The Most Reasonable Fermented Substrate Formula for Growing Oyster Mushrooms on Corncobs, High-Yielding and Nutritious

AbstractFormula 1: corncobs 100kg, wheat bran 10-15kg, urea 0.3-0.5kg, monopotassium phosphate 0.1kg, quicklime 3-5kg, carbendazim 0.1%. Formula 2: corncobs 85%, wheat bran 10%, urea 0.4%, superphosphate 1%, lime 4%, carbendazim 0.1%.

I. Formulas for Growing Oyster Mushrooms on Corncobs

1. Formula 1: corncobs 100kg, wheat bran 10-15kg, urea 0.3-0.5kg, monopotassium phosphate 0.1kg, quicklime 3-5kg, carbendazim 0.1%.

2. Formula 2: corncobs 85%, wheat bran 10%, urea 0.4%, superphosphate 1%, lime 4%, carbendazim 0.1%.

II. Method for Growing Oyster Mushrooms on Corncobs

1. Material selection

(1) The corncobs selected should be relatively dry, yellow-white in color, fresh and free from mold or deterioration. They can be crushed with an ordinary feed grinder or a sawdust slicer-grinder; the screen holes of the grinder need to be enlarged with a 2cm diameter drill bit.

(2) The crushed corncobs should be granular, about the size of broad beans and soybeans. Generally, the mushroom strain should be chosen according to the growing season: low-temperature strains are grown in late autumn and early winter, while medium-temperature strains are grown in early autumn, late winter and early spring.

2. Bag filling and inoculation

(1) First take out the mushroom spawn and place it in a clean container, breaking it into pieces the size of jujubes. For spawn running, use 50-55cm×25cm polyethylene tube bags, poke 3 rows of micropores with a needle, first close one end, then put in the spawn, tie it tightly with string, then add 1 layer of spawn and 1 layer of substrate, for a total of 3 layers of substrate and 4 layers of spawn; after filling, tie the bag opening tightly.

(2) Stack the bags to run the spawn at a suitable temperature, or stack them in a well pattern. The spawn dosage is generally 10-15%. During spawn running, the temperature is 20-25℃, generally not exceeding 35℃, the relative air humidity is 50-65%, and the light should be dimmer. At the same time, pay attention to turning the bags and strengthening ventilation management. After about 15-20 days, the mycelium will grow throughout the bags and enter the fruiting management stage.

3. Fruiting management

(1) After about 7 days, coral-like mushroom buds appear on the bags; at this point the bags can be opened for fruiting management. The timing of opening the bags must be well controlled: if too early, the substrate surface tends to dry out and the buds die; if too late, the quality of the mushrooms is affected. Generally, after opening the bags, light should be increased and ventilation and air exchange strengthened.

(2) When watering, be careful not to spray water onto the mushroom bodies. After about 5-7 days, the first flush of mushrooms can be harvested for market. Generally, growing oyster mushrooms on corncobs is not only economical and environmentally friendly, but also more in line with the direction of green sustainable development; however, during operation, the techniques must be mastered well so as to obtain better returns.