Common Cultivation Problems

These "problems" discussed in this page are those that have been noted by participants in our study, and is not a comprehensive list.

MOREL DISEASES

(Yu et al. 2022)Morels in a cultivation bed that has severe cases of White Mold Disease, Paecilomyces penicillatus.

Morel White Mold

One of the most prevalent diseases that morel growers face is the morel White Mold Disease (WMD), Paecilomyces penicillatus. In China, 80% of morel loss can be attributed to P. penicillatus (1). This disease is known to affect indoor and outdoor grown morels.

Very little is known to help control this disease. 1-octen-3-ol , a mushroom alcohol, has been shown to reduce the presence of WMD in morels (2). Another method is to increase ventilation and airflow when morels start pinning.

(Yang et al. 2023)Morels in a cultivation site that has high incidence of Red Stipe disease.

Red Stipe Syndrome

This disease is known for causing morels to have their stipes turn a red-orange color, halting growth, and causing the ascocarp to rot.

Until recently, it was not clear what caused this disease. In late 2023, it is now believed that the bacteria Pseudomonas chlororaphis subsp. aureofaciens and Bacillus subtilis can be some of the cause (3).

Prevention of such a disease typically involves pasteurization of soil when possible, and keeping the temperatures below 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) can also help inhibit the bacterial growth. (3).

CULTIVATION ISSUES RELATED TO CONTAMINATION

PESTS

Once you place nutrient packs, there is grain just ripe for pests to get at. From smaller pests like mice, squirrels, and chipmunks, to larger animals like raccoons, cats, and cats, animals cause many issues in cultivation. Some may try and eat the nutrient packs as it is an easy source of carbohydrates, others may try and eat your morels!

Some ways to try and deter pests is rodent traps on your morel beds as soon as you plant your morel spawn.

Some participants tried spraying chili oil or "Sluggo" on the nutrient packs to deter getting into the packs with varying level of success.

CONTAMINATION

Since we are trying to grow a fungus, it makes sense other undesirable fungi will likely grow as well.

Sources of contamination can be found in every step of the process, so it is important to work in sterile environments and sterilize everything the entire time you work.

Morel isolates may contain or get contaminated. You can try and salvage the isolate by carefully reculturing.

The spawn and nutrient packs can get contaminated. Sadly there is no saving these, and they should be carefully disposed off.

the soil in the cultivation beds can get contaminated by mold and other fungi. To try and deter these contaminants, you can sprinkle hydrated lime around the cultivation beds.

Citations

Wang, X., Peng, J., Sun, L., Bonito, G., Guo, Y., Li, Y., & Fu, Y. (2020). Genome sequencing of Paecilomyces penicillatus provides insights into its phylogenetic placement and mycoparasitism mechanisms on Morel mushrooms. Pathogens, 9(10), 834. https://doi.org/10.3390/pathogens9100834
Yu, Y., Liu, T., Liu, L. et al. Application of the mushroom volatile 1-octen-3-ol to suppress a morel disease caused by Paecilomyces penicillatus. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 106, 4787–4799 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-022-12038-2
Zhu, X., Ma, K., Sun, M., Zhang, J., Liu, L., & Niu, S. (2023). Isolation and identification of pathogens of Morchella sextelata bacterial disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1231353
Zhu, X., Ma, K., Sun, M., Zhang, J., Liu, L., & Niu, S. (2023). Isolation and identification of pathogens of Morchella sextelata bacterial disease. Frontiers in Microbiology, 14. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1231353

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