UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania leads the nation in mushroom production, with more than 250 farms producing the common button mushroom. Now, a new publication provides mushroom growers with ways to control mushroom pests while maximizing crop yields and quality.

The "Pennsylvania Mushroom Integrated Pest Management Handbook" offers recommendations on using integrated pest management, or IPM, to control common pests. Designed as an educational tool and reference for mushroom growers and researchers, the publication was a joint project of Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, the American Mushroom Institute and the Pennsylvania IPM Program.

IPM uses a combination of biological, physical and chemical tools to manage agricultural pests such as insects and diseases. The goal of IPM is to control pests in a cost-effective way that minimizes threats to human health and the environment.

The handbook begins with a section explaining the theory of IPM, including information on the history and economics of pest management planning. The rest of the publication focuses on specific exclusionary, cultural, biological and chemical techniques. Information is provided on the biology and life cycles of common pests such as arthropods, molds, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and viruses. Specific IPM control methods are suggested for each problem.

Mushroom growing is especially well-suited for IPM programs, according to Phil Coles, project manager for Giorgi Mushroom Company, who contributed to the handbook.

"Mushrooms are one of the few crops grown inside climate-controlled buildings," Coles explains. "This allows for control of the internal growing room environment to combat many pests, and since the crop is grown inside a structure, pests can be excluded."

There are several features of mushroom production that make IPM a true necessity for today's growers, rather than simply an option, says Coles. Mushrooms are densely grown, with production being measured in pounds per square foot rather than in bushels or tons per acre. When a pest enters a grow room, it can spread quickly because there is a large amount of food available in a relatively small area. In addition, many pests cannot be controlled with chemical pesticides because there are no products labeled for use on mushrooms or because no materials exist for a particular mushroom pest.

The handbook provides growers with 92 full-color pages that include photographs, charts, graphs and diagrams that illustrate pests and various control methods. The manual also discusses topics such as pesticide safety and how to prevent pesticide resistance in IPM programs. Handbook contributors include experts from Penn State, the University of Delaware, the Horticultural Research Institute of Ontario and private industry.

Copies of the handbook are available for $15 from the College of Agricultural Sciences Publications Distribution Center. For ordering information, call 814-865-6713 or visit the college's publications Web site at http://pubs.cas.psu.edu. To order using Mastercard or Visa, call (877) 345-0691 toll-free. A downloadable PDF of the handbook is available from the Pennsylvania IPM Program Web site at http://paipm.cas.psu.edu/public.html.

The Pennsylvania IPM Program is a collaborative project of Penn State and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, and promotes integrated pest management in both agricultural and nonagricultural situations.

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EDITORS: For more information, contact Kristie Auman-Bauer at 814-865-2839 or kma147@psu.edu.

Contact:

Amanda Yeager aby104@psu.edu 814-865-3636 814-863-9877 fax

Chuck Gill cdg5@psu.edu 814-863-2713 814-863-9877 fax #152