Enoki mushroom water management: remember these five key points

Enoki mushroom cultivation has relatively high management requirements, especially the water requirements during the fruiting body development stage. The five-point formula for water management is introduced below for growers' reference.

First, preserve moisture. After the mycelium reaches the bottom of the bag, immediately open the bag and scratch the surface, remove the old mycelial skin, and cover with wet newspaper or plastic film to preserve moisture and stimulate pinning. If covered with newspaper, spray water in small amounts but frequently (3-4 times per day) to keep the newspaper moist; if covered with plastic film, spray water on the ground and into the air to maintain air humidity at about 90%. During this period, open the windows for ventilation once a day, keep the room temperature at 10°C-14°C, and after 5-7 days mushroom buds will emerge in large numbers.

Second, lower. When the mushroom buds grow to 1-2 cm, they enter the growth inhibition stage. At this time, reduce or stop spraying water and lower the humidity. For 3-5 consecutive days, open doors and windows at night to let cold air in to reduce temperature and dissipate moisture, lowering the room temperature to below 8°C (4°C-5°C is best) and the humidity to about 75%, so that the fruiting bodies are inhibited and grow uniformly and thickly.

Third, promote. When the fruiting bodies grow to 3-4 cm long and enter the elongation stage, spray water 4-5 times per day. The amount of water sprayed increases as the mushrooms grow, keeping the air humidity at about 90% (that is, fine water droplets adhering to the bag wall at the base of the fruiting bodies is ideal), to promote rapid growth of the fruiting bodies. At the same time, provide appropriate ventilation and adopt alternating dry and wet conditions to inhibit cap enlargement and promote stipe elongation. At this stage, the amount of water sprayed should be determined by the weather: spray more on sunny days and less on rainy days, to prevent root rot, brown spot disease, and excessive water content in the mushroom bodies that reduces quality due to excessive water use. Never spray water onto the mushroom caps. If the newspaper is found to be damaged, replace it promptly, and if water accumulates on the newspaper, pour it off immediately, to prevent the mushroom bodies from contacting water droplets and developing black spots, which affects the commercial appearance.

Fourth, replenish. After the first flush of mushrooms is harvested, the water content of the mushroom bags drops by 20%-30%, and after the second flush is harvested it drops by 30%-50%. Therefore, after the first and second flushes are harvested, immediately spray water into the scratched mushroom bags to replenish moisture. The method is: for 2-3 consecutive days, spray water directly into the bags 2-3 times per day, each time just enough to moisten the surface of the mycelial column, but do not allow water to accumulate in the bags. To increase yield, a small amount of urea, white sugar, potassium dihydrogen phosphate, etc. can be added to the water to supplement nutrients.

Fifth, soak. After the third flush is harvested, the water content of the mycelial column has dropped below 50%. At this time, the plastic bag can be removed, and the mycelial column placed in a pool of water to soak. When the mycelial column has absorbed water and returned to its original weight when the bag was opened, take it out, dry it slightly, and put it into a bag. Water can also be injected directly into the bag for soaking; after the mycelial column has absorbed enough water, pour off the excess water in the bag. After replenishing water, rearrange the mushroom bags on the bed racks, cover with wet newspaper, and manage as usual; in this way, two more flushes can be harvested.

Dong Ruozheng, Pingxiang County Agriculture Bureau