Cobweb, a serious pathology in mushroom crops: A review

Abstract

Cobweb is a fungal disease of commercially cultivated mushrooms. Several members of the ascomycete genus Cladobotryum sp. have been reported as causal agents. White button mushroom is the most frequently cited host, but a wide range of cultivated edible mushrooms suffer cobweb. The pathology causes production losses and reduces the crop surface available. The parasite produces a great number of harmful conidia that can be released easily and distributed throughout the mushroom farm to generate secondary points of infection. To prevent initial outbreaks, hygiene is of primary importance within the facilities dedicated to mushroom cultivation, while additional measures must be implemented to control and reduce cobweb if there is an outbreak, including chemical and biological methods. This review summarizes and discusses the knowledge available on the historic occurrence of cobweb and its impact on commercial mushroom crops worldwide. Causal agents, disease ecology, including the primary source of infection and the dispersal of harmful conidia are also reviewed. Finally, control treatments to prevent the disease from breaking out are discussed.

Genomic Features of Cladobotryum dendroides, Which Causes Cobweb Disease in Edible Mushrooms, and Identification of Genes Related to Pathogenicity and Mycoparasitism

“…The incidence of these diseases is increasing at an alarming rate, causing serious damage to a variety of edible mushrooms, including Agaricus bisporus [4,5], Pleurotus ostreatus [6], P. eryngii [7], Flammulina velutipes [3], Hypsizygus marmoreus [8], and Ganoderma sichuanensis [9]. Cobweb disease is characterized by the rapid growth of abundant coarse mycelium over the affected mushrooms [10]. Typical symptoms of this disease are cottony fluffy white or yellowish to pink colonies on mushrooms, rapid colonization, and the covering of the host basidiomata by parasitic mycelia; these symptoms lead to host decay [11].…”

Screening and Evaluation of Essential Oils from Mediterranean Aromatic Plants against the Mushroom Cobweb Disease, Cladobotryum mycophilum

“…W. Gams & Hooz., is found in all mushroom-growing countries worldwide. The disease is prevalent especially in white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach) [1][2][3][4][5], king oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii (DC.:Fr.) Quél.)…”

Identification of resistance to cobweb disease caused byCladobotryum mycophilumin wild and cultivated strains ofAgaricus bisporusand screening for bioactive botanicals

“…Cobweb disease, caused by Cladobotryum, is considered one of the most devastating fungal diseases impacting mushroom cultivation worldwide, resulting in signicant yield and quality losses. 1,2 In the early 1990s, yield losses of up to 40% were reported in Agaricus bisprous due to the frequent epidemics of cobweb disease in Ireland and Britain. 3 Cobweb disease has been extensively reported and is caused by various fungal species, including C. mycophilum, C. varium, C. dendroides, and C. protrusum.…”

“…The application of these substances of natural origin as mushroom crop protectants could constitute a convenient, low-cost, and safe solution for both humans and the environment and is also compatible with the natural ecosystem. Therefore, to accelerate the breeding of A. bisporus strains with resistance to C. mycophilum and implement disease management approaches for the cultivation of A. bisporus, we designed our study with the following objectives: (1) to screen cultivated and wild strains of A. bisporus in order to identify resistance to C. mycophilum; and (2) to evaluate different botanicals for in vitro antifungal activity towards the cobweb disease pathogen C. mycophilum and assess the molecular spectra of the most effective botanical by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR).…”