Pholiota is one of the important genera of edible mushrooms. Among its various species, Pholiota adiposa and P. microspora are the most important commercial edible mushrooms in Asian countries. However, there are no reports of Pholiota cultivation in India. Therefore, we identified three different species, viz., P. microspora (DMRO-53 and DMRO-407), P. adiposa (DMRX-643), and P. multicingulata (DMRX-927, DMRX-947, and DMRX-957) using an internal transcribed spacer (ITS)-based molecular identification approach. In vitro analysis of these strains indicated that 25 degrees C was found to be the optimal temperature for mycelial growth. Genetic diversity analysis using ITS and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers categorized these species into three distinct groups. Cultivation and yield evaluation of these wild strains on sterilized wheat straw substrate resulted in fruiting in only one species, i.e., P. adiposa (DMRX-643). The spawn run was completed in 21.5 days, and the first harvest was recorded at 45.7 days with 27.5% biological efficiency. Taxonomic characterization further confirmed the identity of this strain as P. adiposa. The fruiting bodies of P. adiposa exhibited a nutrient-dense profile characterized by high mineral content (8.23 g ash/100 g dry weight), moderate protein (10.07/100 g), and low fat (1.50/100 g). This mushroom also showed notable antioxidant properties (DPPH radical scavenging activity; 48.34%), phenolics (30.31 mg GAE/100 g), and trace amounts of beta-carotene and lycopene. This is the first report of P. adiposa domestication from India, which holds potential value for specialty mushroom growers as well as for enhancing mushroom diversity in the country.

Consumers’ demand for novel and non-destructive systems to assess food freshness in real time has led to the development of halochromic or pH-sensitive dyes based freshness indicators (FI) as affordable technique for intelligent monitoring of perishable food. However, the genuine concern regarding the toxicity and deleterious health effect of incorporating conventional synthetic dyes in commercially available halochromic freshness indicators (i.e. fresh tag, checkpoint, and sensorQ) and their sole purpose of monitoring the freshness status of muscle foods (i.e. fish, meat, beef, and shrimp) have led to the revolutionary idea of developing a non-toxic, chemical-free, and sustainable FI based on natural pH-sensitive dyes and polymer matrix. This review delves into significant advances in the chemistry, composition, production, food interaction, stabilization and broad applications of pH-sensitive dyes in the food sector. Unfortunately, the pH-sensitive dyes have reported limited applications in fresh fruit and vegetable industry due to challenges like erratic fluctuations in pH as influenced by factors i.e. high respiration, faster ripening, and environmental changes, inability to distinguish ripening from spoilage, and complex standardization process for specific commodities. These issues merit the demand for further investigations to ensure the utilization of these smart monitoring systems in the modern industry for perishables. The use of FI can potentially play a significant role in reforming food industry, enhance consumer safety, reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses, and aid in the development of a more efficient and sustainable food supply system. Exploration of new natural ingredients and high sensitivity indicators for both animal and plant food products shall drive the innovations in FI for the food industry.

The white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is widely cultivated worldwide using a substrate composed of wheat straw, horse manure, chicken manure, gypsum, and urea. In this study, spent mushroom compost was also used in varying quantities for button mushroom compost preparation. Compost preparation occurs in two phases, both significantly involving thermophilic fungi. These fungi affect the growth of mushroom mycelia and mushroom yield in three distinct ways i.e. they reduce the concentration of ammonia in the compost, immobilize nutrients in a form that is apparently available to the mushroom mycelia and support the overall composting process. Four fungal species were isolated from the compost samples using the serial dilution method and were further identified by the National Centre of Fungal Taxonomy, New Delhi. The four species associated with Agaricus bisporus compost formation are Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Scytalidium thermophilum, and Torula compostis. Scytalidium thermophilum dominated the fungal biota of the compost, while Torula compostis, a newly identified species, plays a significant role in the first phase of composting.

