Methods and Key Technical Points for Large-Scale Cultivation of the Tea Tree Mushroom (Agrocybe aegerita)
How is the tea tree mushroom cultivated on a large scale? Please explain the methods. For large-scale cultivation of the tea tree mushroom, you can refer to the following methods: 1. Build mushroom sheds: Whether indoor mushroom rooms or outdoor mushroom houses (or plastic greenhouses) are used, according to the requirements of pollution-free production, the environmental conditions must be optimized, and the soil, water quality, and water sources must be free of pollution. For intensive...
How is the tea tree mushroom cultivated on a large scale? Please explain the methods.
For large-scale cultivation of the tea tree mushroom, you can refer to the following methods:
1. Build mushroom sheds: Whether indoor mushroom rooms or outdoor mushroom houses (or plastic greenhouses) are used, according to the requirements of pollution-free production, the environmental conditions must be optimized, and the soil, water quality, and water sources must be free of pollution. For intensive production houses and sheds, measures can be adapted to local conditions. Bamboo and wood can be used as the frame, with heat-insulating expanded plastic boards on all sides to form the mushroom room. Inside, 6-7 tiers of shelf beds are set up, each room 250-300 sq m, for a one-time cultivation of 10,000 bags. The mushroom room must be hygienic, able to retain heat, retain moisture, and ventilate, with reasonable lighting.
2. Cultivation season: The mycelium of the tea tree mushroom grows at 10-34°C, with the optimum temperature 24-28°C; the fruiting body forms and grows at 12-34°C, with the optimum temperature 22-28°C. According to these biological characteristics, spring and autumn are suitable for arranging the cultivation season. In spring, inoculation is suitable in February, with mushrooms emerging in April; in autumn, inoculation in August, with mushrooms emerging in October. This makes full use of natural temperatures.
3. Mushroom substrate process: The production process of tea tree mushroom bags: ingredient mixing - stirring - bagging - sterilization, all carried out according to conventional operations. Commonly used substrate formulas include:
① Cottonseed hulls 50%, mixed sawdust 22%, wheat bran 20%, lime powder 2%, cornmeal 5%, gypsum powder 1%; ② Tea seed hulls 40%, cottonseed hulls 32%, wheat bran 20%, lime powder 2%, cornmeal 5%, superphosphate 1%; ③ Mixed sawdust 72%, wheat bran 20%, sucrose 2%, calcium carbonate 1%, superphosphate 1%, gypsum powder 1%.
Different raw materials are treated separately before mixing. Tea seed hulls should be crushed into particles the size of rice grains, first soaked in 1%-2% lime water for 10-14 hours, then removed and set aside. Cottonseed hulls need to have water added 24 hours in advance, then stirred and piled to allow them to absorb water. To prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, the cottonseed hulls can also be pre-wetted with lime water before mixing. The moisture content of the substrate should be kept at 60%.
Specifications of cultivation bags: For upright bag cultivation, commonly used are 15×32 cm (or 17×38 cm), 5 mm thick high-pressure polypropylene plastic bags. For factory-like production plants, it is best to use "space bag" automatic punch-and-fill bagging machines to increase production output.
4. Inoculation and cultivation: Select high-quality spawn of the appropriate age, with spawn age not exceeding 80 days. When inoculating, when the bag temperature does not exceed 30°C, place the bags into the inoculation box. Various inoculation tools must be disinfected with 75% alcohol before being placed into the inoculation box, then fumigated with a disinfectant by igniting it for 15-20 minutes for sterilization, and only then can inoculation begin. During inoculation, the bag opening should be close to the flame of the alcohol lamp, with the bag opening facing downward. Except for a small amount of spawn inserted into the hole, most of the spawn is placed on the surface of the substrate, and then the bag opening is tied tightly. After inoculation, place the bags on the shelves in the mushroom room for cultivation, maintaining the temperature at 23-25°C, air humidity not exceeding 70%, and weak scattered light. Autumn-planted spawn-running periods often encounter high temperatures, so pay attention to spreading out the bags to dissipate heat, strengthen ventilation to lower the temperature, and also prevent rodent damage to avoid contamination by miscellaneous bacteria.
5. Fruiting management: When the bags are full of mycelium, after about another 10 days, when the accumulated temperature is 1600-2000°C, move them into a pre-disinfected production room and open them. Before opening, rinse the bags with 0.5% potassium permanganate solution. After drying, use a blade to cut a small opening of about 3 cm at the top of the bag (or cut off the tied opening) above the plastic film bag, and cover with plastic film. In some places, mushroom growers use a simple method: untie the bag opening, straighten the plastic film, and cover it with newspaper. At this stage, keep the indoor temperature at 20-28°C and the relative air humidity at 70%-75%. After opening, do not spray water directly, to avoid contamination by miscellaneous bacteria. Five days after opening, if humidity is too high, ventilate in the morning and evening for 10-15 minutes; if humidity is too low, spray water to increase humidity. From 12-16 days after opening, spray mist into the air, requiring the relative air humidity to reach 80%-90%; during mass fruiting, it should be raised to 90%-95%, not exceeding 97%. As the mycelium shifts from vegetative growth to the reproductive stage, the color of the substrate surface changes. Initially yellow water appears, then dark brown patches appear, followed by small mushroom buds. As long as temperature and humidity are suitable, mushrooms will begin to emerge successively within 15-20 days after opening.
6. Timely harvesting: From mushroom bud to harvest generally takes 5-7 days. When the cap is hemispherical and the ring has not yet separated from the stipe, it should be harvested; if overdue, it affects commercial quality. After harvesting the first flush of mushrooms, stop spraying water for 5-6 days, allowing the mycelium to resume growth and accumulate nutrients for the next flush. After 15 days, raise the air humidity to above 90% to promote the growth of the second flush. From the end of the first flush to the emergence of the second flush generally requires an interval of about 7-15 days. After that, follow the above management methods to produce the third flush. After harvesting the third flush, if the substrate in the bag is dry and depleted of water, the bags can be removed and cultivated with soil covering to increase humidity, and mushrooms can continue to grow. As long as management is proper, generally each bag can produce more than 200-300 g of fresh mushrooms, with a dry weight of 30-50 g.
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