Innovative and Sustainable Control of Mushroom Blotch

The UK mushroom market is facing fierce competition from EU growers and rising operating costs; imports now make up 55% of the UK marketed total. A novel competitive advantage would provide an important boost to the UK industry and this application aims to provide this through tackling one of the most serious bacterial disease of mushrooms; bacterial blotch, which is responsible for crop losses of up to 10% (£20M industry losses). This project will build on proof-of-concept data from a previous TSB feasibility project in which an innovative biocontrol technology based on naturally-occurring antimiciobial agents (bacteriophage) was shown to control bacterial-induced mushroom blotch symptoms in the laboratory. A business-led consortium will carry out further invesigations on the technology, addressing key questions of technology deployment and efficacy, together with formulation and integration into commercial practice.