To study the best substrate for the Indian subcontinent, four different substrates (sawdust + wheat bran, wheat straw + wheat bran + corn cobs, sawdust + corn cobs and wheat straw + wheat bran) were screened for six different Flammulina velutipes strains. The antioxidant and antibacterial properties were studied for these strains. In study it was found that the strain DMRX-767 and DMRX-768 were the most promising for yield and biological efficiency in all substrates and wheat straw + wheat bran being the best with respect to BE. To corroborate the findings, the best strain and best substrate trails were repeated. DMRX-767 and DMRX-768 were the most promising for yield and biological efficiency in all substrates, with wheat straw+wheat bran were again found the best. The methanolic extract of strain DMRX-166 showed highest antibacterial properties as highest inhibition is found for Bacillus subtilis and Pseudomonas syringae. However, DMRO-253 inhibited Ralstonia solanacearum and Xanthomonas campestris. DMRX-768 has the best scavenging ability followed by DMRO-253.

` The experiments were carried out at the Mushroom Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, Dr. YS Parmar University of Horticulture and Forestry, Nauni, Solan (H.P.), India during 2010-2012. The culture of Pleurotus djamor was procured from Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan and was maintained on PDA medium. Eight different substrates viz., wheat straw, corn cobs, lantana twigs, rice straw, poplar leaves, parthenium leaves, sugarcane bagasse, saw dust alone or wheat straw in combination with saw dust, wheat bran, cotton seed meal, urea, CAN, waste paper, lantana twigs and corn cobs were evaluated for the yield performance and biological efficiency (BE) of P. djamor. Among the various substrates Lantana twigs was found highly suitable with 75.23% BE for the cultivation of Pink oyster mushroom (Pleurotus djamor). Combination of wheat straw+wheat bran (9:1) and wheat straw+cotton seed meal (9:1) gave better yield with biological efficiency of 78.60% and 78.56%, respectively `````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````

Pea is the principal off season vegetable crop of dry temperate zone of Himachal Pradesh. The crop becomes highly susceptible to powdery mildew (Erysiphe pisi) due to highly fluctuating climate and meager humidity during the cropping season in the valley, resulting in huge losses. Experiments were conducted during 2010 and 2011 cropping seasons as randomized block design at research farm of Dr.Y. S Parmar University Regional Horticultural Research Sub Station, Tabo, Spiti, Himachal Pradesh both under natural epiphytotic and protected conditions. Plants of variety Azad P1 were raised in thirty five plots of size 2×2 m2. The seed was sown by broadcast method in all the plots. In all, six fungicides viz., Kitazin, Dimethomorph, Difenoconazole, Hexaconazole, Propiconazole and Carbendazim sprayed at 15 days interval starting from the first appearance of the disease symptoms were evaluated against the disease. It was found that the plots sprayed with hexaconazole exhibited minimum disease severity (35.50 and 16.50%, respectively) and maximum disease control (63.95 and 81.03%, respectively) pooled for two years both under natural and protected conditions. As far as pod yield was concerned, it was found to be inversely proportional to disease levels, being maximum in the plots with minimum disease severity and vice versa under both conditions in 2010 and 2011 crop seasons. The apparent infection rates pooled for two years varied from 0.04 to 0.12 unit-1 day-1 in plots sprayed with different fungicides which was quite low in comparison to untreated control plots exhibiting apparent infection rates of 0.38 and 0.30 unit-1 day-1 under natural and protected conditions, respectively.

Mushroom production in India has registered a considerable growth in the recent times. However, cultivation of shiitake mushroom, which represents a major share at a global level, is still at a primitive stage in the Indian subcontinent. The scarcity of raw materials and the cost of energy for substrate sterilization are the major hurdles for a large-scale production. The present study delves into the possibility of growing shiitake mushroom on lignocellulosic biomass (saw dust and wheat straw) processed with different heat treatments to develop a cost-effective production technology. Six different strains of shiitake mushroom, viz., DMRO-35, 51, 297, 388s, 410, 412, were used in this study. The substrates were exposed to a pasteurization temperature of 80 ± 5 °C in a bulk pasteurization chamber for three different times (H1–H3) and also to a high-pressure sterilization (H4) in an autoclave. DMRO-388s was found to be the most productive strain, irrespective of the substrate and heat treatment method used. Significant differences were observed in the biological yield depending on the type of substrate and heat treatment. Changes in the biochemical composition of the lignocellulosic residues in three different stages, viz., pre heat treatment, inoculation and primordial formation stages, were recorded. Changes in heat treatment levels and duration significantly altered the cellulose/lignin ratio of the growing substrate. High-pressure sterilization aided the rapid degradation of lignin in the substrate and increased its bioavailability, thereby facilitating the fungus achieving its potential yield. A significant correlation in the positive direction between the yield levels of the tested strains and the consumption of lignin in the growing substrate was found, suggesting the significance of pre heat treatment for the bioconversion of lignin and its subsequent utilization in the solid-state fermentation process. The substrate pre heat treatment under high-pressure sterilization was proved to be beneficial to obtain the maximum yields of shiitake mushroom.

