What Causes Shiitake Mushroom Log Rot? A Detailed Guide to Prevention and Control
Shiitake mushroom is one of the common mushrooms, with extremely high edible and economic value, but during cultivation, log rot often occurs for certain reasons. So-called log rot refers to a type of rotting disease that appears in shiitake mushroom cultivation from the mycelial stage to the fruiting stage. It causes the mycelium to gradually disappear, and finally the entire culture material of the fungal log becomes soft and rotten, appearing as black muddy rot with a foul odor, leading to rejection and harming growers' interests. So what causes log rot? And how should it be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look together.
1. Improper preparation of culture material
During cultivation, if the culture material is improperly prepared and not fully and evenly mixed, or if the urea, lime powder and other substances in it are excessive or too concentrated, then once high temperatures are encountered during cultivation or after piercing and ventilation, these substances will have the opposite effect, instead restricting mycelial growth, ultimately causing mycelial death and resulting in log rot.
Prevention and control methods: When preparing the culture material, it must be carried out strictly according to the formula. Do not add more or less of any substance. After stirring it sufficiently, carry out high-temperature sterilization before inoculating the spawn. The inoculated spawn is best chosen from varieties with strong adaptability and strong stress resistance, to reduce the impact of this situation.
2. Poor ventilation
During cultivation, because the ventilation conditions of the culture room are poor, the concentration of carbon dioxide and other toxic gases indoors is relatively high. During growth, the mycelium cannot grow normally due to insufficient oxygen, and it also consumes a large amount of nutrients, so log rot occurs.
Prevention and control methods: During cultivation, ventilation should be strengthened to release carbon dioxide and toxic gases and balance oxygen. However, when ventilating, be careful not to ventilate all at once. Open the ventilation openings slowly, and never let the fungal bags come into contact with cold wind.
3. Temperature too high
If the temperature of the culture room exceeds the suitable temperature for shiitake mushroom growth, the stacked temperature of the fungal bags will continue to rise, ultimately causing weak mycelial growth or death and resulting in mushroom heating damage. In addition, excessively high humidity in the culture room can also lead to log rot.
Prevention and control methods: Both high temperature and high humidity can be reduced by strengthening ventilation to lower temperature and humidity. During high temperatures, shade nets can be set up around the culture room to bring the temperature down; otherwise, increasing air humidity is also acceptable. However, humidification is suitable for use in dry, high-temperature seasons and not suitable during rainy periods. On the contrary, during the rainy season, measures for ventilation and dehumidification should also be taken.
4. Direct sunlight
During cultivation, if the fungal logs are directly exposed to strong sunlight, the ultraviolet rays in sunlight will scorch the mycelium. Once scorched to a certain degree, the mycelium will be killed, and the fungal logs will produce yellow liquid, finally becoming infected by pathogens and developing log rot.
Prevention and control methods: During the mycelial cultivation stage, avoid direct sunlight and maintain a dark environment in the culture room so that the mycelium can grow and develop normally.
The above are the causes of shiitake mushroom log rot and the prevention and control methods. We hope this can help you. To learn more about shiitake mushroom cultivation knowledge, please stay tuned to us.