A Detailed Guide to Simple Preservation Methods for Edible Mushroom Mother Cultures
Simple Preservation Methods for Edible Mushroom Mother Cultures
Edible mushroom mycelium reproduces quickly and is prone to mutation, making strain preservation relatively difficult. Here are 4 effective and easy-to-implement methods.
I. Liquid Paraffin Preservation Method
After sterilizing liquid paraffin under high pressure, place it in an incubator for several hours, or in a desiccator for several days. Use a sterile pipette or syringe to draw up the liquid paraffin and inject it into the culture tube. The injected amount should be about 1 cm above the tip of the slant. Plug with a cotton plug, seal with wax, and store upright in a low-temperature place. It can be preserved for 5 years.
II. Wheat Bran Preservation Method
Weigh out a certain amount of wheat bran, add water or nutrient solution and mix well before use. Put the moist wheat bran into test tubes, sterilize under high pressure, then inoculate with the strain and culture at a suitable temperature. After the mycelium has developed well, place the test tubes at room temperature to dry. After drying, store in a dry place below 20°C. It can be preserved for 3 to 5 years.
III. Physiological Saline Preservation Method
Inoculate the strain into potato culture solution, using a 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask filled with 60 ml of culture solution, culture with shaking or shake 5 to 10 times a day, and culture for 5 to 7 days. Then transfer the formed mycelial pellets into test tubes containing 5 ml of sterile physiological saline, transferring 4 to 5 mycelial pellets per tube. Plug with a cotton plug and seal the tube opening with wax. Place at low temperature. It can be preserved for 1 year.
IV. Wheat Grain Preservation Method
Take high-quality wheat, wash it, then soak it in 20°C water for 5 hours, dry it slightly, and put it into tubes. The amount filled should preferably be 1/4 to 1/3 of the tube length. Sterilize, shake loose while hot, and after cooling, inoculate with mycelium. Culture at a suitable temperature, and stop culturing when sparse mycelium appears on most of the wheat grains. Then place it in a dry place below 25°C. It can be preserved for 1 to 2 years.