove wormy fruiting bodies from the mycelium.

Table “Drugs approved against fungal mosquitoes on mushroom cultures”:

pliers are also pests for mushrooms if they are grown on a straw substrate. In size, mites are smaller than mosquitoes – about 1 mm. Their body is oval, flat, yellow, white or pink. Adults have 4 pairs of legs, while larvae have 3 pairs. The female lays up to 400 eggs. Ticks are able to move quickly and crawl under clothes, causing a very unpleasant itch. Tick ​​larvae damage the mycelium, adults make moves in the fruiting bodies.

Ticks get into the mycelium along with the straw. They develop rapidly in underpasteurized or poorly fermented substrate. In order to get rid of them, you just need to replace the straw.

Another type of mites enters the substrate along with manure. The female lays about 40 eggs in the substrate or cover ground. The tick develops over a period of several days to a month. In mushrooms affected by mites, the base of the stem turns brown, the hat becomes pink.

To prevent infection of the substrate with mites, it must be kept at a temperature of 59 ° C for about 12 hours. The cover soil must be disinfected for 8 hours at a temperature of 60 ° C. Between the beds of mushrooms, spray with suitable preparations.

Nematodes are also one of the pests of cultivated mushrooms. They are small worms 0,5 mm long. Their mouth apparatus is similar to a dagger. On it they prick the threads of the mycelium. You can’t see them with the naked eye. They can almost always be found in the champignon substrate. There are different types of nematodes: some suck out all the nutrients from the mycelial cells, reducing the yield of mushrooms; other products of their vital activity alkalize the substrate, thereby deteriorating its quality. The most dangerous are those nematodes that devour the mycelium.

The area affected by nematodes can be recognized quite easily. The substrate in such a place becomes dark, wet; in addition, it acquires a rather specific smell. Mycelium never grows in this area. Such barren areas are the first sign of nematode infestation. If there are a lot of them, then they very quickly move to the swarming stage. At this stage, columns of white color are formed on the cover material. They can be up to 0,5 cm high and represent tens and hundreds of thousands of individuals. Swarming nematodes are very easy to pick up from the substrate and move to another place. Moreover, this is carried out by both service personnel and insects.

In order to avoid this, it is very important to observe all the necessary hygiene rules during the harvest period. After completion of the collection and before unloading the substrate, the room must be steamed.

Favorable conditions for the development of various nematodes are created during the fermentation of the compost heap. The resulting nematode species are resistant to many environmental conditions, even to high concentrations of hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. They are only afraid of high temperatures. Therefore, the substrate for preventive purposes must be well interrupted and pasteurized.

Woodlice, springtails also harm cultivated fungi. They attack the mycelium. These invertebrates live in the soil and enter the substrate when it comes into contact with the soil. Therefore, it is impossible to prepare the substrate on the ground or arrange beds on the earthen floor.

dung fly is also one of the pests of cultivated mushrooms. Her female lays 30 eggs in manure. The larvae that emerge from them end up on the plantation along with manure. They are usually a few millimeters long, with black heads. The larvae are very voracious, they eat fruiting bodies, gnawing passages in them. Very quickly, adults are born from the larvae, which spread various diseases of fungi, as well as ticks and nematodes. Other types of flies are also harmful to fungi. This pest is usually dealt with with the help of appropriate chemicals.

Prevention of fungal diseases

All organisms get sick at some point, there are no exceptions. It is known that any disease is easier to prevent than to cure. And mushrooms are no exception. All mushrooms suffer from viruses, parasitic fungi, harmful insects.

The latter are often carriers of various diseases. Everything is interconnected in the mycelium, so it is better to prevent the disease than to treat it; especially since in some cases it is not possible.

Pest control in the intensive cultivation of mushrooms is quite difficult, since most of all pests are located deep in the substrate and are not visible.

