Evaluation of the antibacterial potential of ecological basic substances in mushroom cultivation

White button mushrooms, Agaricus bisporus, is susceptible to several pathogenic microorganisms, including Pseudomonas tolaasii, which causes brown blotch disease. The disease is devastating and results in severe loss of cultivated mushrooms. For this reason, the study was undertaken of the effect of two biological basic substances (EC 1107/2009) – hydrogen peroxide and wine vinegar, on the reduction of brown bacterial blotch. The preparations were evaluated in laboratory and cultivation conditions. High bactericidal and bacteriostatic activity of the tested basic substances was demonstrated in laboratory conditions. In a crop experiment, the basic substances showed varying efficacy in reducing brown blotch depending on the inoculum concentration and the substances concentrations. The limiting effect of hydrogen peroxide and wine vinegar on the development of brown bacterial blotch in the second flush of fruiting bodies was shown. It can be concluded that the use of hydrogen peroxide and wine vinegar to reduce bacterial diseases of mushrooms can be an alternative to other chemical protection methods

A comparison of the influence of ruffling and cacing techniques on yield level and quality of sporocarps of white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach

In 2011-2013 studies of the influence of the two methods of enhancing Agaricus bisporus spawn run in the casing soil on the mushroom yield and its quality were conducted. Treatments in which casing without cacing (compost added to casing) with ruffling after 7 days of spawnrunning were compared with treatments in which cacing was added to the casing, but ruffling was omitted. The use of cacing accelerated the rate of casing colonisation by 3 days, whereas ruffling resulted in crumbling up the particles of casing soil and in a denser growth of mushroom mycelium in them. After ruffling, the influence of the length of mycelium regeneration period (2 or 3 days) on yield was also assessed. Cacing was added at 300 and 450 g·m-2. Higher yields from the first and second flushes were obtained in treatments subjected to ruffling, probably due to a breakdown of casing particles. In the treatments with the addition of cacing, the percentage of carpophores with intact velum was higher in the two first flushes, compared to the ruffling treatment. No significant differences were found in yield level and carpophore quality depending on the time of mycelium regeneration after ruffling or application rate of cacing. However, there was a slight tendency for higher yields in the treatments with a 3 days regeneration time and cacing rate of 450 g·m-2

Efficiency of Gaseous Ozone in Disinfection of Mushroom Growing Rooms

Fungal diseases are a persistent problem in the cultivation of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). The chemical control of pathogens is becoming less effective and less desirable, so new ways to limit these infections are urgently required. What is more, the disease is mostly controlled through cultural practices and good hygiene on mushroom farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fungicidal effects of ozone on fungal pathogens of common mushrooms. Experiments with the use of ozone gas for disinfection of growing rooms after the completion of the mushroom growing cycle were carried out. The fungicidal effectiveness of ozone fumigation was evaluated on the basis of the survival rate of the spores of the pathogens tested (Lecanicillium fungicola, Cladobotryum dendroides, Mycogone perniciosa, and Trichoderma aggressivum). Spore suspension was applied to aluminum plates and then was exposed to gaseous ozone. The assessment of the growth of colonies of fungal isolates obtained from infected surfaces was carried out using Rodac contact test plates. The results showed that L. fungicola, M. perniciosa, and C. dendroides isolates were sensitive to the gas ozone. In order to achieve 100% efficacy against Mycogone strains, a minimum of 6 hours of ozonation had to be applied, whereas for Cladobotryum strains, a minimum of 8 hours had to be applied. The Lecanicillium species was the most sensitive to ozonation because 30 minutes of ozonation was enough to gain 100% inhibition of its growth. No satisfactory results were obtained in the case of the pathogenic species of Trichoderma, regardless of the experimental conditions. Nevertheless, this study has demonstrated the usefulness of ozone as a disinfectant for empty growing rooms after the completion of the mushrooms’ cultivation cycle

Assessment of physical properties of polyethylene tbils after biological degradation

