Application of Micro-sprinkler Systems in Large-scale Cultivation of Lingzhi (Reishi Mushroom)

(1) Construction of the black shed. For the shade net, a black shade net with a shading rate of 85% is best. Types of net sheds, classified by construction form: flat-top type, the net shed is flat in shape, with a shed height of 2.5 m; half-slope type, the net shed is in an inverted-V-shaped (inverted V) form, with 6 m wide plastic film laid under the net; full-arch type, the net shed is semicircular, with 6 m wide plastic film laid under the net, resembling a small tunnel. Classified by fixing material: bamboo-and-wood supported net sheds, wire mesh sheds, and plastic nylon line net sheds, three types.

(2) Micro-sprinkler system. The use of shade nets must be combined with the supporting new micro-sprinkler technology to better provide a good ecological environment for the growth of lingzhi. The micro-sprinkler material is a two-way micro-sprinkler head. On a hard plastic water pipe with a diameter of 10 mm, install one micro-sprinkler head every 1.2-1.5 m (they must be installed facing the same upward direction, and the water pipe on the same horizontal plane must be pulled straight, without undulation or twisting), so that the water mist can spray to the edge of the bed. When the water pressure at the end of the pipe reaches 1.92X105-2.94X105, the droplet diameter is 0.2-0.4 mm, the spraying uniformity is high, and the relative air humidity can quickly reach above 90%. During installation, depending on the power source, the micro-sprinkler pipeline can be installed using the natural water level height difference (must be more than 8 m), or a water pump or submersible pump can be used to lift water for micro-sprinkling. (3) Preparation of fungus bags for short log cooked-material cultivation. In seasons using short log cultivation, except for July-August when the temperature is relatively high and unsuitable for culturing fungal wood, it can be done in all other seasons. In Fujian, mid-November to late December or mid-February to late March is best. In either case, 2-3 batches of fruiting bodies can be harvested in the same year or the following year. Among the trees suitable for cultivating lingzhi, Castanopsis trees, sawtooth oak, ? oak, and Castanopsis carlesii of the Fagaceae family are most suitable. Sweetgum, beefwood, Chinese tallow tree, elm, poplar, and others are also very suitable. Cut the logs into short sections of 12-15 cm and package them in plastic bags 85 cm long and 65-75 cm wide. First use No. 14 iron wire or bamboo strips to tightly bind the short log sections into bundles; the cross sections at both ends must be flat, and each plastic bag can hold two layers of bundled log sections. Another method is to cut the logs into 30 cm lengths, and use a plastic tube 55-60 cm long, twist one end tightly and fold it back to tie it into a bag; first spread a layer of culture material made of 78% sawdust, 20% wheat bran, and 1% each of sugar and gypsum at the bottom of the bag, put in the log sections, then spread another layer of culture material, and tie the bag mouth tightly with string. After bagging, sterilize in a normal-pressure sterilization stove, maintaining 100°C for 12 hours. After sterilization, inoculate according to conventional methods. The lingzhi strains used in Songxi County are Shinshu and Huizhou No. 6 and Huizhou No. 8 introduced from Japan; these strains have large, round and neat caps, and are high-yielding and high-quality. (4) Spawn running. After inoculation, culture in a spawn-running room, maintaining the temperature at 25-30°C. Generally after 7-15 days, the mycelium covers the surface layer of the log sections, and after about 50 days the mycelium grows into the interior of the log sections, at which point they can be moved into the black shed for bag removal and soil burial. (5) Management after burying the fungal wood in soil. The fungal wood with bags removed is buried vertically (horizontal placement is also used) into the prepared bed in the black shed, with 2/3-3/4 of the fungal wood buried in the soil, and a spacing of 8-10 cm between the fungal woods; then cover with a 10 cm thick layer of reed grass or dry rice straw as a buffer layer, which has the effects of preventing mud and sand from splashing onto the lingzhi during watering, preventing weeds from growing rampant, and reducing soil moisture evaporation. To make the lingzhi caps large and thick, remove the inferior and keep the strong, leaving only 4-5 caps per fungal wood. If two lingzhi are too close together, gently prop apart the two stipes with bamboo or wood so that each forms its own lingzhi.