Latest Technical Methods and Tutorial for Pollution-Free Production of Edible Fungi

Preventing the Degradation of Edible Fungi

Preventing strain degradation can increase yields, reduce the occurrence and development of pests and diseases, and decrease the amount of pesticides applied, which is the foundation for producing pollution-free edible fungi.

1. The ambient temperature for culturing mushroom spawn must not exceed 28°C. In addition, properly cultured spawn should not be stored at room temperature for more than half a month.

2. Properly master the spawn emergence time and temperature of the culture medium to prevent the destruction of nutrients, and the pH must be appropriate.

3. The culture medium should be changed frequently; for example, culture medium materials such as peptone, wheat bran, and potato should be used alternately.

4. Do not use up the stock culture all at once; it should be taken in portions, and the remainder should be stored at low temperature to prevent excessive subculturing.

5. Each year, select fruiting bodies that are large, grow normally, and are robust and free of pests and diseases for one tissue isolation, from which the superior are selected and the inferior eliminated, to expand inoculation and growth.

Integrated Pest and Disease Control

By strengthening the integrated management of edible fungus cultivation and creating an environment suitable for the growth of edible fungi but unfavorable for the reproduction of pests, diseases, and contaminant microorganisms, this is the key to producing pollution-free edible fungi.

1. Do a good job of environmental sanitation: spawn production and operating personnel must establish a normal cleaning and sanitation system, continuously remove dirt, and disinfect with chemicals. Mushroom houses, tools, and all indoor equipment must be cleaned and disinfected frequently; when entering and leaving the mushroom house, pay attention to the cleanliness of shoe soles and clothing, and it is best to change them promptly.

2. Choice of disinfection methods: give priority to physical disinfection methods such as high-pressure steam sterilization, intermittent atmospheric-pressure sterilization, pasteurization, and ultraviolet lamp sterilization. For chemical disinfection, give priority to alkaline and phenolic agents. Avoid disinfectants such as heavy metal salts.

3. Handle raw materials well: edible fungus culture materials must be protected from moisture, mildew, or breeding pests; when storing sawdust, straw, horse manure, etc. in piles, plastic film or felt should be placed underneath to prevent moisture, and the top should be well covered to prevent rain or debris from falling in; rice bran, wheat bran, cake meal, etc. are prone to mold and should be stored sealed; culture materials must be sterilized at high temperature or fermented and decomposed, and after the culture materials are brought into the mushroom house, post-fermentation must be carried out; casing soil materials must be disinfected with steam or formalin.

4. Adjust water usage and pH: the moisture of the culture medium must be appropriate. The pH must be appropriate and tested and adjusted at any time. The mushroom house must always maintain good ventilation, and the relative air humidity should not exceed 95%.

5. Properly protect the culture medium: the material bottles taken out of the pot or the sterilized culture medium should be protected to prevent secondary contamination; they should be covered with gauze or film, and when placed in the box for fumigation, they should also be wiped with medicinal solutions such as benzalkonium bromide to prevent contamination.

6. Strictly implement inoculation operating procedures: inoculation work is highly technical and must be done patiently and carefully; avoid touching, rubbing, or adhering; for all tools and containers, those that can be washed should be washed clean, those that can be fumigated should be fumigated, those that can be wiped with alcohol should be wiped with alcohol, and those that can be burned with an alcohol lamp flame should be burned with flame; for large quantities of cultivation spawn, two people can cooperate in inoculation, properly controlling the flame barrier, with one person holding the material bottle and one person specializing in inoculation, never leaving the flame mouth, and cooperating accurately.

7. Use artificial physical methods to control pests and diseases: for example, use blacklight lamps to trap and kill mushroom flies and mushroom mosquitoes; fully ferment the culture material (60°C, 2 to 4 hours) to kill nematodes and paederus beetles; remove rotting parts and disinfect with lime water. Improve the environment and adjust temperature (for example, lowering temperature to control Mycogone perniciosa), humidity (for example, lowering humidity to control Neurospora), and pH (for example, lowering pH to control white mold, etc.).

8. Strictly prohibit the use of highly toxic pesticides: do not use organic mercury preparations or organophosphorus preparations, nor pesticides with long residual time, difficulty in decomposition, and irritating odor. Give priority to botanical insecticides such as pyrethrum, derris, and tobacco extract, and microbial insecticides such as Bacillus thuringiensis and Beauveria bassiana.

Spraying Pollution-Free Mushroom Fertilizer

1. Spray peptone and yeast extract solution: spray the mushroom surface with a solution of 0.1% peptone and 0.3% yeast extract, which can make the mushroom bodies thick and promote flushing; the effect is best at room temperature of 14 to 16°C.

2. Spray decomposed human excrement and urine: boil human excrement and urine for 20 minutes, dilute with water 10 to 20 times and spray, or boil fresh horse urine and cow urine until no foam appears, dilute with water 7 to 10 times and spray. If there are small mushrooms on the mushroom bed, after spraying, spray once more with clean water.

3. Spray rice vinegar: in the middle and late stages of oyster mushroom growth, spray the mushroom surface with a 300-fold edible rice vinegar solution, once a day for 1 to 3 days before harvest, which can generally increase yield by 6%, and the color becomes even whiter.

4. Spray culture material leachate: soak 5 kg of fermented and decomposed dry material in 50 kg of boiling water, remove the residue after cooling, and spray; this can prolong the peak fruiting period and make the fruiting bodies thick.

5. Spray mushroom base water: cut 2.5 kg of washed mushroom bases, add 15 kg of water, boil for 15 minutes, take the clear liquid, add another 20 kg of water, and spray; this can prolong the peak period and make the fruiting bodies thick.

6. Spray soybean milk water: grind 1 kg of soybeans into soybean milk, dilute with 75 to 100 kg of water, filter the liquid and spray on the mushroom surface, then spray once more with clean water.

7. Spray glucose and calcium carbonate solution: prepare a solution containing 1% glucose and 0.5% calcium carbonate, and spray when the temperature is below 18°C. It has the effect of promoting mycelial growth.