The main rule that allows you to prevent many diseases is the observance of sanitary safety measures in the mycelium. Parasites never give indulgence and do not forgive mistakes in pasteurization, composting techniques, violations by personnel of sanitary rules and microclimate maintenance conditions. Many farms introduce a whole system of fines for violations of sanitary rules. This often turns out to be quite effective.

The most common causes and sources of diseases and pests are unfiltered air, poorly pasteurized compost, poorly sterilized soil mixture, infected planting mycelium, dishonest sterilization of tools, violations of sanitary rules in the mycelium.

Any disease that has settled in the mycelium immediately spreads in various ways. Viral diseases penetrate through the spores of fungi, with the help of insects and mites. Fungal pathogens are transferred from the hands of workers during harvesting, from insects. Bacteria are introduced into the mycelium with drops of water during irrigation, with adult insects. All pests themselves creep and scatter, hiding in all the small cracks in the wood. Getting them out of there is almost impossible.

Jacques Delmas, a French specialist, developed 10 commandments, the observance of which allows you to avoid almost all the troubles and problems associated with competing or parasitic organisms on fungi. Here are the commandments.

It is imperative to disinfect everything that is related to mushrooms – these are rooms, tools, equipment, boxes, baskets for mushrooms, etc.

For growing mushrooms, isolated rooms should be chosen so that foreign organisms cannot enter them. All routes of entry of diseases and pests must be blocked.

The cover soil for growing mushrooms must be sterilized or taken already sterilized. A wide variety of microorganisms can live in it. Sterilized is a mixture that has been treated with steam or formalin. Sterile soil is mined from underground.

All waste must be removed immediately.

Sources of biological contamination, such as waste compost, manure, harvested mushrooms, and production waste, should not be left near the mycelium. It is also necessary to beware of chemical contamination. It can manifest itself in the form of toxic fumes and vapors distributed through the ventilation system.

The room in which the disease occurred should be immediately isolated from the rest and thoroughly disinfected.

It is required to follow the composting technology very precisely. Composting should only be done on a concrete floor. Remember that in the earth there are often many different microorganisms, pathogens.

Compost should be prepared only at certain temperatures, air humidity and aeration. Only in this case, the substrate will be selective for the fungus, i.e., it will be suitable for fungi, and not for competing microorganisms.

At all stages of the development of the fungus, one must always very zealously monitor the optimal conditions of the microclimate.

All work in the mycelium must be carried out in the direction from those premises where mushrooms are just beginning to be grown, to those in which they are harvested, that is, from young crops to old ones. You cannot move in the opposite direction.

Compliance with these commandments always begins with the disinfection of the premises. It should be carried out even in new myceliums, before loading the compost. If this is a bomb shelter, mine working or other room with stone walls, then their surface and the ceiling must also be thoroughly washed. If the floor is earthen, then the top layer should be removed. The stone ceiling and walls need to be whitewashed. In this case, it is required to add a 30% solution of copper sulphate to lime. Whitening is necessary regularly. This will be the key to clean, almost sterile air. In other rooms, walls and ceilings must be treated with chemical protectants. They will be discussed below.

For microbiological protection of the substrate from various bacteria and viruses, it is necessary to propagate thermophilic bacteria in it.

The most important thing in the mycelium is the disinfection of the premises at the end of cultivation and the neutralization of the used substrate. Everything else will be effective only if the first two conditions are exactly met. All pathogens and pests reproduce within a certain period of time. They need it for development, and only then will they begin to inhibit the mycelium of the cultivated fungus. It is clear that the sooner they are in the mycelium, the more harm they will do. In this connection, the used substrate plays a decisive role, since it is in it that spores, larvae of pathogens and pests are stored. If the old substrate is removed on a stretcher or wheelbarrow, then its remains, even the smallest particles, may accidentally fall out along the way. If the used substrate is piled up next to the mycelium or taken out on the same transport that is used for the new substrate, then in such cases there will be no good harvest.

