Bag-Cultivation Techniques and Management Points for Oyster Mushrooms

AbstractSubstrate formula: use rice straw, crop stalks and industrial and agricultural by-products, etc. Mixing: dilute according to a ratio of dry material to water of 1:1.3-1.8. Bag sterilization: keep in a 100°C environment for 8-10 hours of steaming sterilization. Cooling and inoculation: inoculate after cooling to about 28°C. Mycelium culture: arrange in double rows in winter and early spring, single rows in autumn and late summer. Fruiting body growth and management: ventilate and exchange air for 1-2 hours per day, spray water 1-2 times per day.

1. Substrate Formula

The raw material sources for oyster mushrooms include rice straw, sawdust, distillers' grains, corn stalks, tree leaves, waste paper, corn cobs, soybean stalks, cottonseed hulls, waste cotton, crop stalks and industrial and agricultural by-products, etc., offering very diverse choices.

When selecting raw materials, try not to use moldy or spoiled ones. Even materials stored from the previous year must be fully sun-dried for two to three days before use. Choose fresh raw materials.

Formula 1: cottonseed hulls 98%, lime powder 1%, gypsum powder 1%, PH value 6.5

Formula 2: cottonseed hulls 60%, gypsum powder 1%, rice straw powder 33%, lime powder 1%, PH value 6.5

Formula 3: rice straw powder 80%, superphosphate 1%, lime powder 1%, corn meal or rice bran 18%, PH value 6.5

2. Mixing

1. After preparing the raw materials according to the above formulas, place them in a clean, sterilized place and dilute by adding water according to a ratio of dry material to water of 1:1.3-1.8.

2. Use a tool to stir the substrate thoroughly and evenly. The water content standard is that when held in both hands and squeezed, no water drips out; then it is ready for use as mixed substrate.

3. Bagging and Sterilization

1. For bag-cultivated oyster mushrooms, use 22-25cm low-pressure polyethylene tube film to make a plastic tube 40-50cm long, and put all the mixed substrate into the tube.

2. Fit plastic neck rings or fiber band rings on both sides, press tightly to prevent excess air from entering, with the tube opening facing down, slowly move inward along the ring band from outside to inside, from the edge to the local area.

3. Cover the ring openings with a layer of kraft paper or newspaper and bind it well. Place the substrate bags together for steaming sterilization, keeping them at 100°C for 8-10 hours of high-temperature sterilization.

4. Cooling and Inoculation

1. Place the steamed bags in a dry, clean place to ventilate. Once cooled to about 28°C, inoculation can be carried out.

2. First sterilize the tweezers with soapy water, alcohol, and potassium permanganate solution, then pick up the spawn and place it directly into the bag.

3. Inoculate three pieces of spawn, each the size of a broad bean, into each opening. It is best to choose spawn with a short spawn age that is robust and free of contaminant infection.

4. Note that the inoculation action should be quick, and try not to open your mouth to speak, to prevent contaminants from invading through various links.

5. Mycelium Culture

1. After inoculation, pile the substrate bags together to culture the mycelium, preferably in a dry, dust-free environment.

2. In winter and early spring, they can be piled over a wide area about one meter high, arranged in two rows in sequence, with a layer of film or straw curtain covering the top to keep the mycelium warm.

3. In autumn and late summer, arrange them in a single row in sequence, preferably piled 3-4 layers high, and observe the bag temperature at all times. When it is above 30°C, turn the pile or change positions promptly to dissipate heat. After 20-30 days, the mycelium culture is complete.

6. Fruiting Body Growth and Management

1. The spawn bags should be moved to the fruiting room in time, arranged in a single row of 5-7 layers in sequence, leaving a wide spacing of 70-80cm for convenient operation later.

2. Maintain the indoor temperature and humidity, ventilate and exchange air for 1-2 hours per day, and you may also water the ground to fully promote the growth and development of the fruiting bodies of bag-cultivated oyster mushrooms.

3. After the fruiting bodies grow out of the bag opening, spray water on the mushrooms 1-2 times per day, spraying an appropriate amount according to the air temperature.

7. Harvesting

1. When the mushrooms have grown to eight-tenths maturity, or when the color of the caps changes from dark to light, and white fuzzy growth appears on the sunken dead parts, it is the harvest period.

2. It is advisable to harvest 3-4 times. After harvesting, wash and remove rotten and diseased mushrooms, and promptly clean the fruiting surface. After the mycelium enters the resting stage, it will proceed to the next growth period.