Calocybe indica, generally referred as milky mushroom, is one of the edible mushroom species suitable for cultivation in the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. However, lack of potential high yielding strains has limited its wider adaptability. To overcome this limitation, in this study, the germplasms of C. indica from different geographical regions of India were characterized based on their morphological, molecular and agronomical attributes. Internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS4)-based PCR amplification, sequencing and nucleotide analysis confirmed the identity of all the studied strains as C. indica. Further, evaluation of these strains for morphological and yield parameters led to the identification of eight high yielding strains in comparison to the control (DMRO-302). Moreover, genetic diversity analysis of these thirty-three strains was performed using ten sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers/combinations. The Unweighted Pair-group Method with Arithmetic Averages (UPGMA)-based phylogenetic analysis categorized the thirty-three strains along with the control into three clusters. Cluster I possesses the maximum number of strains. Among the high yielding strains, high antioxidant activity and phenol content was recorded in DMRO-54, while maximum protein content was observed in DMRO-202 and DMRO-299 as compared with the control strain. The outcome of this study will help the mushroom breeders and growers in commercializing C. indica.

Contamination has been a major problem associated with spawn of mushroom. In this study, the contaminating microorganisms in the spawn were isolated, identified and described. Results indicated that majority of microorganisms causing spawn contamination were mainly fungal pathogens; a very low percentage of bacterial contamination was observed. The fungal species causing contamination were Fusarium chlamydosporum, Phoma exigua, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium chrysogenum, Aspergillus fumigatus and Fusarium pallidoroseum. Only one bacterial contaminant i.e. Bacillus sp. was reported under study. Aspergillus fumigatus was the major fungal contaminant and Bacillus sp. was the only bacterial contaminant isolated from spawn incubation room environment, whereas from spawn inoculation room contaminants isolated wereFusarium pallidoroseum and Staphylococcus sp.

The Himalayas, the Western Ghats, and the highlands of northeast India are all temperate areas where mushrooms have been successfully grown. Recently, mushroom farming has become a popular kind of self-employment for many unemployed people. It is past time that mushroom growers and consumers in India learned about the therapeutic and dietary benefits of both farmed and wild kinds of mushrooms. The majority of all mushrooms are white button mushrooms, accounting for around 73 percent of the market. Compost is necessary for cultivating white button mushrooms. The substrate in which the mushroom mycelium grows and eventually produces fruiting bodies is compost. The critical shift from vegetative growth to the reproductive stage occurs in the coating material, which is a nutritionally deficient medium is called casing layer. This layer plays a vital part in the formation of mushrooms. The most crucial process in mushroom cultivation is composting and casing, which has an impact on the crop's productivity, quality, and market value.

The excessive use of pesticides and fertilizers in the current agricultural system, which is done to increase production, completelyeradicate plant pathogens, and reduce undesirable weeds, has a detrimental effect on soil quality, water body environment, animal andhuman health due to the toxicity, recalcitrance, and carcinogenic potential of many of these compounds. It has long been thought thatbiological plant disease control could replace current methods of prevention. Filamentous fungi (especially Aspergillus spp., Trichodermareesei, and Neurospora crassa), bacteria (Pseudomonas, Bacillus, Burkholderia, Lysobacter, Serratia, and Pantoea), and Vesicular ArbuscularMycorrhiza (VAM) (G. mosseae, Glomus claroideum, Glomus aggregatum) are employed instead of chemicals in biocontrol. M. phaseolinais a fungus that lives in the root soil and produces dry root rot/stem canker, stalk rot, and charcoal rot. The fungus M. phaseolina causescharcoal rot, stalk rot, and dry root rot/stem canker in plant roots. Melon, strawberries, and tomatoes are just a few of the horticulturalcrops that M. phaseolina has been discovered on throughout Europe, the US, Australia, Chile, and Israel. To manage M. phaseolina, variousbiocontrol agents (filamentous fungi, VAM, and bacteria) are used successfully and effectively.

