Detailed Explanation of Super-High-Yield Scientific Cultivation Techniques for Straw Mushroom
South of the Yangtze River, such as the Wuhan and Shanghai areas, June-August is more suitable; north of the Yangtze River, such as the Shijiazhuang and Beijing areas, late June to early July is more suitable. Guangdong is located in the tropical and subtropical zones; under natural conditions, it can be cultivated from late spring and early summer to late autumn, that is, from April to October, with late spring from April to June being the most suitable. During this period, temperatures rise slowly with little fluctuation, there is more rain, and humidity is relatively constant. In summer, it is easily affected by high temperatures and heavy rain, and yield is not as good as in spring and autumn, so special attention should be paid to ventilation, cooling and humidity control. If the compost temperature is higher than 35°C, fruiting bodies are difficult to form; if air humidity is too high (often greater than 90%), it will affect the absorption and transport of nutrients by the mushroom buds, thereby inhibiting growth. After autumn, cultivation temperatures decline relatively slowly, but with clear autumn skies and crisp air, humidity is not easy to control, and yield is lower than in late spring.
1. Preparing the Site
The site for cultivating straw mushroom should have soft soil, rich in organic matter, good drainage and convenient water use.
One week before spawning, turn the soil. After turning, sun-dry it for 1-2 days. When the surface of the soil clods has dried white, break them up and level them, and make beds 1 m wide. The bed surface should be made flat or shaped like a turtle shell, 20-25 cm high in the middle and gradually sloping down on both sides until level with the ground. The bed surface should be properly tamped so that it does not sink after watering. The spacing between beds should be about 60 cm to facilitate operation and management. Dig a small ditch between beds, and dig a relatively deep drainage ditch around the entire site. After the site is prepared, water it to keep the soil moist, and use lime water or bleaching powder, etc. to kill pests and contaminating microorganisms in the site.
2. Treating the Substrate
The rice straw used as substrate should be fresh, dry and free of mold. Tie the prepared rice straw into straw bundles, each weighing about 0.5 kg dry, tie tightly at about 1/3 from the top, and twist the top into a “torch” shape. Then soak the straw bundles in clean water for 9-12 hours so that they fully absorb water. Also prepare 3 kg of rice bran or wheat bran per 100 kg of rice straw.
3. Spawning
First scatter a ring of straw mushroom spawn around the edge of the bed, about 5 cm wide. Place the soaked straw bundles with their bases facing outward and their panicle ends facing inward, arranged tightly one after another on the bed surface. Then evenly scatter a layer of rice bran or wheat bran according to the proportion. After laying the first layer, inset 3-4 cm inward from the edge of the straw bundle surface, scatter a ring of spawn around the perimeter, with the spawn scattered to a width of about 5 cm. Following the method used for laying the first layer of straw bundles, inset 3-4 cm and arrange the second layer of straw bundles, and scatter spawn according to the method used for the first layer. The method of scattering spawn and laying straw for the third and fourth layers is the same as for the first and second layers. Each layer must be watered and tamped firmly. Generally, about 4 layers are stacked. The top of the straw stack should be covered with a straw blanket. Generally, each straw stack uses 100-200 kg of straw, and every 100 kg of straw uses 5-6 bottles of spawn.
4. Management
A freshly built straw stack is relatively loose, which is unfavorable for the growth and development of straw mushroom mycelium. Therefore, within 3-4 days after stacking the straw and spawning, tread on the straw stack once every morning to make the stack firmer, which helps with heat preservation, moisture retention and straw mushroom mycelium growth. At the same time, attention should be paid to controlling the stack temperature. If the stack temperature is too high, open the straw blanket to ventilate and dissipate heat. If the stack temperature is too low, uncover the straw blanket during the day to let sunlight warm it, and at dawn and dusk and at night thicken the straw blanket or cover it with plastic film to keep it warm. Generally, keeping the temperature at 30-40°C is best. In order to keep the water content of the substrate at about 65%, after 4 days from stacking and spawning, water once in the morning, at noon and in the evening on every sunny day. From spawning until the appearance of fruiting bodies, open the straw blanket once a day for ventilation to release the sulfur dioxide produced in the straw stack and replenish fresh air.
5. Harvesting
After 7-10 days from spawning, fruiting bodies will appear in large numbers. When the fruiting bodies first emerge, they are grayish white, like rapeseed grains. After 3-4 days they can become as large as eggs, and plump and smooth. At this time, the straw mushroom fruiting bodies have already matured and must be harvested promptly, otherwise the wrapper will split and the mushroom cap will extend, affecting quality. Straw mushroom fruiting bodies grow very quickly, so generally they should be harvested once in the morning and once in the evening each day. Each cultivation season can harvest 4-5 batches of straw mushrooms. Harvested mushrooms will continue to develop, so they should be processed immediately to avoid cap opening. Processing method: first remove impurities from the base of the straw mushrooms with a small knife, grade them, and then process them according to requirements.