An Integrated Approach Towards In vivo Control of Mushroom Weeds vis-à-vis Yield

Abstract

Different competitor weed fungi Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium glabrum, Fusarium oxysporum and Coprinopsis kimurae were found to have associated with the fruit beds as constant contaminants of Pleurotus sajor-caju and Lentinula edodes. Several antagonists, plant extracts and chemicals were tested against the weed fungi to screen the most effective ones and to have an integrated combination for better management of the disease. Among the chemicals used, Baynate and Bavistin at the dose of 0.5% provided highly significant inhibition of all the competitors. Different plant extracts were treated against the weed fungi and it was found that garlic (Allium sativum) preparation exhibited the best result followed by Cycas revoluta and Azadirachta indica. Among the antagonists, Trichoderma viride was proved to be the most efficient one. Out of the various compatible combinations, the T. viride, garlic extract and Bavistin combination was found to be the most potent integrated combination providing more than 97% growth inhibition of the weed fungi in vitro. Under in vivo condition, biological efficiency of the combination of T. viride, T. hamatum, bavistin and garlic preparation was found to be significantly higher than untreated beds of both edible mushroom species. Keywords: IDM schedule, Lentinula edodes, Plant extracts, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Weed fungi.