Effects of pesticides on the yield and production patterns of three standard and six hybrid strains of cultivated mushrooms in New South Wales

Abstract

The yields and production patterns of 9 commercial mushroom strains, consisting of 6 hybrid strains and 2 standard strains of Agaricus bisporus and 1 of A. bitorquis, were examined when insecticides, fungicides and nematicides were used in various combinations in the casing layer. As far as could be determined, there were no insects, nematodes or diseases present in damaging numbers. The strains responded differently to the pesticide treatments, from yield decreases to increases compared with the untreated control. The inclusion of benomyl increased the yield of 4 hybrid strains tested with diazinon + maldison. For the same 4 strains the addition of the nematicide phenarniphos to diazinon + maldison + benomyl resulted in a yield higher than diazinon + maldison but a lower yield than diazinon + maldison + benomyl. Regardless of the effect on the yield, the insecticide treatments delayed production of sporophores, but this was compensated by greater production later, resulting in yield increases in 6 of the 9 strains tested.