Effect of Hydrophobicity of Oyster Mushroom on the Severity of Brown Blotch

The 2 strains of Pleurotus ostreatus showing very severe and mild symptom of brown blotch were selected, and their F1 hybrid strains were made by mating of their single spore isolates. Hydrophobicity of fruiting body surface and brown blotch severity of the parental and their 11 F1 hybrid strains showing different level of severity of brown blotch were determined. Correlation coefficient (R) between disease severity and hydrophobicity were 0.68 and 0.70 on two independent experiments. Correlation coefficient between disease severity and disease incidence that was determined in the oyster mushroom farm were 0.46 and 0.52 on two independent experiments. When GFP-tagged Pseudomonas tolaasii was monitored with confocal microscope on cap surface of fruiting body, more cells of the pathogen were clustered on the severe strain than the mild strain, which indicates that the bacterial pathogen proliferates more on the severe strain. These results suggest that hydrophobicity of oyster mushroom fruiting body affects disease severity of the brown blotch disease; the longer the bacterial suspension stays on fruiting body surface more severe symptom of the blotch develops.