What are the causes of excessive vegetative growth of shiitake mushroom mycelium and how to prevent and control it?
Shiitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) is an important edible mushroom species with strong edible and medicinal value, and it is cultivated in all regions of our country, but many people encounter the phenomenon of excessive vegetative growth of mycelium during cultivation, which affects the formation of fruiting bodies. So what are the causes of excessive vegetative mycelium growth? How should it be prevented and controlled? Let's take a look at the detailed introduction from Qinnong.com.
1. The harm of excessive vegetative mycelium growth
So-called excessive vegetative mycelium growth means that the mycelium grows too vigorously in the cultivation substrate. This situation does not only occur in shiitake mushrooms; it is a common physiological disease of many edible mushroom species. Excessive vegetative mycelium growth consumes and wastes a large amount of nutrients in the culture material, resulting in an insufficient nutrient supply during fruiting, thereby affecting the formation of fruiting bodies. In addition, if the mycelial skin is too thick, the respiration of the mycelium is inhibited, making it difficult for fruiting bodies to grow, which leads to slow fruiting or no fruiting.
2. Causes of excessive vegetative mycelium growth
There are various causes of excessive vegetative mycelium growth, most of which are related to problems with the growing environment and the cultivation substrate. If the shiitake mushroom cultivation room has too few windows or is built in a concealed environment, causing the interior to be dark with little light, it may cause excessive vegetative mycelium growth. When mixing the nutrient material, if too much water is added, or if too much nutritional substance such as corn flour is added, it will also cause excessive vegetative mycelium growth. A high level of ventilation and air humidity in the indoor environment will also cause excessive vegetative mycelium growth. When lifting the covering film too gently or lifting and moving the film for too short a time, and so on, all these reasons will cause excessive vegetative mycelium growth.
3. Prevention and control methods for excessive vegetative mycelium growth
During the mycelial growth stage and the fruiting stage, a good environment must be created to promote the formation and growth of fruiting bodies. When the mycelium begins to turn dense and white and has grown to about 2 cm, the mycelium mostly grows unevenly. At this time, lift the film open for one to several days for ventilation, until the surroundings of the cultivation bag are no longer sticky to the touch, and then cover the film again.
On the second day, there is no need to lift or move the film. Let the water vapor in the culture material cause the mycelium to lie down and change color. If it does not lie down, strengthen ventilation and brush the mycelium with a tool to force it to lie down. Alternatively, spray very low-concentration lime water, let it dry, and then cover the film again, and it will change color and lie down.
The above are the causes of excessive vegetative growth of shiitake mushroom mycelium and the prevention and control methods brought to you by Qinnong.com. The content about excessive vegetative growth of shiitake mushroom mycelium is introduced here. If you want to learn more agricultural knowledge, please stay tuned to Qinnong.com.