The cultivation of Reishi or Lingzhi mushroom using artificial bag log method has been optimized for four different strains viz., DMRO-44, DMRO-45, DMRO-90 and DMRO-207. Various lignocellulosic materials were tested as growing substrate, and the sawdust of Toona celiata supplemented with wheat bran resulted in maximum Biological Efficiency (BE) of 22.10 +/- 1.01 % for the strain DMRO-90. The free radical scavenging activity of the fruiting bodies were investigated by DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl), ABTS [2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)] and reducing power assay. Acetonic extracts at a concentration of 1000 mu g/ml showed significantly maximum radical scavenging activity for all the four strains. At the concentration of 1000 mu g/ml, the strain DMRO-90 exhibited the highest DPPH scavenging activity of 67.05 % and ABTS scavenging activity was recorded as 66.05 %. Preliminary biochemical analysis identified the presence of alkaloids, carbohydrates, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids and tannins in all the four strains. The quantitative estimation revealed that, strain DMRO-90 significantly contains higher total phenolics (50.02 mg GAE/g), beta-carotene (0.89 mu g/g) and lycopene (0.36 mu g/g). This study indicated the scope for mass production of Ganoderma mushroom on sawdust substrate and the fruiting bodies can act as a potential source for preparation of dietary supplements and mushroom fortified functional foods.

Different casing materials consisted of  FYM + Soil(1:1v/v) , Spent compost + 8% calcium chloride, F YM + Spent compost + Soil (2:1:1), Coir pith + FYM+ soil (l:1:1), Coir pith + Soil (1:1), Spawned casing, Burnt rice husk (20%) +FYM (40%) +Soil (40%) and Vermicompost casing. Maximum sporophore (1695.67) per 100 Kg compost were obtained by spawned casing followed by control treatment having casing mixture of FYM + soil (1:1 v/v) i.e. 1573.33 sporophores.

The present investigation entitled “Cultural Studies of Pestalotiopsis mangiferae causing Grey Blight of Mango under In vitro condition”. was under taken to evaluate for various cultural studies of the given test fungus. The diseased samples were collected from different localities of Uttarkhand, i.e Dehradun, Haridwar and Rishikesh during the 2019-2020. The pathogen was isolated from the diseased samples and the pathogen was maintained in potato dextrose agar. The potential species of Pestalotiopsis mangiferaewas identified and isolated. In the culture studie of the pathogen was grown on five different solid media which were selected for this analysis. Observations on the radial growth rate of P. mangiferae in four replications were reported at the end of the 6th day of inoculation. Irrespective of the media used Czapek dox agar (CDA) was found to be the most suitable culture medium for the growth of Pestalotiopsis mangiferae effectively. Where Corn meal agar (CMA) has been found to be a non-preferable culture medium for the growth of Pestalotiopsis magiferae.

Studies were undertaken to determine the best grain substrate for spawn production of Pleurotus djamor and its effect on yield. The cereal grains of jowar (Sorghum bicolor), kodo (Paspalum scrobiculatum), maize (Zea mays),wheat (Triticum aestivum), bajra (Pennisetum typhoides), oat (Avena fatua) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) were evaluated as spawn substrates. Observations were recorded for number of days taken for spawn development. Spawn raised on different grains was also used for cultivation on wheat straw substrate to assess the period of spawn run, number of days taken for primordial formation and weight of sporophores. The shortest period for spawn development was obtained with kodo (8 days), bajra (8.3 days) and wheat (8.6 days) grains the three being statistically at par indicating their suitability for effective spawn production. The different grains also influenced the duration of spawn run and pin head formation including the biological efficiency of P djamor on wheat straw. The yield of P djamor varied significantly with the kind of grain used for spawn development and it was maximum in case of wheat (224 g/300 g dry substrate). The overall biological efficiency was also highest on wheat grain spawn (74.76%).

