NEWandotherdisinfectantsusedonmushroomfarms

Theuseofdisinfectantsisanessentialpartofhygienemaintenanceinsideandaroundthefarm.The
disinfectantsthatareallowedtobeusedinmushroomproductionareusedtodisinfectsurfacesand
necessarymaterials.Thecontactactionofadisinfectantwithobjectsanditsevaporationinsidethe
roomhappensdependingonthedisinfectantused.

Thedisinfectionofmachinery,equipmentetc.willbeeffectiveonlywhenallmaterialsarekeptclean.To
makethetreatmentreallyeffective,itsnotonlyimportanttoapplyanecessaryamountofdisinfectant,
buttoprovideasufficientamountoftimeofitscontactwiththeequipment.Disinfectionandan
immediaterinsingdonthaveanyeffect.

Incaseofusingdisinfectants,meantforcontactactiononly,thecontactmustlastfornotlessthan20
minutes.Thedisinfectingtreatmentforhygienepurposeshastobethefollowing:

1. IrrigationWater
DisinfectallirrigationwaterandallprocesswaterwithNEW.Recommendeddosageis3to5%.
2. Beforethepreparationofcasinglayer.

Beforethepreparationofthecasingmixture,adisinfectionofcleanedfloor,machineryand
equipmentwithNEWiscarriedout.Theeffectofthistreatmentisbasedoncontactaction.That
iswhythecontacthastolastforatleast20minutes.
3. Afterthepreparationofcasinglayer.

Afterpreparation,thecasinglayeriscleanedwithAWanddisinfectedwithNEW,coveredwitha
clean(disinfected)polyethylenefilm.

Intheevening(810hours)beforetheapplicationofthecasinglayer,allmachineryand
equipmentmustbedisinfectedwithNEW.Itsveryimportanttomaintainthedurationof
contactofthedisinfectantwiththetreatedsurface(notlessthan20minutes).
4. Aftertheapplicationofcasinglayer.

Rightafterthecasinglayerisapplied,itissprinkledwithNEW.Thistreatmentaddedtothe
contactactionmightcauseevaporationandtheroomisslightlyventilated.Acontactactionis
necessarytodestroynematodesandMycogoneandVerticilliumspores.

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5. Thedisinfectionofmachinery,toolsandequipment.

Allequipmentmustbethoroughlycleanedrightafterutilization,andbeforefurtherutilization,
anddisinfectedwithNEW.Withthismethodofdisinfectionitsveryimportanttomaintainthe
durationofthecontactofnotmorethan20minutes.Thedisinfectantmustremainonthe
disinfectedsurface.Toolsandequipmentmustbestoredinseparate,closedrooms.
6. Thedisinfectionofcleanfootwear.

FootwearisdisinfectedwithNEW,whichisusedtotreatamatinaspecialcontainerbefore
enteringtheroom.Thematsofallentrancesandexitsincleananddirtycorridors,compost
preparationbuildingandgrowingroomsarecleanedandsoakedwithNEW.
7. Thedisinfectionoftheworkingcorridors.

ThisprocesscanbecarriedoutbyfoggingormistingNEW.Thefloorsandceilingscanalsobe
treatedwithNEW
8. Thedisinfectionoftunnels.

Whenusingtunnelstogrowmycelium,theyshouldbekeptatatemperatureof70Cfor6hours
afterunloading.Thisthermaltreatmentismeantfordisinfection,andespeciallyforkillingthe
sporesofpathogenicmolds.Inordertomaintainthetemperaturehere,steamshouldbeused.
Inthiscase,disinfectionwillbemoreeffective.

Duringpasteurizationinthepasteurizationtunnelsathermaltreatmentisalsocarriedout.

Underlyinganddrawingnets,andalsotheventilationopeningsunderthegrateshouldbe
thoroughlycleanedwithAWafterunloading.Theremainsofcompostcanserveasanutrient
mediumforpathogenicmoldsandcanbecomethereasonfordirtyingand/orblockage.Asa
result,themovementofairinthetunnelbecomesunevenanditwillbeimpossibletoreachthe
desiredtemperature.
9. Packaging.

