Detailed Explanation of Grifola umbellata Planting Methods and Cultivation Techniques

Grifola umbellata, also known as wild pig food, wild pig dung, and wild pig fungus, is the sclerotium of the fungus Grifola umbellata (Polyporaceae). It is a traditional rare Chinese medicinal material, sweet and bland in taste, neutral in nature, with effects such as promoting diuresis and draining dampness, relieving strangury and reducing swelling. It is used for difficult urination, edema, diarrhea, etc. Modern medical research has proven that Grifola umbellata mainly contains ergosterol, crude protein, soluble sugars, polysaccharides, etc. Grifola umbellata polysaccharides also have certain anti-tumor and hepatitis-prevention effects. Many large and medium-sized pharmaceutical groups (factories) in China have used Grifola umbellata to develop a large number of new drugs, special drugs, and Chinese patent medicines, about 500 kinds or more. Grifola umbellata is also an important export commodity for earning foreign exchange in China. After entering the 21st century, demand for Grifola umbellata in both domestic and international markets has shown a year-by-year growth trend, rising from 900,000 kg in 2000 to 4 million kg in 2006, of which 1 million kg was exported. In recent years, due to excessive digging, wild products have shown a trend of depletion, inventories are empty, the contradiction between supply and demand of Grifola umbellata has become increasingly acute, and prices have risen year by year, from 15-20 yuan (price per kg, the same below) in 2000, to 30-40 yuan in 2001-2002, then to 48-55 yuan in 2003-2004, further climbing to 57-60 yuan in 2005, and rising to 65-73 yuan in 2006. Senior industry insiders predict that the price of Grifola umbellata is expected to approach the 100-yuan mark in 2008. Cultivating Grifola umbellata is a good project for farmers and laid-off workers to become wealthy, and places with suitable conditions may wish to give it a try.

Cultivation Techniques

Site Selection:

Cultivate in primary broad-leaved forests, mixed forests, or secondary forests, such as under birch, oak, maple, Mongolian oak, willow, etc., and do not plant in coniferous forests. Choose an altitude of 1000-2000 m, and preferably select shaded slopes or semi-shaded, semi-sunny slopes, with a slope of 15-45 degrees. For soil, choose a humus layer more than 20 cm deep, preferably slightly acidic soil with a water content of about 40%. Saline-alkali land and peat land are not suitable for cultivation.

Land Preparation:

After selecting the site, dig holes (also called pits) along the slope, with a length of 70 cm, a width of 60 cm, a depth of 18-20 cm, and a spacing of 50 cm.

Materials (calculated per square meter): 3 bottles of Grifola umbellata spawn, 3 bottles of Armillaria mellea spawn, fungal material wooden sticks with a diameter of 5-10 cm and a length of 50 cm, Grifola umbellata growth hormone, broad-leaved tree leaves, and a mixture of leaves and humus soil.

Propagation Methods

Spread leaves 2-3 cm thick at the bottom of the pit, break Armillaria mellea into small pieces of 1-2 cm and evenly sprinkle them on the leaves, then evenly sprinkle Grifola umbellata growth hormone on the leaves, place the fungal material (wooden sticks) on the leaves already sprinkled with Armillaria mellea, with a spacing of about 3-5 cm between the fungal materials, fill the gaps between the fungal materials with the mixture, break Grifola umbellata spawn into pieces of about 2 cm, evenly place them on both sides and the ends of the fungal materials, then cover with about 3 cm of leaves, cover the leaves with about 10 cm of humus soil, and then cover the top of the pit with leaves again.

The key to cultivating Grifola umbellata with spawn lies in the quality of the Grifola umbellata spawn. High-quality Grifola umbellata spawn has thick and strong hyphae, a network of mycorrhizae on the surface, and strong hyphal sprouting ability, resulting in a high success rate. When the ground temperature is above 15°C, the hyphae colonize 5 days after spot sowing; after 20-30 days, the hyphae extend into the soil in a root-network form; after 60 days, white spherical young sclerotia begin to form in the leaves and soil layer. When purchasing spawn, one should clearly distinguish good from bad and guard against counterfeits, so as to avoid being deceived and suffering economic losses.

Grifola umbellata can germinate when the average ground temperature at a depth of 10 cm reaches 9.5°C, grows fastest at 18-22°C, grows slowly above 28°C, and stops growing below 9°C or above 30°C.

Harvesting and Processing

The maturity period for sowing with pure Grifola umbellata spawn is about 3 years (5-6 years for cultivation by the old method). When Grifola umbellata is black in color and hard in texture (called old sclerotium), it can be harvested in spring from April to May or in autumn from July to September.

Remove impurities from the harvested Grifola umbellata sclerotia, brush them clean, and sun-dry them to obtain commercial medicinal material. Put them into gunny bags or bamboo baskets and store them in a dry, ventilated place for sale. Those with a shiny black outer skin, heavy weight, firm texture, and a pure white or yellow cross-section are premium grade.