Key Cultivation Techniques and Planting Methods for Agaricus blazei Explained

Agaricus blazei has an almond aroma and a crisp, tender texture, and its economic benefits on the market are very good, so many people have begun to try growing Agaricus blazei. Let's take a look at the cultivation techniques for Agaricus blazei below.

1. Planting materials

The most suitable planting material for Agaricus blazei is sugarcane bagasse. Rice straw, wheat straw, cottonseed hulls, corn stalks, thatch, sawdust and other materials can also be used as raw materials for cultivation. To one of the above materials or a mixture of several of them, appropriately add some cow manure (horse manure), poultry manure and a small amount of chemical fertilizer. For the planting materials of Agaricus blazei, refer to the cultivation process for the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus); through piling, fermentation and turning, a compost suitable for the growth of Agaricus blazei is made.

2. Planting time

The planting season is generally arranged for late spring and early summer, and for autumn. Spring planting is around Qingming (March—May), and autumn planting is after the Beginning of Autumn (September to November). In low-altitude areas, sowing can be extended to April—May, with mushrooms harvested in June—July. It is best to ensure that after sowing, when mushrooms begin to appear after 40—50 days, the temperature can reach 20—28°C. Climate conditions vary from place to place, so the sowing period should be handled flexibly.

3. Cultivation techniques

1. Building the pile

Soak straw and other stalk materials or cottonseed hulls thoroughly in water; after pre-wetting, mix them fully with rice bran, sawdust, livestock and poultry manure and other raw and auxiliary materials and build a pile. The top of the pile is 80—90 cm wide.

2. Turning the pile

The pre-piling time is about 7 days; when the material temperature rises to about 70—75°C, the first turning should be carried out. During turning, add ammonium sulfate or urea to the compost; with the help of microorganisms, it becomes a nitrogen source usable by Agaricus blazei through fermentation. During the pre-piling period, fermentation in the middle layer of the pile is better and the material temperature is higher, but the compost around the sides is not fully fermented. When turning, mix thoroughly, moving the middle-layer compost to the outer perimeter and piling the outer compost into the center of the pile.

After 5 days, carry out the second turning, then turn again at intervals of 4 days, 4 days and 3 days (5 turnings in total, with a fermentation time of 23—25 days). To make the fermentation uniform inside and outside the pile, when turning, the compost in the middle should be turned to the outside and the outer compost piled in the middle. After fermentation, the compost becomes brown; when the fibers break easily when pulled by hand, fermentation is complete. After pile fermentation, the moisture content of the compost is about 60 to 75%. If the pH value is too high or too low, it can be adjusted with superphosphate or slaked lime. In order to make uniform, fully mature, high-quality compost, turning is a very important process and must not be done carelessly.

3. Filling and bedding

Agaricus blazei can be grown both indoors and outdoors. For indoor cultivation, 4—6 layers of shelving beds can be set up, or a spacious mushroom house and shelving beds can be used; spread the fully mature compost evenly, neither loose nor tight, on the mushroom bed, with a thickness of 20 cm as suitable. After the compost is put on the bed, carry out "secondary fermentation", that is, close the entrances and vents of the mushroom house, raise the temperature of the mushroom house to 55—60°C, and maintain it for about 2 days; sow only after the material temperature drops to 25°C. Outdoor cultivation is carried out under a shade shed, with a bed width of 1.3 m and any length. The shade shed is 2—2.3 m high, and the top and surroundings are shaded with straw curtains and shade nets (requiring alternating light and shade), the bed is shaped into a turtle-back form, slightly higher in the middle than around the edges, and drainage ditches are opened well. If grown on mountain land, flood-control ditches must also be opened. Spray the surface of the bed with chemical pesticides to kill insect pests. Then spread the fully mature compost onto the bed, generally with a thickness of 20—25 cm (calculated by dry material, about 16—20 kg of compost per square meter).

4. Sowing and management

Gently break apart the wheat-grain spawn, evenly scatter 2/3 on the surface of the compost, shake it appropriately with a fork so that the spawn falls into the material, scatter 1/3 on the bed surface, and finally cover the spawn with about 1 cm of compost. The sowing rate is 1-2 bottles per square meter.

For outdoor cultivation, after sowing, cover the bed with plastic film to keep it warm and moist. Generally, within 5 days after sowing, there is no need to uncover the film, nor to spray water; on the 6th day, uncover the film for ventilation. The relative air humidity should be 85 to 90%; if the material surface is dry, spray water to keep it moist. Under normal conditions, ventilate once every 2 days.

Indoor cultivation should also pay attention to changes in temperature and humidity in the mushroom house. Keep it warm and moist, and let more fresh air enter the mushroom house; do not let it feel stuffy and hot in the mushroom house every day.

5. Casing soil

The time for casing soil is after the Agaricus blazei mycelium is seen to have established itself in the compost. Generally about 20 days after sowing, when the mycelium has grown to 2/3 of the entire compost, begin casing soil. The quality of the soil particles covering the compost and the method of casing soil have a very large impact on the yield of Agaricus blazei. Therefore, casing soil is a very important task in cultivation. The soil particles used for casing should not be too hard; the best are large soil particles that contain no fertilizer, are fresh, and have good water retention and aeration. In China, field subsoil is generally used, with a moisture content of 70 to 75%.

Casing soil can use a flat-laying method or a "gear" method. That is, first cover the material surface with a layer of soil particles about 1 cm thick, then at intervals of 10 to 15 cm make a soil ridge 10 cm wide and 5 cm high, about 3—4 cm thick. For outdoor cultivation, insert bamboo or wooden strips on both sides of the bed into an arched shape, then cover with plastic film so that it grows in a microclimate. The temperature inside the covered film should preferably not exceed 30°C; if too high, uncover the film to lower the temperature, and the relative humidity should not be lower than 85%.

Agaricus blazei is similar to the button mushroom in cultivation process; if conditions permit, the two kinds of mushrooms can be grown at the same time to obtain higher economic benefits.