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Farming & Management

Isolation, identification, and fungicidal management of major mycoparasitic pathogens infecting oyster mushroom [Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm] 


DOI: 10.31830/2456-8724.2026.FM-188    | Article Id: FM-188 | Page : 78-83
Citation :- Isolation, identification, and fungicidal management of major mycoparasitic pathogens infecting oyster mushroom [Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm]. Farm. Manage. 11: 78-83
URVASHI S. KOTADIYA, J. R. TALAVIYA, VRAJESH PAGHDAR AND K. D. SHAH jrtalaviya@jau.in
Address : Department of Plant Pathology, College of Agriculture,, Junagadh Agricultural University, Junagadh - 362 001, Gujarat, India
Submitted Date : 11-04-2026
Accepted Date : 20-04-2026
Online Published:

Abstract

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is a fleshy, edible fungus widely consumed across the world and popularly known as “Dhingri” in India. It ranks among the most cultivated mushrooms globally and holds second place in India. It is highly nutritious, containing proteins, carbohydrates, sugars, phenols, vitamins, and essential minerals, and is valued for both dietary and medicinal purposes. However, like other cultivated crops, oyster mushrooms are highly susceptible to diseases due to their high moisture content (over 80%), which makes them prone to attack by various mycoparasites at different stages of cultivation, adversely affecting yield and quality. Infected spawn and bags were collected, and mycelium was isolated on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) medium. Identification based on morphological characteristics under a compound microscope revealed the presence of Trichoderma spp. and Aspergillus niger as major contaminants. Trichoderma showed fast growth with green concentric colonies and branched conidiophores with flask-shaped phialides, while A. niger produced dark, globose conidial heads with unbranched conidiophores. Several fungal contaminants were observed, including Trichoderma harzianum, T. viride, Aspergillus niger, A. flavus, Fusarium spp., and Penicillium spp. Among these, green mold (Trichoderma spp.) and black mold (A. niger) were the most destructive, significantly reducing yield and quality. Laboratory evaluation of fungicides showed that carbendazim (50 and 100 ppm), mancozeb (1000 ppm), and thiophanate methyl (50 and 100 ppm) completely inhibited the growth of Trichoderma spp. For A. niger, captan (1000 ppm) was most effective (84.50% inhibition), followed by carbendazim (100 ppm) with 81.72% inhibition.

Keywords

Aspergillus mycoparasites oyster mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus Trichoderma 

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