How to grow oyster mushrooms for high yields? Detailed explanation of key cultivation techniques
The oyster mushroom is an edible fungus of the genus Pleurotus in the family Pleurotaceae. Its flesh is plump and delicious, and it is rich in nutrients, containing abundant protein, amino acids, and various vitamins and minerals. It also contains physiologically active substances that can induce the synthesis of interferon, thereby enhancing human immunity, and has anti-cancer and cancer-preventing effects. Its cultivation value is extremely high. Let's take a look at the high-yield cultivation techniques for oyster mushrooms!
Morphological characteristics of the oyster mushroom
1. The fruiting bodies of the oyster mushroom grow in groups to clusters. The surface of the cap is moist, grayish-blue when young, almost black. The cap is 7-12 cm wide, sometimes larger. The spores are cylindrical, smooth, and the spore print is white.
2. The life cycle of the oyster mushroom begins with basidiospores germinating into monokaryotic hyphae. Monokaryotic hyphae (of different sexes) combine with each other to form dikaryotic hyphae. Dikaryotic hyphae combine with each other to form fruiting bodies.
Growing conditions for the oyster mushroom
1. Temperature: The spore formation temperature for the oyster mushroom is 12-20°C, spore germination is best at 24-27°C, mycelial growth ranges from 10-35°C, and fruiting body formation occurs at 10-30°C.
2. Humidity: The basic requirement for mycelial growth of the oyster mushroom is a water content of 65%, and fruiting body growth requires a relative air humidity of about 85%.
3. Nutrition: The main nutrients for the growth of the oyster mushroom are cellulose and lignin, nitrogen, carbon, mineral elements, etc.
4. pH: The oyster mushroom prefers a slightly acidic or neutral environment, with the most suitable pH value being 6.5-7.
5. Oxygen: The growing environment of the oyster mushroom must have sufficient oxygen and air circulation, and carbon dioxide accumulation must not exceed 1%.
6. Light: The mycelium of the oyster mushroom can grow normally under dark conditions. During the fruiting body development stage, it is very sensitive to light and must have a certain amount of scattered light.
Cultivation materials for the oyster mushroom
1. Cultivation site: The oyster mushroom can be cultivated in bottles, boxes, indoor large beds, and sunken beds, and can also be grown in tunnels. It has strong adaptability and can be cultivated under trees, in corners of walls, in orchards, etc.
2. Cultivation season: Generally, the oyster mushroom can be cultivated in three seasons of the year except summer. This is because the oyster mushroom is more tolerant of high temperatures than the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), but its tolerance of low temperatures is poorer than that of the oyster mushroom.
3. Cultivation raw materials: The raw materials for cultivating the oyster mushroom can be sourced locally, such as rice straw, cottonseed hulls, waste cotton, wheat straw, corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, sawdust, leaves, sugar beet waste pulp, paper scraps, etc.
① Sawdust and wheat bran medium: sawdust (broadleaf tree) 78%, wheat bran (or rice bran) 20%, sucrose 1%, calcium carbonate 1%, adjusted with water to a moisture content of about 60-65%.
② Cottonseed hull and wheat bran medium: cottonseed hulls 78%, wheat bran (or rice bran) 20%, sucrose 1%, gypsum powder 1%, adjusted with water to a moisture content of about 60-65%.
③ Sawdust, cottonseed hull, and wheat bran medium: sawdust 40%, cottonseed hulls 38%, wheat bran (or rice bran) 20%, sucrose 1%, gypsum powder 1%, adjusted with water to a moisture content of about 60-65%.
④ Rice straw and wheat bran medium: chopped rice straw 6-10 cm long 80%, wheat bran (or rice bran) 18%, sucrose 1%, gypsum powder 1%, adjusted with water to a moisture content of about 60-65%.
Cultivation techniques for the oyster mushroom
1. Spawn selection: Choose spawn with white, robust mycelium and a spawn age of about 20 days. It is particularly noteworthy that the spawn should not be transferred too many times, and contaminated spawn must absolutely not be used, otherwise it will bring a large amount of contaminating fungi to the mushroom bed.
2. Site disinfection: The cultivation site for the oyster mushroom must be disinfected. First spray with lime water, then spray with insecticide to eliminate contaminating fungi and pests within the cultivation environment. Indoors, close the doors and fumigate, and spray lime water and insecticide.
3. Pre-fruiting management: Management before fruiting is mainly about maintaining warmth for mycelial growth. Indoors, pay attention to ventilation; in sunken beds, pay attention to temperature changes. Also promptly observe whether there is contamination by foreign fungi on the surface of the substrate and take corresponding measures in a timely manner.
4. Post-fruiting management: After fruiting begins, the mushroom house should preferably be maintained at 20-25°C. Pay attention to ventilation and provide a certain amount of scattered light to promote primordium differentiation. Young mushroom buds should not be directly sprayed with water; instead, increase the relative air humidity. When the caps are flattening out, the water requirement is greatest, and at this time additional water should be sprayed.
5. Timely harvesting: When the fruiting bodies enter the mature stage, the caps are fully expanded, and the edges curl upward, they should be harvested promptly. After harvesting one batch, the bed surface should be cleaned once, and the substrate should be slightly compacted. Stop watering for 3-4 days to allow the mycelium to fully recover and accumulate nutrients before replenishing water.
6. Processing and storage: Generally, the first batch of mushrooms can be harvested 30 days after sowing, with a total of 3-4 batches harvested. The first 1-2 batches can basically account for about 80% of the total mushroom yield. For drying, salting, canning, etc., refer to the processing and storage methods for oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus).