A Complete Guide to the Key Points of Mulch Management for Field-Grown Wood Ear Mushrooms
Wood ear mushroom, also known as wood ear or smooth wood ear. In mycological classification it belongs to the class Basidiomycetes, order Auriculariales, family Auriculariaceae. It is dark brown in color, soft in texture, delicious in taste and rich in nutrients, and can be prepared as either a vegetarian or a meat dish. It not only adds splendor to Chinese cuisine, but can also nourish the blood and preserve youthful looks, giving the skin a rosy glow and a radiant complexion, and it can also help prevent and treat iron-deficiency anemia and other conditions, with many medicinal benefits. It is mainly distributed in Heilongjiang, Jilin, Fujian, Taiwan, China, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan and other places. It grows on the decaying wood of more than 120 species of broadleaf trees, including oak, poplar, banyan and pagoda tree, either singly or in groups. At present, artificial cultivation is mainly based on log cultivation and bag substrate cultivation.
According to modern scientific analysis, the nutritional composition of wood ear mushroom per 100 grams of dried product contains 10.6 grams of protein, 0.2 grams of fat, 65 grams of carbohydrates, 7 grams of crude fiber, 375 milligrams of calcium, 201 milligrams of phosphorus, 185 milligrams of iron, and in addition contains vitamin B1 0.15 milligrams, vitamin B2 0.55 milligrams, and niacin 2.7 milligrams. Therefore, wood ear mushroom has always been deeply loved by the broad masses of people, often used as an ingredient in cooking various famous Chinese and Western dishes, or stewed with red dates and lotus seeds plus sugar as a fine snack suitable for all four seasons, not only crisp and delicious, smooth and tender and pleasing to the throat, but also having the effect of increasing appetite and nourishing and strengthening the body. Wood ear mushroom has a certain adsorption capacity; it has the effect on the human body of cleansing the stomach and intestines and digesting cellulose. Therefore, it is also an indispensable health food for textile workers, mining workers and barbers.
Wood ear mushroom can also be used medicinally. Medical experts of past dynasties have recorded the medicinal effects of wood ear mushroom in detail. For example, Li Shizhen of the Ming Dynasty recorded in "Compendium of Materia Medica": "Wood ear grows on decayed wood, its nature is sweet and dry, it mainly treats qi deficiency and hunger, lightens the body and strengthens the will, and also has the effect of treating hemorrhoids, bloody dysentery and blood in the stool." Chinese medicine has always held that wood ear mushroom has the effects of moistening and strengthening, clearing the lungs and tonifying qi, nourishing blood and invigorating blood circulation, and calming and relieving pain. It is a commonly used formula drug in traditional Chinese medicine for treating waist and leg pain, numbness and cramps of the hands and feet, bleeding hemorrhoids and postpartum weakness and other conditions. According to foreign reports, wood ear mushroom can reduce blood clotting, ease coronary atherosclerosis, and has special benefits for the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease. The polysaccharide substances contained in wood ear mushroom have a certain anti-tumor effect, and it is reported that the inhibition rate against mouse sarcoma 180 is 42.6%. Chinese folk medicine also uses wood ear mushroom decocted in water to treat cervical cancer and vaginal cancer in women.
Key points of mulch management for field-grown wood ear mushroom
1. Ingredients: 80% mixed sawdust, 12% rice bran, 2% soybean powder, 3% corn powder, 1% gypsum powder, 1% lime, 0.5% superphosphate and 0.5% magnesium sulfate, with a water content of 60%. Bag, sterilize, inoculate and culture according to conventional methods. 2. Preparing the cultivation site: first of all, consider the height of the terrain and the amount of rainfall. In rainy or low-lying areas, the bed surface should be 10-15 cm above the ground to facilitate drainage; in dry areas with little rain or high terrain, the bed surface should be 15-20 cm below the ground to facilitate moisture retention. The bed width is best at 1.2-1.4 m, and the length is unlimited. Before use, spread a layer of sand on the bed surface and pathways, water thoroughly, and spray once with 5% lime water. 3. Placement and covering of the fungus bags: disinfect the fungus bags with 0.2% potassium permanganate or 0.1% thiophanate solution, then use a blade to cut 8-12 “V”-shaped holes 1.5-2 cm long around the bag, remove the cotton plug and collar, cut off the bag above the substrate surface, and place them upside down on the bed surface at 10 cm intervals. This will help moisture rise and yellow water seep down. Finally, shade directly with straw curtains, cover with plastic film on top, and press down the edges well. 4. Management during the fruiting stage 4.1 Management during the fruiting body formation stage: this period is exactly from late April to early May, when the external temperature and humidity are both relatively low. Spray water onto the straw curtains in a mist form, cover the plastic film well, maintain humidity above 90%, ventilate appropriately, and pay attention to keeping warm; generally the primordia can form in 7-10 days. 4.2 Management during the fruiting body differentiation stage: when the primordia grow to 1-2 cm, it is the differentiation stage, which takes about 5-10 days. At this stage the ear pieces are small, the water content of the culture material is sufficient, and the water requirement is small; keep the ground and straw curtains moist, maintain air humidity between 85% and 90%, appropriately increase ventilation, and provide scattered light. When the daytime temperature is high, the plastic film should be removed. 4.3 Management during the fruiting body growth stage: from spherical primordia growing until the ear pieces open is the growth stage, about 10-15 days. At this stage maintain humidity above 90% and increase ventilation. Because the external temperature gradually rises, the plastic film should be removed during the day, except on rainy days. Frequently turn and sun-dry the straw curtains, and spray the straw curtains with Lysol once every 3-4 days. At this stage a small amount of direct light should be provided, and it is necessary to prevent contamination by miscellaneous fungi and the phenomenon of flowing ears caused by high temperature and high humidity. 4.4 Management during the harvest stage of the fruiting bodies: when the ear pieces are fully unfolded, the edges curl inward, and the ear base changes from thick to thin, they should be harvested in time. Watering should be stopped 2 days before harvesting so that the ear base contracts. When harvesting, the ear base should be picked together, leaving no residual ear, so as to avoid contamination by miscellaneous fungi. After harvesting, it is best to spray with 0.15% chlorothalonil aqueous solution, which can prevent contamination by miscellaneous fungi. At this time, spraying should be light, and attention should be paid to lowering the temperature, so as to facilitate the recovery of mycelial growth and the formation of second-flush ear buds. 5. Identification and control of diseases 5.1 Miscellaneous fungi: the miscellaneous fungi infecting during the fruiting stage are mainly various molds. The most harmful is Trichoderma, accounting for more than 90%. Next are Penicillium, Aspergillus, Neurospora, Rhizopus and Mucor.
1) Trichoderma: the early mycelium is white spots, gradually turning light green, and finally turning dark green or ink green, smelly and soft; after the fruiting body is contaminated, it will cause rot.
2) Penicillium: similar to wood ear mycelium, later turning green, blue or grayish green. It forms colonies of varying sizes, mainly harming the mycelium; after the fruiting body is infected, it causes mold rot.
3) Aspergillus: can appear black, yellow, brown and other colors. It mostly infects the surface of the culture material, competes with the mycelium for nutrients, and has a pungent odor; after the fruiting body is infected, it causes ear rot.
4) Neurospora: produces a large number of orange-red powdery spores. It spreads quickly, infects the mycelium, and destroys nutrients.
5) Mucor and Rhizopus: the two have similar morphology and physiological requirements, with grayish-white mycelium; after 2-3 days, black particles visible to the naked eye (that is, sporangia) appear at the tips of the mycelium. They harm the mycelium. Infection by various molds generally occurs at the ear base after the first flush of ears is harvested. The control measures that should be taken are:
1) Select high-yield and disease-resistant strains.
2) Ensure a very good fruiting environment. Choose a site with moderate canopy density, fresh air, good ventilation, and no contamination by feces or garbage.
3) It is best not to cultivate continuously in the same site. If conditions do not allow, the site must be thoroughly disinfected.
4) Strengthen management; under conditions of high temperature and high humidity, pay attention to ventilation, cooling and dehumidification.
5) Cultivate and harvest at the right time; when the local average temperature is above 10°C, the bags can be placed.
6) For fungus bags found to be contaminated by mold, dig out the affected parts, smear the spots with 5% lime milk, or treat with 40% formaldehyde solution and various effective drugs, and then culture them in isolation. For severely contaminated ones, wrap them in waste newspaper in time and bury them deeply or burn them as soon as possible. They must never be discarded near the site, causing new contamination.
5.2 Flowing ears: flowing ears are a physiological disorder phenomenon in which the cells fully rupture, causing the ear pieces to become paste-like. This disease mostly occurs in environments with high temperature, high humidity, and poor light and ventilation, as well as from untimely harvesting and contamination by bacteria and molds.
The measures that should be taken are:
1) The cultivation site should face the sun and be ventilated, with a certain degree of shading (six parts sun, four parts shade).
2) In hot and moldy-rainy seasons, dig drainage ditches well and do a good job of disinfecting the site.
3) When the ear pieces are about to mature, the air humidity should not exceed 85%. When the ear pieces are 80-90% mature, they should be harvested to avoid over-maturity.
4) If flowing ears are found, scrape them off in time, then apply 5% lime water; if caused by bacteria, spray with 25×10-6 chlortetracycline, penicillin or 500-600 times mancozeb solution.