Duringharvesting,thecratescontactspores(whichcanbeinfectedbyvirus).Afterthe
mushroomshavebeenharvested,theyremaininthecratesforatleastoneday,dependingon
thesale,so,theirbitsremaininthecrates,includingspores(Whichcancarryavirusdisease
calleddieback).

Cratesformushroomharvestingareusedmanytimes,thenitispossibleforthevirusdiseaseto
betransferredtroughthem.Thatiswhyitisimportanttouseadisposablepackage,orcrates
andcontainerswhichcanbecleanedwithAWanddisinfectedwithNEWafteruse.

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Packingcratesarecleanedanddisinfectedbyspecialwashinganddisinfectingmachinesorby
hand.Therecommendationsforthetreatmentofpackingcratesgivenherearebasedonthe
latestresearch.

Thewashinganddisinfectingmachineconsistsofthefollowingparts:
1. Conveyerbelt;
2. Atankusedtowetthecontainers;
3. Atankforwashing,wherethetemperatureof70Cismaintainedandaspecialdetersive
isadded(K5000.3%).Thecleaningsolutionmustbechangedeveryday.
4. Atankwithcoldwaterforrinsingandcoolingthecrates,wheretheremainsofthe
detersivearewashedawayandthecratesarecooleddownto2325C.Coolingprevents
undesirableriseintemperatureinthedisinfectiontank;
5. DisinfectiontankwithNEW(300500ppm).Theconcentrationismeasured
automatically.Thesolutiontemperaturemustbeabout23C,andmustntexceed25C,
otherwaysthechlorinewillevaporateveryquickly.Thecratesshouldremaininthis
tankforatleast15seconds;
6. Unloadingconveyer,bywhichthecratesareloweredandtheremainsofthedisinfecting
liquidflowdown.
Thedirtyandcleanpartsofthewashinganddisinfectingmachinemustbeseparatedfromeach
other,likethetankforrinsingandcooling.Thetemperature,waitingtimethechlorineconcentrationin
NEWmustbemaintained.Thecombinationofwaitingtime,temperatureandtheconcentrationof
chlorineinNEWwillensurethenecessarydisinfection.Itsalsoveryimportanttostoresolutionsfrom
varioustanksseparately,inordertoescapeadecreaseintheirefficiency.Thedisinfectedcratesmustbe
storedinaseparateroomanddeliveredtothefarminaspecialoralreadydisinfectedtransport.
10. Thestorageandremovaloforganicmaterials.

Thestipesanddeadmushroomsmustberemovedfromthebedsregularly.Diseaseslikegreen
molds(speciesofTrichoderma),cobwebmoldandbacteriosiscandevelopontheremaining
stipes.Stipes,deadmushroomsandeverythingelsemustbecollectedintoplasticbagsorclosed
containersandregularlyremovedfromthefarm.Itsalsorecommendedtocleanempty
containersregularlyanddisinfectthemwithNEW.Atthesametime,itsimportanttogetridof
allpotentialsourcesofinfectionrubbishdumpsaroundthefarm.
11. Storingmycelium.

Sporescanbereleasedincoldstores,whereharvested(open)mushroomsarestored.
Mushroomsporesinfectedwithavirusdiseasecalleddieback,canspreadtheinfection.That
iswhystoringmyceliumandmushroomsinonecoldstoreisnthygienic.Itsbesttostore

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myceliumseparately.Thisaspectisimportantnotonlyforthosewhoproducecompostfully
grownwithmycelium,butalsoforthefarmsthatspecializeinmushroomcultivation.Ifthereare
noseparatecoldstores,containersandbagswithmyceliummustbedisinfectedfromtheouter
sidebeforeuse(forexample,usingcleanclothsoakedinhotwater,adisinfectantoralcoholic
solution).
12. Steaming.

Pathogenicorganisms(spores,eggs,larvae)candevelopinthesubstrateoronthestipesduring
mushroomgrowth.Mushroomsporesthathavebeeninfectedwithadiebackviruscan
spreadinthegrowingroom,andvirusaffectedmyceliumcangrowonwoodenfloororonaside
plankofshelves.Inordertopreventtheappearanceofsuchsourcesofdisease,steamingis
carriedoutintheendofeachcultivationcycle.Duringthisprocess,thecompostiswarmedto
thetemperatureof70Candmaintainedatthistemperaturefornotlessthan12hours.Asa
result,allpathogenicorganismsdie.Aftersteamingtheroomiscooledandunloadingiscarried
outinashortperiodoftime.Spentcompostisremovedfromthefarmasfastaspossible.If
steamedcompostremainsinthegrowingroomforalongtime,theoccurredbiologicalvacuum
givesapossibilityfortheinfectiontodevelopbysporesofamoldandtheirrecolonizationofthe
substrate.

