Effect of pasteurization time on the recovery of mycoflora of casing material used for growing Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing.

摘要

The present study was conducted at the Department of Plant Pathology, NWFP Agricultural University, Peshawar, Pakistan, during 2003-04. The effect of pasteurization time on the control of mycoflora present in the casing material used for growing Agaricus bisporus was investigated. The casing soil materials were pasteurized for two, three and four hours at 85 degrees C. Significant differences were recorded among different treatments. The recovery of fungi was negatively correlated to the pasteurization time and best control was achieved with 4 h pasteurization. The fungi recovered were species of Aspergillus, Coprinus, Fusarium, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Sclerotinia, Trichoderma, and Verticillium. Trichoderma and Rhizopus spp. were the most frequently recovered fungi followed by Penicillium spp., whereas Fusarium spp. were the least associated fungi recovered after 60 days. The recovery of the fungi was positively correlated with the time between the casing and data recording..