Detailed Tutorial on the Latest Cultivation Techniques for Wood Ear Mushroom
Wood ear mushroom, also known as thick wood ear, yellow-back wood ear, white-back wood ear, etc., is a fungus of the family Auriculariaceae and genus Auricularia. It is distributed in most parts of China and mostly grows on the trunks or decaying wood of various trees such as willow, black locust, and mulberry. Its nutritional composition is similar to that of black wood ear, and it has the effects of clearing the lungs, tonifying qi, relieving pain, and invigorating blood circulation. Now let us take a look at the cultivation techniques for wood ear mushroom!
Cultivation Temperature
Wood ear mushroom is a medium-to-high temperature type fungus. The mycelium growth temperature range is ~37°C, with the suitable temperature being 25-30°C. Above 40°C, the mycelium stops growing. The fruiting body occurrence temperature is 18-34°C, with 22-28°C being most suitable. At this temperature, fruiting bodies occur in large numbers, with high yield and good quality. The optimal temperature for basidiospore germination is 22-25°C.
Cultivation Humidity
The mycelium growth of wood ear mushroom requires a substrate moisture content of about 60%, and the relative air humidity should be below 70%. If the substrate moisture content is too high, water accumulates at the bottom of the substrate, and mycelium growth slows or stops. The fruiting body development stage requires relatively high air humidity. The relative air humidity in the fruiting house should be 85-95%. At this humidity, fruiting bodies develop quickly, with large clusters and thick ear pieces. However, if the air humidity is too high, it is prone to contamination by competing fungi, causing ear rot.
Air Conditions
Wood ear mushroom is an aerobic fungus. During the growth and development process, if the air in the cultivation room (shed) is fresh and oxygen is sufficient, the mycelium grows vigorously, and fruiting bodies are easily formed, elongated, and opened. If ventilation is poor and carbon dioxide accumulates excessively, the growth of mycelium and fruiting bodies is inhibited, and it can also lead to contamination by competing fungi.
Light Conditions
The mycelium growth stage of wood ear mushroom generally does not require light. During the differentiation and formation stage of ear piece primordia, a certain amount of scattered light is needed. The intensity of light has a direct effect on the color and texture of the ear pieces. Under weak light conditions, the ear pieces are pale in color, with short and fine fuzz. Under strong light, the ear pieces are dark in color, with long and thick fuzz.
pH Level
The optimal pH for mycelium growth of wood ear mushroom is 6.0-7.5. When the pH is below 4.5 or above 8.5, the mycelium growth is weak and the growth rate is slow. During fruiting body growth, the suitable pH is 5.2-8.0, with the optimal pH being 6.5-7.0.
Note: Wood ear mushroom is a medium-to-high temperature type ear fungus, cultivated from spring-summer to summer-autumn. It has strong vitality, wide adaptability, and strong mold resistance. In addition, wood ear mushroom has strong alkali tolerance. By appropriately raising the pH of the substrate, the growth of competing fungi can be inhibited. Now let us continue to look at the cultivation techniques for wood ear mushroom.