Mushroom production technology and pests of mushroom

1. Training programme
On
Mushroom production Technology

2. Pests of Mushrooms
Title

3. Introduction
 A pest is any animal or plant harmful to humans or human concerns.
 The term is particularly used for creatures that damage crops,
livestock, and forestry or cause a nuisance to people, especially in
their homes.
 Humans have modified the environment for their own purposes and
are intolerant of other creatures occupying the same space when their
activities impact adversely on human objectives. Thus, an elephant is
unobjectionable in its natural habitat but a pest when it tramples crops.
 A pest is any living thing, whether animal, plant, or fungus, which
humans consider troublesome to themselves, their possessions, or the
environment. It is a loose concept, as an organism can be a pest in one
setting but beneficial, domesticated, or acceptable in another.
 Microorganisms, whether bacteria, microscopic fungi, protists,
or viruses that cause trouble, on the other hand, are generally thought
of as causes of disease (pathogens) rather than as pests.

4. Impact of pests
(i) Injury to crop plants, forests and ornamentals
(ii) Annoyance, injury and death to humans and
domesticated animals
(iii) Destruction or value depreciation of stored
products.
Pests include insects, nematodes, mites, snails,
slugs, etc. and vertebrates like rats, birds, etc

5. Types of damage
Together pests and diseases cause up to 40% yield losses every year
Direct Damage
First, there is the direct injury they cause to the
plants as they feed on the tissues; a reduction in leaf
surface available for photosynthesis, distortion of
growing shoots, a diminution of the plant's growth and
vigour, and the wilting of shoots and branches caused
by the insects' tunneling activities.
In direct Damage
there is the indirect damage, where the insects do little
direct harm, but either transmit or allow entry of fungal,
bacterial or viral infections.

6. Based on occurrence following are
pest categories
Regular pest: Frequently occurs on
crop - Close association e.g.
Rice slem borer, Brinjal fruit
borer
Occasional pest: Infrequently
occurs, no close association e.g.
Caseworm on rice, Mango stem
borer
Seasonal pest: Occurs during a
particular season every year e.g.
Red hairy caterpillar on
groundnut, Mango hoppers
Persistent pests: Occurs on the
crop throughout the year and is
difficult to control e.g. Chilli
thrips, mealy bug on guava
Sporadic pests: Pest occurs in
isolated localities during some
period. e.g. Coconut slug
caterpillar
Based on level of infestation
Pest epidemic:
Sudden outbreak of a pest in a
severe form in a region at a
particular time e.g. BPH in
Tanjore
Endemic pest:
Occurrence of the pest in a low
level in few pockets, regularly
and confined to particular area
e.g. Rice gall midge in Madurai,
Mango hoppers in Periyakulam

7. Parameters of insect population levels
General equilibrium position (GEP)
The average density of a population over a long period of time,
around which the pest population over a long period of time, around
which the pest population tends to fluctuate due to biotic and abiotic
factors and in the absence of permanent environmental changes.
Economic threshold level (ETL)
Population density at which control measure should be implemented
to prevent an increasing pest population from reaching the EIL.
Economic injury level (EIL) The lowest population density that will cause
economic damage
Damage boundary (DB) The lowest level of damage which can be
measured. ETL is always less than EIL. Provides sufficient time for
control measures.

8. PEST CATEGORIES ACCORDING TO EIL, GEP AND DB
 Key pest - Most severe and damaging pests - GEP lies above EIL
always - Spray temporarily bring population below EIL - These are
persistent pests - The environment must be changed to bring GEP
below EIL e.g. Cotton bollworm, Diamond backmoth
 Major pest - GEP lies very close to EIL or coincides with EIL -
Economic damage can be prevented by timely and repeated sprays
e.g. Cotton jassid, Rice stem borer
 Minor pest/Occasional pest - GEP is below the EIL usually - Rarely
they cross EIL - Can be controlled by spraying e.g. Cotton stainers,
Rice hispa, Ash weevils.
 Sporadic pests - GEP generally below EIL - Sometimes it crosses EIL
and cause severe loss in some places/periods e.g. Sugarcane pyrilla,
White grub, Hairy caterpillar
 Potential pests - They are not pests at present - GEP always less than
EIL - If environment changed may cause economic loss e.g. S. litura is
potentia pest in North India

