Studies on the control of wet bubble disease of mushrooms with benzimidazoles

Abstract

Wet bubble disease of the cultivated mushroom was controlled by incorporating benzimidazoles in the casing. Benomyl at the rate of 0.95 g/m², and carbendazim and thiabendazole at the rate of 0.62 g/m², were effective in controlling the disease. The benzimidazoles applied to casing were sufficient to give good control whether the inoculum was introduced before or after casing. A number of cases were observed in commercial mushroom farms where the disease was causing significant crop losses in spite of the use of benzimidazoles. This lack of control was found to be due to the unavailability of the applied fungicides following their absorption onto the casing. Exhaustive extraction methods yielded the greater part of the benzimidazoles applied to peat moss and spent compost casing materials. No bacterial degradation of the benzimidazoles applied to casing was observed.