Red pepper mites - A vector of Trichoderma Aggressivum
Compost green mould is a virulent disease of mushroom cultivation systems that is persistent and extremely difficult to completely eradicate. Severe infections can result in complete crop failure and be financially devastating for the business. This article describes the relationship between red pepper mites and T. aggressivum, and considers other factors that help perpetuate compost green mould.
Understanding and Managing Mushroom Viruses in Australia
The levy-funded project MU22003, an investment to support the study of viruses in Australia and their impact on quality and yield, has taken a significant leap forward with the recent appointment of a PhD student.
The levy-funded project MU22003, an investment to support the study of viruses in Australia and their impact on quality and yield, has taken a significant leap forward with the recent appointment of a PhD student.
Bacteriophages in mushroom compost - friend or foe?
Bacteriophages, or simply ‘phages’, are viruses that infect bacteria. They are some of the most diverse and widespread organisms on the planet. Bacteriophages can be useful agents, targeting harmful bacteria. They can also have negative effects, attacking the beneficial bacteria that make life possible. Friend or foe depends on place and pathogen.
Bacteriophages, or simply ‘phages’, are viruses that infect bacteria. They are some of the most diverse and widespread organisms on the planet. Bacteriophages can be useful agents, targeting harmful bacteria. They can also have negative effects, attacking the beneficial bacteria that make life possible. Friend or foe depends on place and pathogen.
National mushroom virus survey
The vast majority of mycoviruses – the viruses which are naturally widespread throughout both cultivated and wild fungi – cause no problems to their host. But occasionally, combinations of virus particles interact, causing quality and yield issues.
Mushroom Virus X Syndrome - Patch Disease and Brown Cap Mushroom Disease
Mushroom Virus X syndrome (MVX) describes a range of symptoms including delayed opening, reduced yields, distorted mushrooms and cap browning which express on cultivated Agaricus bisporus crops. MVX syndrome is now known to be a combination of two separate virus diseases – Patch Disease and Brown Cap Mushroom Disease – which can occur together and express a variable and complex symptomology. In some cases, one or two symptoms may predominate.
MVX syndrome first emerged in Britain in 1990 when mushroom crops began expressing symptoms resembling a virus infection. But established techniques used previously to detect the La France virus were unable to detect a virus responsible for the novel infection, leading researchers to investigate other causes.
Mushroom Virus Disease - Biology and Epidemiology
Viruses are essentially non-living particles that need to exist inside a host to be able to survive and multiply. Two virus diseases of Agaricus bisporus are known:
La France disease, first recorded in 1948 in the United States.
Mushroom Virus X (MVX) disease, first recorded in the United Kingdom in 1996.
… If virus disease is not identified early and management strategies implemented, virus infected mushroom spores will accumulate on farm, creating disease reservoirs.
This Article was originally produced for the Australian Mushroom Journal Issue 4 2020.
Mushroom Virus - Frustrating and costly
This Article was originally produced for the Australian Mushroom Journal Issue 4 2020.