Evaluation of neem products against Verticillium fungicola causing dry bubble disease in Agaricus bisporus button mushroom

Abstract

Verticillium fungicola var. fungicola is a serious pathogen causing dry bubble disease in button mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Present investigations were carried out on both host and pathogen by covering an aspect of in vitro management of dry bubble disease causing pathogen. Therefore, the efficacy of neem products i.e. neem seed kernel extract, neem oil and neem leaf extracts, at three different concentrations (2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 µl/ml) were determined against V. fungicola and Agaricus bisporus. The radial growth inhibition recorded was 50.02% at 7.5 µl/ml in case of neem seed kernel extract, followed by 40.99% and 34.94% in neem leaf extract and neem oil, respectively against V. fungicola. While, in A. bisporus the radial growth inhibition over control was just 8% when neem seed kernel extract was used at concentration 2.5 µl/ml than the others.