Latest Cultivation Techniques and Methods Tutorial for Cordyceps sinensis

Cordyceps sinensis is also called cordyceps, winter worm summer grass, and summer grass winter worm. It is the stroma of the fungus Cordyceps sinensis (family Clavicipitaceae, genus Cordyceps) and the dried insect body of its host. Sweet, warm. It nourishes the lungs and tonifies the kidneys, and is mainly used for pulmonary tuberculosis, hemoptysis, deficiency asthma, night sweats, seminal emission, impotence, and soreness and pain of the waist and knees. It mostly grows in high-cold mountain areas, grasslands, river valleys, and among grasses. It is distributed in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan, Tibet and other provinces and autonomous regions.

Plant Characteristics

Cordyceps sinensis is a fungus of the class Ascomycetes, order Hypocreales, family Clavicipitaceae, genus Cordyceps, which parasitizes the larvae of moths of the order Lepidoptera, forming an insect-fungus complex. Its overall shape is formed by the insect body and the fruiting body connected together. The exterior is yellow-brown or yellowish-brown. The insect body closely resembles a silkworm, slender and cylindrical, 3-5 cm long, about 0.3-1 cm thick, with 20-30 distinct segments and 8 pairs of legs on the abdomen, with the middle 4 pairs being especially distinct. The fruiting body refers to the reproductive organ that extends outside the host insect body and is visible to the naked eye, formed after repeated knotting and differentiation of hyphae. It is relatively brittle in texture, yellow-white in cross-section, with a reddish-brown head, and bears a stroma. The stroma is mostly solitary, slender like a club, 4-10 cm long, enlarged at the top, brown on the surface, slightly tough in texture, yellow-white and fibrous in cross-section. The head of the stroma bears perithecia scattered or densely, and within the perithecia countless asci are formed, and within the asci are the ascospores capable of sexual reproduction.

Growth Characteristics

The distribution of Cordyceps sinensis is closely related to topography, landforms, and altitude. Its host, the swift moth, prefers to grow on moist, low-temperature, sunny, well-drained terrain and landforms.

Cultivation Techniques

1. Cultivation conditions. Artificial cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis mainly requires two conditions: fungal spawn and insects.

① Fungal spawn: The cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis first requires excellent pure spawn. First, it should be early-maturing and high-yielding, mainly to shorten the production cycle and reduce costs. Second, it should have strong infectivity, requiring the spawn to have strong vitality, with a survival rate of 95% or above, able to quickly infect insects and cause them to sicken and die as soon as possible. Third, it should have a wide range of adaptability, especially having a certain resistance to environmental temperature changes and infection by other miscellaneous fungi.

② Insects: Insects mainly use swift moth larvae as the host of Cordyceps sinensis. The larvae must be alive, and larger, fatter individuals are better. The quantity depends on one's own cultivation. Generally, each square meter requires 1 kg of larvae, one stock culture, and 50 kg of fine sandy soil, and can produce 0.5 kg of fresh Cordyceps sinensis, 0.05 kg of dried product, worth 100 yuan.

③ Environment: Artificial cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis can be done regardless of altitude; the key depends on temperature. Cordyceps sinensis is a medium- and low-temperature type fungus. The suitable temperature for mycelial growth and reproduction is 5-32°C, the most suitable is 12-18°C, and 10-25°C is suitable for the formation of sclerotia and stroma.

④ Cultivation season: Using natural temperature, two crops can be cultivated per year, in spring from March to May and in autumn from September to November. If temperature is artificially controlled indoors, cultivation can be done all year round, and the growth period can also be shortened.

2. Cultivation methods. There are many cultivation methods for Cordyceps sinensis, including indoor and outdoor bottle cultivation, box cultivation, bed cultivation, and open-field cultivation, which can be chosen freely according to one's own conditions. Regardless of the cultivation method, before cultivation the fungal insects must first be cultivated, so that the insects are infected with this virus-carrying fungal liquid before entering the soil. By the time they enter the soil they are already seriously ill and unsuitable for crawling around, which is conducive to early death, rapid emergence, and uniform growth. The method of cultivating fungal insects is to spray the prepared liquid spawn onto the larvae with a sprayer until wet, spraying twice a day. After 3 days, the larvae affected by the fungal liquid show slowed movement and are in a comatose state, and then cultivation can proceed.

① Bottle cultivation: Suitable for home cultivation. Use ordinary cans, wash them clean, first line the bottle with a layer of 2.5-3 cm of fine sandy soil with a soil moisture content of 60%, then place the larvae infected with the fungal liquid on top. It is best to place two larvae per bottle, requiring that the two larvae do not press close together, with the belly facing downward and the body extended. Then cover with 3 cm of fine sandy soil and press the surface slightly flat. To maintain moisture, seal the mouth with plastic film and place it under suitable temperature indoors or outdoors for management, avoiding direct sunlight.