The spent substrate can be removed in two ways. At the first time, it is taken out and disinfected. But it is better to take it as far as possible or sell it to the owners of greenhouses. However, before this, the substrate should be moistened with water or a 4% formalin solution, a 1% solution of copper sulfate or chlorinated phenol. Wet substrate is safer than dry substrate. In the second method, the substrate must be disinfected on site or thermally treated. In any case, the chamber must be treated thermally. There are two ways to disinfect: by steaming and chemically. When steaming, the room is treated for 12 hours at a temperature of 70–100 °C. In the corner farthest from the steam source, an electronic thermometer should be placed on the bottom of the compost and monitor its readings. Supply water vapor to the chamber. When the temperature rises to 70 °C, start timing. The mushroom picker must be thermally insulated, and the thermal insulation layer itself must be located so that steam does not fall on it. If the interior walls are not airtight, they should be covered with plastic sheeting. This measure will help destroy pathogens. The supporting system of buildings must withstand all temperature fluctuations. Buildings unprepared for this very quickly become unusable. If you breed mushrooms in bulk, then steam sterilization is the best way. This method is also the safest.

In small myceliums at the base of prepared buildings on the occasion, it is better to carry out chemical thermal treatment. The easiest way is as follows: powdered sulfur must be mixed with ammonium or potassium nitrate in a ratio of 1: 3, placed on iron pans and set on fire. Close the room tightly. It will turn out sulfur dioxide, which will disinfect the room. The concentration of sulfur dioxide in this case should not exceed 40 mg/m. Otherwise, the room will be very difficult to ventilate. Then you need to air it for at least 10 days.

The most reliable way is to fumigate the room with methylene bromide. High-quality sterilization occurs at a temperature of 20-25 ° C at a dose of 600 g per hour / m, as if the room was treated with 1% methyl bromide for 17 hours. But within 16 hours, the concentration of the chemical (fumigant) decreases by 2 times, therefore experienced professionals usually prepare a double dose in advance. Methylene bromide should be used with 2% chloropyrkine, as the former is odorless and tear gas will immediately detect leaks.

Wooden structures always serve as a good shelter for various insects and pests. In addition, they do not tolerate steam treatment quite well, as they quickly soak. That is why all wooden structures must be impregnated with parachlorophenolate or sodium pentachlorophenolate. They will not only protect the tree from decay, but will also serve as an obstacle to all insects. It is also possible instead to moisten the wooden parts with a solution of bleach and carbolic acid after each thermal treatment. The treated substrate is disinfected with the same mixture.

You can combine steam treatment with chemicals. For example, first treat all walls, floors, racks with chlorophos with cuprosan and then steam everything for 6 hours. Or treat the room with concentrated 40% formalin or a mixture of copper sulphate and lime. First, the walls, floor and ceiling should be washed with a 1% solution of alkali chloride. Then fumigate the room with formaldehyde. For 100 square meters, you need to take 2 liters of 40% formalin and 400 g of bleach. Place bleach in open enameled or porcelain containers. Arrange dishes with lime on the floor over the entire area of ​​u2bu4bthe room, add formaldehyde. Formaldehyde gas will be obtained, which will envelop the entire room. Pour formaldehyde in the direction from the inside of the room to the exit. The whole process needs to be done very quickly. Then close the doors for XNUMX days. Then ventilate the room for XNUMX days.

You can spray it with a 4% bleach solution. Why dilute the right amount of lime in a small amount of water. This is best done in a wooden bowl. Then add water to obtain a solution of the required concentration, and leave to infuse for 2 hours. Spray the room with the solution. Then close it for 2 days. This procedure should be carried out 15 days before the introduction of the substrate. The chlorine should all evaporate.

Formalin can also be sprayed on the premises. For 10 liters of water, take 0,25 liters of 40% formalin. For 100 m of the room, 20 liters of solution will be required. The room should be well sprayed and tightly closed for 2 days. Then ventilate.

