EFFICACY OF ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST Penecillium sp. CAUSING MUSHROOM MOLD UNDER IN VITRO CONDITION

Mushrooms are nutritive and medicinal foods; Oyster and button are the very important mushrooms being grown at various farms, localities etc. Varieties of fungal contaminants limit the mycelium growth of the button mushroom as well as others in the substrate and affecting its yield. In this study, it was determined the Penecillium sp is the major mold affecting the yield of the Oyster mushroom. Furthermore In-Vitro experiment was carried out for management of mushroom against Penecillium sp. Essential oils viz., cinnamon oil, coconut oil, Neem oil and rose oil were used at various concentrations (4%, 8%, 12% and 16%) against Penecillium sp. All the essential oils showed impressive results, among all treatments Neem oil showed high reduction of colony growth of Penecillium sp. followed by coconut oil, Rose oil and Cinnamon oil. All the data was statically analyzed.