Detecting Bubble Trouble in Mushrooms

摘要

Researchers Compare Traditional Culture with Molecular Detection for the Diagnosis of Dry Bubble Disease in Mushrooms. One of the most ubiquitous and persistent diseases affecting commercial production worldwide is caused by the microscopic fungus Lecanicil-lium fungicola, which is responsible for the disease known throughout the mushroom farm community as "dry bubble." The pathogen causes the mushroom to produce misshapen masses of tissue rather than mushrooms and it can also cause the mushroom stalk to split or result in grey-brown spots developing on the mushroom cap (Fig. 1). This has a serious effect on both mushroom quality and marketable yields, and severe outbreaks can reduce already tight profit margins to unsustainable levels. Therefore, growers are always keen to keep the disease well under control.