Formalin is a necessary tool for growing mushrooms. But it practically does not protect against harmful insects and does not always destroy fungal spores.

The source of infection is very often dust with spores. Before each door, you need to put a wet mat soaked in disinfectant. Everyone who enters the room must step on it. In addition, every morning, all passages should be watered with a 2% formalin solution. All tools should be soaked in the same solution.

For the harvest, it is necessary to use new baskets every time. Don’t take boxes. If old baskets are taken, then they must certainly be disinfected in a solution of bleach. If mushrooms are grown in plastic bags, then they do not need to be disinfected, since they are used only 1 time. Wooden boxes need to be cleaned and disinfected after each harvest. The latter should be carried out very often with steam for 12 hours, or for this, all objects should be immersed in a solution of one of the disinfectants, for example sodium pentachlorophenolate. At the first sign of the appearance of nematodes, you should immediately get rid of the old container and purchase a new one.

It is very difficult to protect the mycelium from extraneous harmful microorganisms. They are able to get inside along with tools, equipment, on clothes, with cover soil, compost, during ventilation. All items that are brought into the mycelium must first be disinfected. The air from the ventilation system must be filtered. It is especially important to do this during the period of growth and development of the mycelium. For this purpose, you can take like filters. If a large volume of air is driven, then in this case it is better to use a water curtain, i.e., let the air pass through a curtain of water droplets, as through a waterfall.

There is such a thing as “the entrance gate of infection.” The area near the entrance to the mycelium – this is the gate and infectious diseases of fungi – must be clean. The compost heap should be arranged as far as possible from the entrance. Also, when it is located, it is necessary to take into account such a factor as wind. It is better to arrange a compost heap on the side leeward from the entrance. Near the entrance to the mycelium there should not be dense thickets of shrubs, garbage dumps, as they are natural sources of infection.

Industrial sources of air pollution, if available, should also be considered.

Despite all such protective measures, many myceliums can become infected with parasites. In this case, the only measure to stop the spread of infection will be the complete isolation of these premises. They must be disinfected, not paying attention to the harvest. Why they are usually sprinkled with potassium or common salt, chalk, poured with formalin, treated with methylene bromide, that is, it is permissible to use any potent substance that can destroy the source of infection. Also, in contaminated rooms, thermal treatment is carried out ahead of schedule.

All technological methods in the preparation of the substrate and compost must be strictly observed. This is one of the main measures to combat diseases. On well-prepared compost, mycelium develops very quickly and inhibits the development of other microorganisms. This property of compost is called selectivity. It means creating conditions for the growth of a certain organism. The selectivity of the substrate is determined quite easily – this is if its temperature and humidity correspond to the conditions necessary for the successful fruiting of mushrooms.

All work should begin where the mycelium is at an early stage of development, and move to those premises in which the growing process ends with harvesting. It is there that parasitic and competing organisms accumulate, and the ability to resist them in fungi, on the contrary, decreases. The crop should be harvested and cleaned in exactly the order indicated – from young mushrooms to old ones. The air must also be blown in the same direction – from young cultures to old ones. Such details must be immediately taken into account even when designing a room. When moving from one zone to another, it is required to wash hands with soap and disinfect tools. When harvesting, do not pick up diseased mushrooms – they must be collected separately from healthy ones.

It is necessary to note one more point. Mushrooms, even when indoors, always feel the change of seasons. And the peak incidence is always in the summer. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate mushrooms so that the beginning of their cultivation does not fall in the summer.

A few words about pesticides and other solutions. Firstly, all pesticides for the prevention of diseases of the mycelium of fungi should be used in mycelium only in low concentrations. They can also be included in the composition of the cover mixture or compost, or dissolved in water and poured over the beds with this solution. It must be remembered that pathogens eventually develop resistance to the applied pesticides, so they must be periodically replaced with new ones. There are many different types of pesticides. In addition, science does not stand still, and new drugs appear every day. But their basis is almost always the same.

