Commercial application of biological control of mushroom bacterial blotch

Abstract

A range of substrates was tested to determine the optimum conditions for commercial preparation of antagonistic bacteria which appear to have potential for controlling bacterial blotch of cultivated mushrooms. The results indicate that gamma-irradiated peat at a moisture content of 50–60% (wet weight) or pF 3.5–2.6 and an incubation period of 4–5 weeks at 25°C favours the growth and survival of the bacterial anlagonists. The commercial life of the peat inoculants can be extended to 4 months if initially stored at 1 or 5°C and subsequently incubated at 25° for 4–5 weeks. Commercial trials with peat inoculants of the bacterial antagonists resulted in successful biological control of the disease, and in somc trials increased yields of 8–16.6% were obtained.