A Brief Analysis of Open-Air Raw-Material Cultivation Techniques for Bamboo Fungus
Bamboo fungus, commonly known as bamboo sheng (veiled lady) or immortal's umbrella, is a highly renowned edible mushroom in our country. Its fruiting body is draped in a snow-white net-like skirt, elegant in form, aromatic in taste, and rich in nutrients, and it also has functions such as weight reduction, blood pressure lowering, and antiviral effects, and was historically listed as “imperial court tribute”. The sales volume of bamboo fungus products on domestic and international markets continues to expand, and the price remains high. From August 2005 to February 2006, the transaction price at the edible mushroom wholesale market in Gutian County, Fujian Province was 120 to 160 yuan per kilogram. Current bamboo fungus cultivation adopts open-air raw-material simulated-wild cultivation using agricultural and forestry by-products; mushrooms emerge about 60 days after sowing, and each mu of land can yield 80 kilograms of dried bamboo fungus, with an output value exceeding ten thousand yuan. The raw materials are obtained locally, and cost accounts for only 25%, with results seen in half a year. It is a short-cycle, quick, and high-benefit good path to prosperity that is adaptable to both northern and southern provinces and regions.
1. Raw material selection The culture material for cultivating bamboo fungus is relatively wide-ranging, including stalks of crops such as corn, cotton, rapeseed, sesame, soybean, and jute, as well as peanut shells, rice husks, and the like; branches and sapwood fragments of forest trees, fruit trees, mulberry trees, and the like; stems, roots, branches, and leaves of various bamboos, as well as bamboo filaments and bamboo powder from processing plants, are all acceptable; there are also wild grasses, reeds, thatch, and so on. Raw materials should be sun-dried and can be used alone or mixed in several kinds.
2. Cultivation season Bamboo fungus belongs to the high-temperature type of mushrooms; mycelium grows at 8 to 35 degrees C, with 25 to 28 degrees C being most suitable, and mushroom growth can occur at 20 to 35 degrees C. The cultivation season is sowing in spring and mushroom growth in summer. In the south, sowing is usually from late March to before “Qingming”; in northern provinces and regions, sowing when the ground temperature is above 100 degrees C is appropriate. About 60 days after sowing, it is exactly the optimal mushroom-growing period of summer from June to September, and the entire production cycle is 5 months.
3. Bed preparation The cultivation site for bamboo fungus can use fields, mountain areas, open spaces between forest and orchard trees, and so on, requiring flat or gently sloping terrain, close to a water source, and preferably sandy loam soil containing humus. The site should be turned and prepared 7 to 10 days in advance, with beds 50 to 60 cm wide and drainage ditches opened around the perimeter.
4. Piling material and sowing Bamboo fungus adopts the sowing method of two layers of material and one layer of spawn. First mix the culture material, add clean water at 110%, gather it into a material pile, and let the water penetrate the material substrate; after 1 to 2 days, open it up to release heat and gas, with the water content controlled at 60% to 65%. When piling material and sowing, first spread 2/3 of the culture material on the bed and firm the material; then break the bamboo fungus spawn into chunks, broadcast them on the culture material and press them down so that the spawn is in close contact with the material. Then spread the remaining 1/3 of the material on top and press the surface of the material. The entire material layer is 15 cm high, forming a wide bottom layer and a slightly narrower upper layer. Use 12 to 15 kg of dry material and 2 to 3 bags of spawn per square meter. Finally, crush the soil from the bed ditches and cover the material surface, with a soil cover thickness of 3 to 4 cm. In the north, where spring temperatures are low, after sowing and covering with soil, plastic film can be used to cover the bed surface to keep warm and promote mycelial growth; after 10 days, remove the film and cover the surface with corn stalks, reeds, and the like to prevent rainwater from washing away the topsoil.
5. Intercropping and companion crops After bamboo fungus is sown for 7 to 10 days, beside the bed, 1 hill of tall crops such as corn or sunflower can be interplanted at intervals of 2 m, and between the tall crops, 2 hills of soybean or chili can be interplanted, forming a combination of tall and short crops that provides shade and nitrogen fixation. When digging holes and sowing the crops, the bamboo fungus spawn and culture material must not be damaged.
6. Mushroom emergence management After bamboo fungus is sown and covered with soil, it enters the mycelial germination and growth stage, mainly relying on nutrients and moisture within the substrate and the natural environment for growth. When there is a lot of rain in spring, attention should be paid to opening ditches for drainage to prevent water accumulation on the bed from damaging the mycelium. During the mycelial growth period, mold sometimes appears from soil cracks beside the bed and can be killed by scattering lime powder. Under normal temperatures, after 30 to 40 days of cultivation, the mycelium continuously proliferates, and after absorbing a large amount of nutrients, it forms mycelial strands and climbs onto the surface of the soil cover; soon white rice-grain-like primordia appear at the tips of the mycelial strands and quickly form mushroom buds. Usually 50 to 60 days after sowing, the mushroom buds gradually enlarge to form mushroom balls, and within a short time break open, extend the stalk, and spread the skirt, forming the fruiting body.
The mushroom-growing period of bamboo fungus occurs in the high-temperature summer season, when the crops interplanted beside the bed already have luxuriant branches and leaves, playing a shading role. When the temperature is too high, a 95% density shade net can be used above the bed to block light and prevent heat. During the mushroom emergence period, the water content of the soil cover layer should not be lower than 20%. During the growth period of the mushroom balls, except on rainy days, spray water once every morning with a sprayer, and the relative humidity of the space should not be lower than 90%. The mushroom-growing period often encounters drought, so water can be irrigated at night and drained early in the morning, while retaining shallow water storage at the bottom of the ditches. In ordinary spraying, master the principle of spraying more and frequently when the soil cover turns white; spraying lightly and as mist when the mushroom buds are small, and spraying heavily when the mushroom buds are large; spraying more on sunny days and dry days when evaporation is high, and not spraying on rainy days, to ensure good mushroom growth.
7. Harvesting and processing The formation of bamboo fungus fruiting bodies mostly occurs between 10 and 12 a.m. each day; a small amount occurs between 2 and 3 p.m. It takes only 2 to 3 hours for bamboo fungus to break the ball, extend the stalk, and spread the skirt. When the skirt is 1/3 spread downward, it must be harvested promptly; if overripe, it will collapse and autolyze. During harvesting, prevent soil from sticking to the stipe and skirt. During the peak mushroom-production period, when manpower cannot keep up, they can be picked early when the mushroom balls break open and show white and are about to bloom, and placed in baskets where they will still spread their skirts as usual, and the mushroom bodies will be even whiter and cleaner. Bamboo fungus should be harvested the same day and dehydrated and dried by machine the same day; processing overnight causes deterioration, and the ratio of fresh to dried products is 8:1. Dried products have a very strong moisture-absorbing capacity, so they should be promptly packaged in double-layer plastic bags, and the bag openings tied firmly to prevent moisture damage and reduce commodity value.