Wherethefloorsorwallsarewooden,steamingisntveryeffective;hencewoodisapoor
conductorofheat.AftersteamingitisnecessarytouseNEWasdisinfectantforwood.

*(Theoptimaldurationoftheprocess(12hours)wasestablishedthroughtests:Compostand
casinglayer,wheremushroomsaffectedwiththediebackvirusgrew,weresteamedfor
differentamountofhoursatatemperatureof70C.Aftertreatment,thismaterialwasaddedto
healthymushroomsandtheappearanceofdiseasewaswatched.Itturnedoutthatasmall
durationofsteamingisntenoughtodestroythevirusincompostandcasingsoil)

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U.S.EPADisinfectantsAvailabletouseonMushroomFarms
Disinfectant
Type

Chlorine

ActiveIngredients

Calcium/Sodium
Hypochlorite**

ExampleTradeNames

HTH,Bleach,other
tradenames

Iodine

VariousTradenames,
e.g:
Rapidyne

ChlorineDioxide
varioustypes/levelsof
stability

VariousTradenames,
e.g:Oxysan

IodineBased

Oxidizers

Peracetic

HydrogenPeroxideor
VariousTradenames,
HydrogenDioxide
e.g:OxiDate

Peracetic
(peroxyacetic)acids
Activeperacid
VariousTradenames,
chemistry;
e.g:Oxonia
Peracidchemistryis
similartothatofthe
oxidizingdisinfectants.

Phenols

Combinationof:
orthophenylphenate
(OPP)and/orsome
potassiumorsodium
basedphenol
derivatives

Quaternary
Ammonium

QuaternaryAmmonia
Chlorides

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Use/Restrictions/Comments
ApprovedforFCSat200ppm,
generaldisinfectingat600ppm;
chlorinenottolerantOM;corrosive;
inexpensive;adjustmentofpHis
critical,chlorineisnoteffective
unlesspHisapprox.7.0orslightly
lower.
ApprovedforFCSat25ppm;broad
spectrumdisinfectantforgeneral
sanitationat100ppm.Provideslittle
residual;maystainporoussurfaces;
sanitizerofchoiceforhospitals;mid
levelcost.
Mildlycorrosive,differentcomplexes
andtypes;themorestabilized
chemicalneedacidstoactivate;
effectiveundersomeOMload;
approvedforFCSat100ppm;GS500
ppm.
Unknownefficacy;initialtrials
suggestmoreeffectiveagainst
sporesthanmycelium.
Unknownefficacy;corrosive,
expensive;labeledforFCS;check
individuallabelforppm.Lowresidual
antimicrobialactivity;killsbroad
spectrumofmicroorganisms.

DoesnothaveFCStolerance;
TolerantofsomeOMload;
IncreasingOMloadrapidlydecreases
VariousTradenames,
effectiveness.
e.g.,Premisan,One
Useonnonporoussurfaceonly(NO
stroke,GermWarfare
WOOD);UseonA/Corother
equipmentrequiresthoroughrinsing
withpotablewater.
VariousTradenames, Clingstosubstances.
e.g:
StableunderlowOMtolerances;
Verticide,PermQuat, doesnoteasilydissipate.
SantiQuat

Stabilized
Formaldehyd
e
Wood
Preservative
s

Hydroxymethyln
propanediol,
formaldehyde,and
dimethylbenzyl
ammoniachloride
Copper8
Quinolinolate

Broadspectrum,noncorrosive
VariousTradenames,
e.g:Lysofume
DCR
PQ57

Approvedforwoodsurfaces
betweencrops,priortofilling.

Safetray

Propiconazole

**HypochlorousAcid(HOCL)alsoknownasNEW(NeutralElectrolyzedWater)orAnolyte
FCS=foodcontactsurfaces;GS=generalsanitation;OM=organicmatter

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