Capping Pests

A $7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture will fund a Penn State project to develop new pest management tools for mushroom crops and create new outreach opportunities for growers, farm owners, residents and policymakers.

David Beyer, professor of mushrooms in the College of Agricultural Sciences and project director on the grant, said mushroom producers lose an estimated 10% to 15% of mushroom crops each year to pests and disease. The research team will use the funds to combat phorid flies and fungus gnats; fight fungal pathogens such as Trichoderma green mold, dry bubble, hairy mold and cobweb mold; and protect against bacterial blotch and La France isometric virus diseases.

—Katie Bohn