② Box cultivation: Also suitable for home cultivation. Wooden boxes and plastic basins of various sizes can be used for cultivation. The bottom and sides of the wooden box should have plastic film to prevent water loss. First spread 5-7 cm of fine sandy soil, then evenly place the fungal insects, with each insect 2-3 cm apart, then cover with 3-5 cm of sandy soil, and use plastic film on the surface to retain moisture. To save space, the wooden boxes can also be stacked.

③ Bed cultivation: Bed-frame cultivation is a development method for large-scale production. This method is generally suitable indoors and can make full use of indoor space for tiered cultivation, saving space. The bed frame is 100 cm wide, and the length is designed according to one's room. It is made of bamboo and wood, with each layer having four sides 12 cm high for retaining soil. During cultivation, first spread a layer of plastic film, then pour in 5-7 cm of fine sandy soil and pat it flat, place the fungal insects at the same distance as for box cultivation, cover with 3-5 cm of sandy soil, and then cover with plastic film.

④ Open-field cultivation: Refers to outdoor cultivation. The key to outdoor cultivation is to choose a good site. First, direct sunlight and rain erosion must be avoided, and the environment should provide shade, drainage, drought prevention, and protection from trampling by people and livestock. Cultivation methods can be either flat-ground style or furrow style. Flat-ground cultivation is to remove 15 cm of topsoil from ordinary flat land, sloped land, or wasteland, 100 cm wide and of unlimited length, then fill with 5 cm of sandy soil, place the fungal insects as described above, then cover with 5-7 cm of fine sandy soil, cover the outside with plastic film, with drainage ditches around and trees or a shade shed above for shade.

⑤ Furrow-style cultivation: Furrow-style cultivation can avoid the problems of sunlight and high temperature, and is suitable for cultivation in vast rural areas. The furrow is 100 cm wide, 50 cm deep, and of unlimited length, and can likewise drain on all sides. During cultivation, first spread 5 cm of fine sandy soil at the bottom of the furrow, then place the fungal insects as described above, then cover with 5 cm of fine sandy soil, and finally cover with plastic film. Bamboo arches are used beside the furrow, covered with straw curtains for shading and cooling.

3. Management techniques. The management techniques after cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis are very simple, mainly management of temperature, humidity, light, and air.

① Temperature: Cordyceps sinensis has relatively broad temperature requirements, generally low first and then high, but it is better to be too low and grow slowly than too high and be affected. Mycelial growth is best at 12-18°C. At low temperature growth is slow, but there are fewer miscellaneous fungi and the survival rate is high. Generally it will not freeze to death even at -40°C, but it will die above 40°C. In the later stroma growth stage, 20-25°C is favorable for growth.

② Humidity: Humidity management is the key to the growth and development of Cordyceps sinensis. The nutrients and humidity within the insect body can basically meet its growth requirements. It does not need external nutrients and humidity, and only needs the external environment to keep the insect body's own temperature from drying out easily. Therefore, keep the sandy soil moist at all times, with a moisture content of 60% being suitable. If dry, spray a small amount of clean water to maintain corresponding moisture.

③ Light: Cultivation of Cordyceps sinensis does not require strong light; avoiding light is better. In the later stage of stroma development, scattered light is better, but it must not be exposed to direct sun. Especially for outdoor cultivation, shading should be done by means such as tree shade, artificially built shade sheds, and straw curtain covering.

④ Air: The mycelial growth stage of Cordyceps sinensis does not need much air. Especially when the stroma is about to emerge from the soil, the plastic film should be removed immediately to increase air, so as to facilitate stroma growth, and maintain relative air humidity at about 75%-95%. It tends to mature 10-20 days after emerging from the soil.

Harvesting and Processing

Under natural conditions, the growth period of Cordyceps sinensis is generally 9 months, and the speed of growth mainly depends on the nature of the variety. The maturity standard is when the stroma emerges from the soil and extends 3-5 cm, and the top develops into the ascocarp “brush tip”, at which point it can be harvested.

① Harvesting method: Use a bamboo or wooden stick to gently scrape away the sandy soil and pick out Cordyceps sinensis, placing it in a basket. Be careful not to break the insect body from the stroma, and even more not to scrape the insect body or stroma to pieces. After collecting, rinse off the mud and sand with water, and promptly dry in the sun or dry by heat.

② Processing method: Packaged Cordyceps sinensis is processed using loose cordyceps as raw material. That is, after the loose cordyceps absorbs moisture again, straighten them, tie every 7-10 pieces into small bundles with thread, and bake over a low fire until completely dry. Then 48 small bundles are packed tail to tail into iron compartments, in three layers, with more than 16 per layer, pressed and sealed, fumigated with sulfur and dried, and the trademark is added and tied firmly with red silk string. The specification requires that each package of cordyceps should remain at about 0.25 grams. Pack in wooden boxes, line with a layer of moisture-proof paper, bind the outside with iron straps, and store in a ventilated and dry place.