Detailed Explanation of the Cultivation Technique for Three Harvests of Reishi Mushroom in One Year

Reishi mushroom is a medicinal fungus. With the development of modern medicine, its medicinal value has been continuously discovered, and therefore artificial cultivation has attracted widespread attention. Its high-yield cultivation technique is neither as complicated as some people think, nor as simple as some people think. As long as the technical measures are appropriate, there is still hope of achieving high yield. From years of practice, to achieve three harvests in one year, the following points generally need to be mastered:

1. Reasonably arrange the production season

Reishi mushroom is a high-temperature, constant-temperature fruiting fungus. During its growth and development, it requires a relatively high temperature, with 26°C-28°C being optimal. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth is 28°C. Below 27°C, growth is obviously inhibited; above 30°C, the mycelium may age and autolyze. The optimum temperature for fruiting body growth is 24°C-28°C, and below 18°C it cannot grow normally. The stage of primordium formation and fruiting body growth of reishi mushroom does not require temperature fluctuation stimulation; excessive temperature difference can produce deformed mushrooms. Taking this as a reference, in Anhui Province only the temperatures from May to October can meet the needs of reishi mushroom growth and development. From the perspective of three harvests in one year, the final harvest period should be in early September. Calculating backward from this, mother spawn should be propagated in early March, stock spawn in early April, and cultivation inoculation in early May. In early July, early August, and early September, three harvests can be made.

2. Select good varieties according to local conditions

There are many kinds of reishi mushroom. According to morphology and color, they can be divided into six types: red reishi, black reishi, green reishi, white reishi, yellow reishi, and purple reishi. The commonly cultivated variety is red reishi. Among red reishi, good varieties include: Xinzhou, Huizhou, South Korea, Taishan No. 1, Dabie Mountain reishi, etc. Xinzhou reishi has strong stress resistance, large and thick caps, good commercial quality, and high yield, and is an excellent variety for export to earn foreign exchange. South Korea reishi has fast mycelial growth, early fruiting, large and uniform slices, and relatively high yield. Taishan reishi grows rapidly and is suitable for substitute material cultivation, but its yield is slightly lower. Dabie Mountain reishi has large caps and deep color, and is more suitable for log cultivation. Therefore, each place should determine the variety according to local production conditions (for example, whether substitute material or log cultivation) and production purpose (for example, export or domestic sale). If substitute material cultivation is adopted to achieve three harvests in one year, South Korea reishi can be selected.

3. Correctly select substitute material formulas

Reishi mushroom is a wood-decaying fungus. Suitable tree species include oak, wild jujube, Chinese tallow tree, elm, poplar, etc. Substitute material cultivation should mainly use sawdust from suitable tree species, appropriately combined with some cottonseed hulls, corn cobs, etc. Commonly used formulas include:

1. Mixed wood sawdust 83%, corn flour (or wheat bran) 15%, gypsum powder 1%, sucrose 1%.

2. Cottonseed hulls 39%, mixed wood sawdust 39%, corn flour (or wheat bran) 15%, gypsum powder 1%, sucrose 1%.

3. Corn cobs 78%, bran 15%, gypsum 2%, sucrose 1%, superphosphate 1%, urea 0.5%, lime 2.5%.

The older the sawdust, the better, but it must not be moldy. Bran can also be replaced by rice bran, and gypsum can be replaced by calcium carbonate. The material-to-water ratio is generally 1:1.4-1.6.

4. Bagging, sterilization, and mycelial culture

For cultivation bags, low-pressure ethylene or propylene tube material with a width of 17 cm and a thickness of 0.4 mm can be selected, cut into bags 33 cm long, tied tightly at one end with a rubber band (cut from a bicycle inner tube), and the material mixed evenly according to one of the above formulas is loaded into the bag. Where conditions permit, a bagging machine can also be used for bagging. During bagging, strive to achieve uniform tightness, and after bagging, tie the other end. After loading the appropriate number of bags, place them in a normal-pressure sterilization pot for sterilization. The sterilization time is 10-12 h. It is best to heat during the day and let them sit overnight before removing from the pot. After removal, when the bag temperature drops to about 30°C, inoculation can be carried out.

The inoculated bags can be placed in a culture room for mycelial culture. During the mycelial culture process, when the temperature exceeds 28°C and the humidity exceeds 65%, ventilation should be provided to dissipate heat and lower the temperature. During mycelial growth, attention should be paid to shading and ventilation. After about 40 d, the mycelium can fill the bag.

5. Strengthen management and harvest in time

Bags filled with mycelium can be transferred into the cultivation room. The bags can be stacked. The stacking height should preferably be 8-10 layers without falling over. After fruiting bodies appear at the bag opening, cut off the rubber band to allow fruiting. During this period, it is essential to maintain suitable temperature, humidity, light, and control ventilation. The indoor temperature should be maintained at 26°C-28°C, the relative air humidity should be maintained at 85%-95%, and scattered light is suitable for illumination. Reishi mushroom is very sensitive to carbon dioxide, and poor ventilation can produce deformed mushrooms. When the edge of the cap no longer grows and brown-red spores grow, it can be harvested. When harvesting, it is best to cut with a knife, so that new fruiting bodies can quickly grow again on the original basis. After the second flush matures, harvest again and let it grow again, and let it grow again and harvest again. After harvesting the second flush, the bags can also be removed and buried in soil to compensate for the insufficient water in the bags. As long as the temperature is suitable, three harvests can be obtained. Under normal circumstances, 100 kg of dry material can yield 8-10 kg of reishi mushroom in three harvests. The harvested reishi mushroom should be dried in time.