9. Causes of Pest Outbreak
The following are some human interventions - Reason from outbreak
i. Deforestation an bringing under cultivation - Pest feeding on forest trees are forced to feed
on cropped - Biomass/unit area more in forests than agricultural land - Weather factors also
altered - Affects insect development
ii. Destruction of natural enemies - Due to excess use of insecticides, natural enemies are
killed - This affects the natural control mechanism and pest outbreak occurs, e.g. Synthetic
pyrethroid insecticides kill NE.
iii. Intensive and Extensive cultivation Monoculture (Intensive) leads to multiplication of pests
Extensive cultivation of susceptible variety in large area - No competition for food -
multiplication increases e.g. Stem borers in rice and sugarcane
iv. Introduction of new varieties and crops. Varieties with favourable physiological and
morphological factors cause multiplication of insects. e.g. Succulent, dwarf rice varieties
favour leaf folder Combodia cotton favours stem weevil and spotted bollworm Hybrid
sorghum (CSH 1), cumbu (HB1) favour shoot flies and gall midges
v. Improved agronomic practices Increased N fertilizer - High leaf folder incidence on rice
Closer planting - BPH and leaf folder increases Granular insecticides - Possess phytotonic
effect on rice
vi. Introduction of new pest in new environment Pest multiplies due to absence of natural
enemies in new area Apple wooly aphid Eriosoma lanigerum multiplied fast due to absence
of Aphelinus mali (Parasit)

10. INSECT-PEST MANAGEMENT IN CULTIVATED MUSHROOM
Throughout the world Sciarid flies, phorid flies, cecids, springtails, mites and
nematodes are important pests of cultivated mushrooms.
These pests damage the crop right from spawning to harvesting of the crop.
Mushroom flies damage the crop directly and also help in spreading various
mushroom diseases.
Phorid fly
Sciarid fly

11. Sciarid Flies
Sciarid flies, the small fungal gnats, are mosquito type flies
with size varying from 1.5 to 5 mm .
Colour of flies varies from brown black to black. Its larvae
feed on compost, mycelium and mushrooms.
Larvae enter the mushrooms, start feeding and make
tunnel within a stipe.
 Eventually they reach the pileus and feed vigorously. When
larval attack occurs at pin head stage, further development
of pinheads completely stops and pin heads eventually die.

12. Phorid Flies
 Phorid Flies are small hump backed black or
light to dark brown flies of size 1.9 to 3 mm
 These flies are smaller version of house
flies. They move rapidly with jerky
movements.
 Adult phorids are most common in early
summer and are attracted to light.
 These also eat into mushrooms, though
phorid flies are less harmful than sciarid
flies.

13. Cecid Flies (Gall Midges)
 Cecid flies are rarely visible and smaller than even
sciarid flies and are dark brown in colour.
Larvae feed on mycelium and make vertical grooves
in the stipe. They feed on the outside of stipe at the
junction of stipe and gills where later on bacteria
may grow and cause discoloration.
Infection mainly comes through casing soil and
hence it is important to use pasteurized casing soil.
Larve are sticky and may spread through tools,
clothes, etc of workers.

14. IPM for control of Flies:
They can effectively control major disease (wet bubble) and mushroom
flies by integrated use of the following:
 Composting on cemented floor
 Maintenance of proper moisture in compost and proper
pasteurization i.e. 59°C for 6 hours with ample aeration.
 Proper pasteurization of casing at 65°C with 65% moisture.
 Treatment of empty room with 2% formalin.
 Application of malathion on walls @ 0.01% after 7 day of casing.
 Application of deltamethrin @ 0.01% on walls after first flush.
 Application of dichlorvos @ 0.01% on walls after second flush.
 Use light trap for monitoring and controlling fungal gnats.

15. MITES
• Button and other cultivated mushrooms are
infested by several groups of mites.
• The initial infestation of mites in mushroom
houses comes through raw material used for
the preparation of mushroom beds.
• occasionally phorid flies also transport
mushroom mites.
• Their presence generally indicates poor
compost.

16. NEMATODES
o In mushrooms there are a specific type of nematodes
that eat mycelium. If present, these can lead to
complete crop failure.
o These nematodes are normally found in compost
made by long method or also in short method where
proper phase II is not done and there are pockets/
lumps where required temperature does not reach.
o These also spread from crop to crop and were a
common problem when wooden trays were being
used.
o There will be blank areas on casing soil and whitish
fugal growth (Botrytis) will occur on casing soil.