Joy Clarke, Teagasc Walsh Scholar, reports on the key results from her work on understanding how biocontrol and integrated pest management (IPM) approaches can support the mushroom sector in controlling disease outbreaks.
The mushroom industry is the largest horticulture sector in Ireland. Currently, there are 40 mushroom production units located across the country, producing a massive 68,000 tonnes of mushrooms annually. Growers are constantly monitoring their crops for the appearance of disease that could severely affect their yield and overall profits.
Several diseases may impact a mushroom crop; a research project at Teagasc Ashtown's Horticulture Development department focused on two important fungal mushroom diseases: dry bubble disease (caused by Lecanicillium fungicola) and cobweb disease (caused by Cladobotryum spp.).
Traditionally, growers have relied on good hygiene and chemical fungicides to control disease. However, the number of approved fungicide products available has reduced considerably over the past 20 years and, with so few chemicals available, there is now a significant risk that fungicide resistance will emerge. The overall goal of this project was to investigate alternative disease treatment methods with a focus on biocontrol and integrated pest management (IPM) strategies, explains Joy Clarke, a Teagasc Walsh Scholar.
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