Effect of Sodium Hypochlorite for Controlling Bacterial Blotch on Pleurotus ostreatus

Sodium hypochlorite alkaline was tested against Pseudomonas tolaasii causing bacterial blotch on cultivated oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). The minimum inhibitory concentration of sodium hypochlorite against P. tolaasii contained active chlorine (AC) at 1.4 mg/l on plate assay. The highest cultivation yield was obtained from the treatment of AC 5.7 mg/l. Treatment of sodium hypochlorite at the rate of higher than AC 11.4 mg/l resulted in reduced yields at the harvest. However, the population of total bacteria on the bed surface treated with AC 5.7 mg/l of sodium hypochlorite was maintained to some extent. Inhibitory concentration against total bacteria on the bed surface was over AC 22.8 mg/l. Mushroom mycelium was damaged and its growth strongly inhibited at the concentration of AC 200 mg/l. Mushroom caps showed yellowish symptom by chemical injury by treatments of AC 74.1 mg/l or higher. Sporocarps infected by P. tolaasii were irrevocable at any concentration of sodium hypochlorite. Routine watering with AC 5.7 mg/l from mushroom initiation to the end of picking resulted in reduced bacterial blotch incidence of 40% and 86% at two mushroom farms. The treatment resulted in higher quality mushroom production compared to that conventionally watered with tap water alone.