The production of Agaricus bisporus is a major, world-wide, highly mechanized process. Healthy crops are essential if yields, quality and profitability are to be maintained. Pests and diseases are a major cause of crop losses and this book covers their recognition, biology and control. New pests and diseases are described together with changes in the management of pest and pathogen populations. The book is fully up-to-date on the important cultural changes that have occurred in recent years. New methods of crop production, the bulk handling of materials, changes in casing type, the more effective use of environmental controls, biological methods of control, the avoidance of environmental pollution, and the reduced use of pesticides, are all covered. Many of the cultural changes described influence the incidence of pests and diseases.
The book is essentially for growers and those closely connected with the culture of the crop wherever it is grown. For those wishing to put the information into practice the book contains check lists for pest and disease control and also essential hygiene operations.
Mushroom Pest and Disease Control, A Colour Handbook is well illustrated, easy to use, and increases the reader's understanding of pests and diseases of the crop, contributing towards the production of good high quality yields, thereby increasing profitability.
John Fletcher graduated in Horticultural Botany at the University of Reading followed by a PhD in plant pathology at the University of Birmingham. He joined the National Agricultural Advisory Service (subsequently the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service) and worked on many diseases during his 34 years but specialized in those of glasshouse and mushrooms crops. In 1969 he spent a year as a research fellow at the University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada where he researched tomato diseases but also made the initial discovery of the effectiveness of the benzimidazole fungicides for the control of mushroom pathogens. He is a Past President of the British Society of Plant Pathologists, received the British Crop Protection Councils Award for services to British crop protection and the Mushroom Growers Association Sinden Award for his contribution to research and advice on the control of mushroom diseases. In recent years he has been consulted by mushroom growers in the UK and other countries and spent 5 months at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia working on various mushroom pathogens and moulds.Richard Gaze graduated in Horticulture at Wye College of the University of London. Following initial jobs in the protected crops industry in Denmark, he joined the National Agricultural Advisory Service and developed a special interest in the mushroom crop. This lead to him becoming the Agricultural Development and Advisory Service National Mushroom Specialist, a position he held for 20 years and subsequently for a further 6 years when he transferred to Horticulture Research International at Wellesbourne. He produced a regular News Letter on the mushroom industry for ADAS and in 2000 he became the editor of the Mushroom Growers Associations Mushroom Journal, a position he held until its closure in 2006. He was awarded the MGA Sinden Award for his services to the Industry both as an adviser and researcher. He is still involved in mushroom consultation work and advises ADAS as well as being an Associate Fellow of Warwick HRI and member of the Horticultural Development Council Mushroom Panel.
