The potential risk of heavy metals and residual pesticides in imported sawdust media inoculated with oak mushroom cultures is a concern for safe mushroom production in Korea. To obtain preliminary data for a sound analysis of this risk, this study was undertaken to analyze the presence of heavy metals and residual pesticides in the oak mushroom media imported from six different regions in China, between 2013 and 2015. Lead, arsenic, chrome, mercury, and cadmium were analyzed; arsenic, chrome, and mercury were not detected. Lead was detected in the imported oak mushroom media from Jinlin, Shandong, Liaoning, and Tianjin. The detection level of lead ranged from 1.7 to 3.2 mg/kg. Cadmium was detected at a level of 0.028 to 0.037 mg/kg in the media from Shandong and Liaoning. No residual pesticides were detected in any of the samples.

Four fungal species, during indoor air monitoring for fungi that possibly affect the field testing of a newly bred shiitake cultivar in cultivation houses located in Cheongyang, Chungnam Province and Jangheung, Jeonnam Province. Of these species, two are known to be plant pathogens and the other two are saprobes but potent contaminators in the mushroom cultivation environment. This study reports the morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of these four species based on nucleotide sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) and 18S rDNA region, including their known information.

To obtain information on the sanitary of indoor environment in greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation, bacteria associated with larvae and imagoes of Sciaridae flies, pest to shiitake mushroom, were isolated and identified. A total of 1,048 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ larvae and 984 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ imagoes. Based on molecular analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis of β-proteobacteria, Enterobacter asburiae and Raoultella ornithinolytica of γ -proteobacteria, Curtobacterium sp. and Microbacterium thalassium of Actinobacteria, and Penibacillus taichungensis of Firmicutes were identified from the colonies of the flies’ larvae. While, Bacillus megaterium, B. thuringiensis, Lysinbacillus sphaericus and L. fusifomis of Firmicutes, Microbacterium thalassium and Citricoccus parietis of Actinobacteria, and Enterobacter asburiae of γ-proteobacteria were identified from the flies’ imagoes. Some of the isolated bacterial species were known be human pathogens. Overall, the results of this study suggested that mushroom fly carrying human pathogenic bacteria is one of sources impact on the sanitary of indoor environment of greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation.

To obtain information on the sanitary condition of indoor environment in greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation, bacteria associated with larvae and imagoes of Sciaridae flies, a pest to shiitake mushroom, were isolated and identified. A total of 1,048 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ larvae and 984 bacterial colonies were isolated from the flies’ imagoes. Based on the molecular analysis of the 16S rDNA sequence, Achromobacter xylosoxidans and Tetrathiobacter kashmirensis of betaproteobacteria, Enterobacter asburiae and Raoultella ornithinolytica of gammaproteobacteria, Curtobacterium sp. and Microbacterium thalassium of Actinobacteria, and Penibacillus taichungensis of Firmicutes were identified from the colonies of the flies’ larvae. On the other hand, Bacillus megaterium, B. thuringiensis, Lysinbacillus sphaericus and L. fusifomis of Firmicutes, Microbacterium thalassium and Citricoccus parietis of Actinobacteria, and Enterobacter asburiae of gammaproteobacteria were identified from the flies’ imagoes. Some of the isolated bacterial species were known to be human pathogens. Overall, the results of this study suggested that mushroom fly carrying human pathogenic bacteria is one of factors affecting the sanitary of indoor environment of greenhouses used for shiitake cultivation.

This study was carried out to measure temperature, humidity, and bacterial concentration and species from the indoor air of a greenhouse used for shiitake cultivation. The highest level of humidity in the greenhouse was recorded at over 91.5% and the lowest humidity was recorded at 50% during 12 months. Temperature was between 5.1-30.5oC except for January. These results indicate that bacteria can survive in the indoor air of the greenhouse. Total bacterial concentration exceeded the Korean indoor air quality standard value (8.0 × 102 cfu/m3) in winter. A total of 13 genera and 17 species were isolated and identified from the indoor air of the greenhouse. Especially, 3 species (Kocuria rosea, Staphylococcus xylosus and Curtobacterium flaccumfaciens) have been reported to affect on human health. This is first report of airborne bacteria in a greenhouse used for shiitake cultivation.

Recently, farmers of mushroom farms in Korea express the difficulty of shiitake cultivation due to the damage of oak log beds by unknown reason. To elucidate the cause of the damage, we investigated and isolated fungi from inside wood chip of the damaged shiitake log bed. Four of green fungi were obtained and their morphology and molecular properties examined. Trichoderma atroviride, Trichoderma citrinoviride, Hypocrea lixii (Trichoderma harzianum), and Hypocrea lutea (Gliocladiumviride) were identified. Hypocarea lutea is newly described in Korea. These species were able to produce extracellular enzymes such as cellulase, pectinase, and xylanse that might degrade wood components of oak logs. This study provides strong evidence that Trichoderma fungi are involved in the recent damages of shiitake log beds In Korea.

Several species of the genus Aphidius are used in biological control programs against aphid pests throughout the world and their behavior and physiology are well studied. But despite knowing the importance of sensory organs in their behavior, their antennal structure is largely unknown. In this study, the external morphology and distribution of the antennal sensilla on the antennal of both female and male adults of A. colemani were described using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Generally, the filaform antennae of males (1,515.20±116.48 ㎛) are longer than females (1,275.06±116.42㎛). Antennae of this species is made up of scape, pedicel and flagellomeres. Male and female antennae differed in the total number of flagellomeres as 15 in males and 13 in females. Female and male antennae of A. colemani has samely seven types of sensilla. We classified sensilla placodea, Bohm bristles, 2 types of sensilla coeloconica, , 2 types of sensilla basiconica as with a tip pore and with wall pores, sensilla trichodea. In addition, the possible functions of the above sensilla types are discussed in light of previously published literature; mechanoreception(Bohm bristles, sensilla coeloconicaⅡ and sensilla trichodea) and chemoreception(sensilla coeloconicaⅠ, sensilla basiconicaⅠ,Ⅱ and sensilla placodea). Future studies on the functional morphology of the antennal sensilla of A. colemani using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) coupled with electrophysiological recordings will likely confirm the functions of the different sensilla identified in this study.