Pleurotus spp. are commonly known as oyster mushroom because of their tongue shaped pileus with an eccentric lateral stipe. Many species of Pleurotus have worldwide distribution in nature which grows saprophytically on dead wood logs and trunk of trees. They have a wide range of ecological adoption and also have the ability to transform natural wastes into edible biomass. Yields of mushrooms from the Pleurotus genus depend on many factors; apart from genetic properties, environmental factors also play a significant role in this regard (Lalley, 1991; Shah et al., 2004). The mycelium of the mushrooms from the Pleurotus genus does not require light for its growth (Sharma, 2004). Nevertheless, light is necessary for the proper development of carpophores (Royse and Zaki, 1991). Trukhonovets (1991) maintains that during the period of carpophores development and growth, light is an important factor deciding about the yielding and morphological characters of fruiting bodies. International Journal of Current Microbiology and Applied Sciences ISSN: 2319-7706 Volume 6 Number 11 (2017) pp. 368-371 Journal homepage: http://www.ijcmas.com

Mouldy core and core rot of apple caused by Alternaria alternata has emerged an economically important disease in Himachal Pradesh, India causing direct losses to the growers. The fungus remains dormant inside the calyx of the fruit and later becomes active when the starch content of the fruits get converted into sugar and hence causes the post harvest disease, where the rotting of the fruits starts from the core region. In vitro studies on the effect of temperature and relative humidity on the growth of the conidia of Alternaria alternata causing mouldy core and core rot of apple revealed that, the temperature of 30°C and 100 per cent relative humidity were optimal for conidial germination. Among different weather parameters, cumulative rainfall was directly correlated with disease development. Regression analysis further showed that 91.00 per cent variation in pre-harvest fruit drop was due to mouldy core and core rot. Medium sized Starking Delicious apple fruits with open sinus/calyx tube and length: width ratio falling in 0.96 to 1.05 mm showed maximum incidence of mouldy core and core rot in the field.

Waste of certain process can be the input source of other sectors in order to reduce environmental pollution. The research experiment was carried out to investigate the cultivation of oyster mushroom on horticultural waste i.e. apple pomace and wheat straw mixed in the different ratio. It was found that the best yield of mushroom was observed when 0.50 kg of apple pomace mixed with 1.50 kg of apple pomace maximum fruiting body i.e. 28 were observed with approximate weight of 110gm with highest biological efficiency of 54.23% which is higher than the yield obtained from wheat straw recommending it blending with wheat straw. There was a significant increase in yield of mushroom in apple pomace + straw as compared to control i.e. wheat straw. The NPK found to be 3%, 0.18%, 2.6% respectively and 3.20% of fat content.

Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach, the white button mushroom, is the major edible mushroom species cultivated throughout the world. Despite its economic potential, only a few genetic studies have been carried out concerning A. bisporus, due to its peculiar life cycle. Button mushroom is a secondary homothallic fungi and breeding is difficult as most of the spores are heterokaryotic in nature. Therefore, the present investigation as undertaken to develop the hybrid(s) of A. bisporus and their evaluation for higher yield. One thousand six hundred forty two single spore isolates were raised from parental strains, namely, A-15, S 11, S140 and U3 of A. bisporus. Out of these only 36 single spore isolates were homokaryons. ISSR studies revealed homokaryons lacking amplification products at multiple loci. Out of the 253 crosses, only seven crosses between the parents were compatible. The yield studies showed that that newly developed hybrid Hb4 produced highest average yield (26.94 kg/100 kg compost) and also exhibited better qualities as compared to other isolates. Percentage of polymorphism by RAPD markers were 60.00 per cent. All the isolates exhibited identical ITS length of approximately near about 650 bp. The ITS region showed single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) at six nucleotide positions of 281, 290, 291,292, 293, 295 and 300 base pair in the ITS region of the best developed hybrids (Hb1, Hb4) and parent strains, namely, A-15 and U3 of A. bisporus.