Trichoderma spp is the cause of the green mold disease in mushroom cultivation production. Many disinfection treatments are commonly applied to lignocellulose substrates to prevent contamination. Mushroom growers are usually worried about the contaminations that may occur after these treatments during handling or spawning. The aim of this paper is to estimate the growth of the green mold Trichoderma sp on lignocellulose substrates after different disinfection treatments to know which of them is more effective to avoid contamination during spawning phase. Three different treatments were assayed: sterilization (121 ºC), immersion in hot water (60 and 80 ºC), and immersion in alkalinized water. Wheat straw, wheat seeds and Eucalyptus or Populus sawdust were used separately as substrates. After the disinfection treatments, bagged substrates were sprayed with 3 mL of suspension of conidia of Trichoderma sp (10(5) conidia/mL) and then separately spawned with Pleurotus ostreatus or Gymnopilus pampeanus. The growth of Trichoderma sp was evaluated based on a qualitative scale. Trichoderma sp could not grow on non-sterilized substrates. Immersions in hot water treatments and immersion in alkalinized water were also unfavorable treatments for its growth. Co- cultivation with mushrooms favored Trichoderma sp growth. Mushroom cultivation disinfection treatments of lignocellulose substrates influence on the growth of Trichoderma sp when contaminations occur during spawning phase. The immersion in hot water at 60 ºC for 30 min or in alkalinized water for 36 h, are treatments which better reduced the contaminations with Trichoderma sp during spawning phase for the cultivation of lignicolous species.

The European chestnut tree (Castanea sativa Mill.) is widely cultivated throughout the world’s temperate regions. In the Mediterranean region, it has a significant economic role mainly because of the high quality of its edible nuts. The Oomycete Phytophthora cinnamomi is one of the most severe pathogens affecting European chestnuts, causing ink disease and significant losses in production. Ginkgobilobin-2 (Gnk2) in Ginkgo biloba is a secreted protein with a plant-specific cysteine-rich motif that functions as a lectin, and its carbohydrate-binding properties are closely related to its antifungal activity. The binding of lectins to mannose residues of the cell wall of Phytophthora species may disturb and disrup the cell wall structure. This work determined that the amino acid sequence has a signal peptide that directs the final protein peptide to the apoplast. The Cast_Gnk2-like expression was performed and optimized, and different in vitro antagonism tests were done against P. cinnamomi using different purified protein concentrations. As a result of one of these assays, Cast_Gnk2-like significantly reduced the mycelia growth of P. cinnamomi in liquid medium as shown by the mycelia weight (g) in control treatments was 377% higher than in the treatments. These insights reveal the potential of Cast_Gnk2-like for agricultural uses and biotechnological developments for the pathosystem chestnut/P. cinnamomi.