Bioefficacy of aqueous phytoextract for management of common contaminants in straw mushroom bed and yield enhancement

The main obstacle to increased production of paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) is the frequent contamination of the mushroom growing beds with micro-flora. An experiment was conducted to develop an eco-friendly management practice against competitor moulds of straw mushroom in an eco- friendly manner. Eight different botanicals were tested along with control against the competitor mould fungi both in vitro and in vivo. Azadirachita indica (neem) showed the highest efficacy among all the botanicals tested and exhibited the maximum inhibitory effect (88.15 % to 93.71 %) against Trichoderma spp., Coprinus spp. and Penicillium spp. A mean reduction of 79.93 % to 84.07 % in the incidence of Sclerotium spp. and Aspergillus spp. was recorded with turmeric leaf extracts. Among all the botanicals Ocimum sanctum (tulsi) showed maximum radial mycelia growth of competitor moulds (20.52 to 70.09 mm) in mushroom beds with the lowest percentage of inhibition. Application of 20 % leaf extract of A. indica was significantly superior among all treatments in giving yield of 1060.50 g/bed, followed by karanja (1051.30 g/bed). A yield increase of 11.39 % and 10.42 % over normal practices was observed in beds sprayed with A. indica and Pongamia pinnata (karanja). These results provide an effective alternative approach for managing competitor moulds in straw mushroom cultivation while enhancing yield compared to control practices.