Sensitivity of Mycogone perniciosa, pathogen of culinary-medicinal button mushroom Agaricus bisporus (J. Lge) Imbach (Agaricomycetideae), to selected fungicides and essential oils

Abstract

Four isolates of Mycogone perniciosa, separated from diseased culinary-medicinal button mushroom Agaricus bisporus fruiting bodies collected in mushroom farms in Serbia, were studied. The isolates were identified by observing their colony morphology and pathogenic characteristics. Peat/lime casing was the primary source of infection. A sensitivity test for the selected fungicides has shown that all isolates were highly sensitive to iprodione (EC(50) = 3.10-4.08 mg L(-1)), benomyl (EC(50) = 0.28-0.46 mg L(-1)), and, especially, prochloraz-Mn (EC(50) = 0,0002-0,008 mg L(-1)). The minimum inhibitory concentration of prochloraz-Mn was 5 mg L(-1), benomyl 10 mg L(-1), and iprodione was higher than 1000 mg L(-1). The same benomyl concentration had a fungicidal effect, whereas none of the tested iprodione and prochloraz-Mn concentrations were fungicidal for the M perniciosa isolates. Among seven essential oils, Thymus vulgaris oil possessed the highest antifungal activity against the studied mycopathogen, with a minimum inhibitory concentration and minimum fungicidal concentration of 0.02 mu L mL(-1) of air. Pistacia terebinthus essential oil demonstrated the lowest antifungal effect, with minimum inhibitory and minimum fungicidal concentrations of 0.16 and 0.65 mu L mL(-1) of air, respectively.