Dry straw can serve as a new raw material for edible mushroom cultivation

1. Straw treatment: Select dry, mold-free aged straw as the raw material for straw mushroom cultivation. During the suitable cultivation period for straw mushrooms, choose a sunny day and sun-dry the straw for 2-3 days, then twist it into "8"-shaped bundles at 0.5 kg each, and soak them in 2%-3% lime water for 5-8 hours. Remove, drain, and pile for fermentation. When the pile temperature rises to 60-70°C, turn the pile; after re-piling, when the core temperature of the pile rises to 60-70°C, turn it again. The fermentation period is 5-7 days, with 2 turnings, so that the straw becomes soft. Well-fermented straw is soft in texture, breaks with a single pull, has a fresh fragrance, is not sour or foul-smelling, and is tea-brown in color.

2. Comparative study of mushroom spawn formulas: Through comparative study of 5 different formulas for primary spawn, it was found that the formula with added glucose gave the best mycelial growth. Through comparative study of 4 formulas for secondary and tertiary spawn, the best formula selected was: 9 kg wheat grains, 1 kg decomposed manure, 0.1 kg gypsum powder, 0.01 kg lime powder, an appropriate amount of water, pH 7.5. After bottling, cover each bottle with 15 g of decomposed livestock manure. With this formula, mycelial growth is best.

3. Laying material and sowing: When laying the material, leave a 4-5 cm gap every 60 cm for filling with soil, use about 12 kg of material per sq m, and lay it in all at once. Use wheat grain spawn, with a sowing rate of about 10% of the dry material. First sow in holes at a spacing of 5 cm x 5 cm, then broadcast 1 layer on the surface of the material, and finally press flat with a wooden board. After inoculation, when the temperature is above 20°C, check the mycelial growth on the 3rd day. If the material temperature under the film exceeds 28°C, ventilate at night to cool it down. Do not frequently uncover the film for ventilation, to avoid mold contamination. As long as water flows in the ditch of the bed, high temperatures generally will not occur. If miscellaneous fungi contamination is found, dissolve 50 g of caustic soda in 1 kg of water, and use a syringe to inject it into the contaminated area and a 1-week-wide outer ring; this has a certain control effect. Lime powder can also be used to cover the contaminated area. Press flat, cover with plastic film, and cover with straw for mycelial growth.

4. Mushroom fruiting management: After sowing, pay attention to temperature changes, keep the pile temperature below 32°C within 2 weeks to prevent high-temperature damage to the mycelium, and generally do not uncover the film. Starting from the 2nd week after sowing, ventilate once every 3 days. The method is to lift and shake the plastic film a few times to let excess carbon dioxide escape, then cover it again immediately. By the 4th week after sowing, the mycelium on the surface of the material can be seen as thick and white, with a strong mushroom fragrance. When yellow droplets appear on the surface of the material, it indicates that the mycelium has fully grown and mushrooms can begin to form (requires 25-30 days). At this time, increase temperature-difference stimulation and light stimulation, and after a few days a large number of primordia will appear. When the caps of the mushroom primordia grow to 1 cm, spray water into the air every day to maintain a relative air humidity of 85%-95%. From primordium formation to harvest takes 5-7 days; harvest and sell before the spores are discharged.