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ABSTRACT
The major challenges faced during the cultivation of the edible mushroom, Pleurotus tuberregium, is the high rate of insect infestation and the use of synthetic insecticides as the fruiting body of this fungus have no protective covering to prevent the absorption of chemicals that will diminish the edibility of the mushroom. This research is aimed at determining the effectiveness of selected botanical (Ocimum gratissimum and Annona muricata) extracts in reducing insect infestation during Pleurotus tuberregium cultivation and the effect of the botanical extract on the viability of its sclerotia. The mushroom was cultivated and sprayed with the selected botanical extracts on the second and fourth day after primordial emergence. After the fifth day, it was harvested and was taken to the laboratory for further analysis to collect and identify the insects in the mushroom. In this study, the two extracts used were able to control the insect infestation to some degree. At some concentration, the extracts had side effects on the growth and yield of the mushroom. Insects found on the mushrooms were identified and with the presence larvae and pupa on the mushroom which were incubated at a recorded temperature and relative humidity. However, Diptera and hymeneptora were the most abundant insects.
