What to Do When Straw Mushrooms Die? Causes and Prevention Methods
My hometown has a lot of wheat straw. Can wheat straw be used to grow straw mushrooms? Wheat straw can be used to grow straw mushrooms, but the following points need attention: The straw mushroom is a high-quality edible fungus and a typical high-temperature mushroom species, suitable for summer cultivation. The optimal temperature for straw mushroom mycelium growth is 30-39°C, with the optimum at 36°C. Below 15°C or above 4...
When straw mushrooms first start fruiting, the young mushrooms often die. What should be done?During the fruiting period of straw mushrooms, young mushroom buds on the bed often shrivel, turn yellow, and eventually die. The causes of straw mushroom death are many-sided, and prevention should be the priority.
1. Death caused by improper watering. Spraying large amounts of water under high-temperature conditions covers the surface of young mushroom buds with a film of water, obstructing respiratory metabolism and causing them to wilt and die. This is especially serious under poor ventilation and excessively high carbon dioxide conditions. Preventive measures: (1) Start by adjusting the moisture of the growing substrate, adding enough water to the substrate all at once. After fruiting begins, avoid spraying water directly onto the substrate surface as much as possible; spray only into the air, onto the ground, and around the surroundings to maintain relative air humidity. (2) If the substrate surface is somewhat dry, a moderate amount of water may be sprayed. However, when spraying water onto the substrate surface and mushroom buds, spray "ventilation water," meaning allow air convection while spraying, and do not immediately cover the plastic film tightly after spraying, to prevent smothering the young mushrooms.
2. Death caused by overcrowding of young mushrooms. Excessive spawning, insufficient ventilation, and very dense young mushroom buds mean that the larger buds have a strong ability to absorb nutrients, while some smaller buds die due to lack of sufficient nutrients. Preventive measures: (1) The spawning rate should be appropriate, not excessive. (2) Attention should be paid to ventilation. (3) Supplement with a covering of fine soil to prevent mycelium from growing above the surface and to lower the fruiting position, so as to avoid overcrowded fruiting.
3. Death caused by improper harvesting: When harvesting the first flush to the second flush of mushrooms, careless operation may break or snap the mycelium of small mushroom buds, causing them to lose the ability to absorb water and nutrients and die. Therefore, when harvesting densely grown mushrooms, be careful not to damage the surrounding small mushrooms.
4. Death caused by phytotoxicity. When preventing and controlling pests, diseases, and contaminant fungi, improper methods may cause mushroom death due to phytotoxicity. Preventive measures: (1) Strictly sterilize and disinsect the growing substrate. (2) When spraying chemicals to control pests, diseases, and contaminant fungi, the dosage must be accurate, the spray must be even, and repeated spraying must be avoided to prevent phytotoxicity to young mushrooms.
5. Death caused by excessive carbon dioxide. During fruiting, if the mushroom house is poorly ventilated, oxygen is insufficient. In addition, vigorous mycelial respiration generates heat that cannot dissipate quickly, and the young mushrooms die from stuffiness. Preventive measures: (1) Open windows or lift the film promptly for ventilation, and spray water around the area to lower the temperature through evaporative heat absorption. (2) If exhaust fan equipment is available, turn on the exhaust fan for ventilation, which gives even better results.
More Straw Mushroom Cultivation Techniques
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