Powszechność stosowania materiałów opakowaniowych z tworzyw sztucznych przyczyniła się do powstania problemu ekologicznego. Zmniejszenie ilości odpadów z tych tworzyw jest możliwe poprzez stosowanie modyfikowanych materiałów polimerowych podatnych na proces biodegradacji. Celem prezentowanej pracy była ocena wpływu mikroflory środowiska gleby kompostowej na zmiany strukturalne materiałów polietylenowych modyfikowanych związkami mineralnymi, mianowicie kalcytem i dolomitem. Analiza SEM nie wykazała zmian strukturalnych folii, natomiast metodą DSC stwierdzono, że zwiększenie ilości substancji mineralnych w folii polietylenowej wpłynęło korzystnie na proces rozkładu tego materiału. Ponadto zaobserwowano, że degradacja folii opakowaniowych w warunkach kontrolowanych, z udziałem mikroflory termofilnej, która wykazała większą adhezję do powierzchni folii, może przebiegać efektywnie.Polymers arę frequently used as packaging materials. The accumulation of plastics waste in the environment is one of a reason of increase ecological problems. The modification of polymeric materials is one of the approaches to enhance its susceptibility to the biodegradation. The aim of this work was to determine the influence of compost soil environment on the structural changes of polyethylene materials modified with minerał compounds, ie dolomite and calcite. Analysis was examined with using of the SEM and DSC methods. Increased of minerał compounds proportion had favorable impact on the degradation of polyethylene materiał. Moreover, packaging foil degradation in the controlled conditions with participation of termal microorganisms, which were characterized by enhanced adhesion to foil surface', can proceed effectively

Efficiency of gaseous ozone in disinfection of mushroom growing rooms

Fungal diseases are a persistent problem in the cultivation of white button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). The chemical control of pathogens is becoming less effective and less desirable, so new ways to limit these infections are urgently required. What is more, the disease is mostly controlled through cultural practices and good hygiene on mushroom farms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the fungicidal effects of ozone on fungal pathogens of common mushrooms. Experiments with the use of ozone gas for disinfection of growing rooms after the completion of the mushroom growing cycle were carried out. The fungicidal effectiveness of ozone fumigation was evaluated on the basis of the survival rate of the spores of the pathogens tested (Lecanicillium fungicola, Cladobotryum dendroides, Mycogone perniciosa, and Trichoderma aggressivum). Spore suspension was applied to aluminum plates and then was exposed to gaseous ozone. The assessment of the growth of colonies of fungal isolates obtained from infected surfaces was carried out using Rodac contact test plates. The results showed that L. fungicola, M. perniciosa, and C. dendroides isolates were sensitive to the gas ozone. In order to achieve 100% efficacy against Mycogone strains, a minimum of 6 hours of ozonation had to be applied, whereas for Cladobotryum strains, a minimum of 8 hours had to be applied. The Lecanicillium species was the most sensitive to ozonation because 30 minutes of ozonation was enough to gain 100% inhibition of its growth. No satisfactory results were obtained in the case of the pathogenic species of Trichoderma, regardless of the experimental conditions. Nevertheless, this study has demonstrated the usefulness of ozone as a disinfectant for empty growing rooms after the completion of the mushrooms’ cultivation cycle

Susceptibility to wet bubble of various white button mushroom strains Agaricus bisporus and sensory assessment of their fruiting bodies

Susceptibility of various cultivated mushroom strains to wet bubble caused by Mycogone perniciosa was estimated. The investigated mushrooms were char-acterized by cup size in the following categories: intermediate between large and medium size, medium size, and small size. The susceptibility assessment was done on the basis of the yield loss and change of the mean mass of fruiting body. The results showed that inoculum level of 1,3 × 106 spores per m2 was associated with a significant reduction of mushroom yield of all tested mushroom strains. The least sensitive to wet bubble was the mushroom strain F599 with cups be-tween big and medium. The most susceptible to wet bubble disease was the mush-room strain AM with cups between big and medium size and strain P-23 with small cup, what resulted in the high yield reduction and decrease in mean mass of fruiting body. The mushroom F58 was also susceptible to M. perniciosa infec-tion, what resulted in the high yield loss. The strain AM was characterized by the highest sensory assessment including taste, firmness and total note of overall quality