The Role of Water Content in the Casing Layer for Mushroom Crop Production and the Occurrence of Fungal Diseases

Abstract

Mushroom cultivation requires effective control of environmental cues to obtain the best yield and high quality. The impact of water content in the casing layer on mushroom yield and the incidence of two of the most important diseases in the mushroom growing farms, dry bubble and cobweb diseases, was evaluated. Different initial water content in the casing and two alternative irrigation programs applied (light or moderate irrigation) were the agronomic parameters under study during five separate button mushroom crop trials. Higher initial humidity content in the casing layer reported a larger yield, with a fewer number of basidiomes but heavier, while no correlation to the dry matter content or the colour of the basidiomes was noted. The incidence of dry bubble disease was not conditioned by the water content of the casing layer, at the high moisture levels established in the study. In the case of Cladobotryum mycophilum, the lower moisture level of the casing layer reported more incidence of cobweb disease, and subsequently harmful yield losses. According to the results obtained, the right management of the moisture level in the casing materials could promote crop yield and preclude the significant impact of dry bubble and cobweb diseases.