Bacterial blotch, a disease that has troubled white button mushroom growers for about a century, may be harder to control because it is associated with more than 17 bacterial species—not just one. University of Florida researchers found a broader mix of bacteria on affected mushrooms, a result that may help explain why efforts aimed at a single pathogen can have inconsistent outcomes. The finding does not show that every species independently causes the disease.
What is bacterial blotch?
Bacterial blotch affects white button mushrooms, producing brown or yellow blemishes that make them less marketable. The University of Florida says the disease can also reduce yields and shorten shelf life. In some cases, symptoms may not become apparent until mushrooms have been shipped or purchased, making the problem harder to catch earlier in the supply chain.
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The disease has been known for roughly 100 years, but growers have continued to face inconsistent results from treatments. A newly reported study offers a possible reason: affected mushrooms were associated with a community of bacteria rather than a single suspected culprit.
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What did the researchers find?
The researchers found more than 17 species of pathogenic bacteria associated with bacterial blotch, according to study lead author Sameerika Mudiyanselage, a doctoral student at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS). Two familiar pathogens remained prominent in the bacterial profiles, and the researchers also detected a bacterial group not previously linked to the disease.
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The University of Florida’s account does not name those organisms or establish that each associated species independently causes blotch symptoms. The result therefore broadens the picture of bacteria found on diseased mushrooms, but it should not be read as proof that every bacterium in the group is a separate cause.
How did the study examine affected mushrooms?
The team sampled affected mushrooms from multiple production facilities in the southern United States. It combined DNA sequencing, chemical profiling, and conventional laboratory assays to investigate the bacteria associated with the disease. The work was led by Mudiyanselage with co-author Samuel J. Martins, an assistant professor in the UF/IFAS Department of Plant Pathology.
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The study is titled “Genomic insights into a multispecies bacterial pathogen complex driving bacterial blotch in white button mushrooms,” by Sameerika D. Mudiyanselage, Michelle Lee, Jose C. Huguet-Tapia, Romina Gazis, and Samuel J. Martins. It appeared in Microbiological Research in 2026 as volume 309, article 128532, DOI 10.1016/j.micres.2026.128532. The University of Florida’s account is the source for the study details described here.
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Why might a mix of bacteria make the disease harder to manage?
If several bacterial species are associated with blotch, a control approach focused on one organism may not address the full community present on affected mushrooms. That offers a plausible explanation for inconsistent treatment results, but the report does not experimentally demonstrate why any particular treatment failed. The finding points to a more complex detection and management challenge; it does not establish a new treatment.
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“For years, the industry has struggled with treatments that provide inconsistent results against bacterial blotch,” said Martins. The study’s multispecies finding gives researchers a broader target for future investigation than a single-pathogen framing.
Does the discovery mean growers have a new treatment?
No. The University of Florida says researchers are exploring essential oils, beneficial microorganisms, and other biological products as possible approaches. Their performance still needs to be tested under real growing conditions, so the report does not support treating any of these as proven remedies.
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The researchers say broader diagnostics and more effective treatments are goals for future work. “We hope that expanding our research will lead to the development of better diagnostics and more effective treatments to address the full group of disease-causing bacteria in white button mushrooms,” Mudiyanselage said.
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- Established in the university’s account: More than 17 bacterial species were associated with affected white button mushrooms sampled at multiple southern U.S. production facilities.
- Not established in that account: That every associated species independently causes symptoms, the identities of the bacteria, or the effectiveness of a particular treatment.
- Practical implication: A broader understanding of the bacterial community could inform future diagnostics and management research, but growers do not yet have a validated solution from this finding alone.
A separate $7 million USDA grant involving Penn State, the University of Delaware, and UF/IFAS supports related work on diagnostics and sustainable solutions; it is not the stated funding amount for this bacterial-blotch study. The University of Florida report does not provide a quantified crop-loss figure or treatment-effect estimate.
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Sources: University of Florida report on the mushroom discovery; ScienceDaily listing of the study and journal reference.
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