Preparations against viruses have not yet been created, so only healthy planting material should be used. It is also necessary to put a good filter on the supply ventilation and carry out high-quality thermal treatment, in which fungal spores would die, because it is through them that the main part of viruses is transmitted.

There is one very effective remedy against bacteria: the beds should be watered with a 0,25% bleach solution. But at the same time, a black zone should not form in the cover layer. It should be noted that almost all aqueous solutions with halogens are good against bacteria.

Malathion, diazinon, dichlorvos, endosulfan and other insecticides will help get rid of insects. Diazinon is a prophylactic agent; empty myceliums inside and outside are treated with them once a month between harvests. If pasteurization is carried out on racks in chambers, then treatment with diazinon must be carried out before pasteurization, sowing and cooking.

Dichlorvos in the chambers is treated every week. It is also used with a sharp increase in the number of insect pests. For example, with the mass development of springtails, the floor and walls in the cells must be sprayed with a 0,03% solution of dichlorvos. Many experts alternate 2 insecticides at once. In this case, it is difficult for pests to adapt. Of course, during the thermal treatment and pasteurization of the substrate, it is necessary to destroy all insects – in every crack and crack, to filter the air.

All sanitary measures are very important in the fight against fungal competitors and parasites. It is undesirable to fight exclusively with chemical means, since fungicides can damage the crop. The most effective systemic fungicide is benomyl. It can also be found under the names fundazol and benlat. These drugs contain the same active substance, but are produced by different companies. Fundazol is used in a higher concentration than the other 2 agents, since it is slightly worse in quality.

It is administered at a dosage of 15 g/m before backfilling while moistening the coating mixture. If there is a real threat of an outbreak of white or dry rot, mold, then the dosage should be increased to 45 g / m. In case of a fungal disease, the mycelium should be treated with the drug at a dose of 1 g / m. You can also use mancozeb, zineb, maneb.

It is more difficult to organize the fight against nematodes and ticks. They accumulate in the compost and feed on the mycelium of the cultivated fungus. Here, first of all, it is necessary to pasteurize the substrate well. Parachlorophenolate and pentachlorophenolate can be used against nematodes. They impregnate all wooden parts and objects. They can also be sprayed on the chamber a few days before composting. These drugs are strong antiseptics. They are also easy to replace with other antiseptics, such as carbolic acid. It should be remembered that not all chemicals decompose or volatilize. Many accumulate in the fruiting bodies of mushrooms. Therefore, chemical agents for combating diseases, parasites and pests must be used very carefully and in small quantities. Also, do not use the same processing standards that are given in books for gardeners and gardeners, although the same preparations are used.

If the mushrooms are almost ready for their collection, then chemical agents against pests and diseases cannot be used. Here you can apply herbal infusions. They are safe compared to chemicals. Also, if they spray the mushroom, then immediately after that you can take it and eat it. Of course, herbal infusions have a rather mild effect and do not completely solve the problem the way chemical agents do. But they can also be effective. It should be noted that there are no exact data on the use of such infusions anywhere, so they should be used carefully, as they can cause changes in the taste, color and smell of mushrooms.

Garlic sprayer repels insects and fungal diseases. Its action lasts up to 10 days. To prepare such an infusion, you need to chop 90 g of garlic with a garlic crusher, pour 10 ml of unflavored oil into the gruel. After two days, mix the oil mixture with soapy water. The latter is prepared as follows: 10 g of soap must be dissolved in 500 ml of water, mixed well and left for a day. Then strain the mixture and store in a tightly sealed container. The spray solution is prepared as follows: 1 part of the mixture is diluted in 100 parts of water. If the degree of infection is high, then less water should be taken.

You can also prepare infusions of some herbs. For example, lavender and tansy repel flies. To prepare the infusion, pour fresh or dry raw materials with boiling water. Here, the proportions are not necessary to observe – the strength of the infusion depends on the degree of infection of the mycelium.