How to effectively prevent deformed mushrooms in winter oyster mushroom cultivation
In winter, temperatures are low and there are few contaminating microorganisms in the air, making it a good season for cultivating oyster mushrooms. However, the following types of deformed mushrooms easily appear during cultivation: thick-stipe mushrooms. After primordium formation, the differentiation and development speed of the cap is abnormal, manifesting as a small cap, a long stipe, and a thick, hard stipe, with relatively low commercial value. The main cause is the use of...
In winter, temperatures are low and there are few contaminating microorganisms in the air, making it a good season for cultivating oyster mushrooms. However, the following types of deformed mushrooms easily appear during cultivation:
Thick-stipe mushrooms: After primordium formation, the differentiation and development speed of the cap is abnormal, manifesting as a small cap, a long stipe, and a thick, hard stipe, with relatively low commercial value. The main cause is the use of closed-type heat-preservation and cold-protection measures, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply in the mushroom shed (room) and loss of balance in nutrient transport within the mushroom body. Preventive measures are: when continuous low-temperature weather occurs, if the mushroom-producing shed (room) adopts closed-type heat preservation and cold protection, attention should be paid to short periods of ventilation at noon, but strong winds must not blow directly onto the substrate surface, to prevent young mushrooms from dying.
Blue mushrooms: When the mushroom body grows, a blue halo appears at the edge of the cap, and in severe cases the entire mushroom body looks as if blue ink has been splashed on it, and it no longer fades even when the mushroom body is harvested. The cause is: using firewood, coal fire, or other smoke-generating heating methods increases toxic carbon monoxide gas in the mushroom shed (room), causing poisoning of the mushroom body and stimulating a discoloration reaction in the mushroom body. Preventive measures are: in winter, heating methods for the mushroom shed (room) should preferably use sunlight, heating, or electric heat. If firewood or coal fire is used for heating, a closed heat-transfer and smoke-exhaust pipe should be installed.
Tumor-cap mushrooms: During the development of the mushroom body, growth is relatively slow, and tumor-like or granular protrusions appear on the cap surface. In severe cases, the cap becomes stiff and shrunken, the mushroom texture hardens, and growth stops. The cause is: the temperature during mushroom body development is too low, and the low temperature lasts too long, causing imbalanced growth between the inner and outer layers of cells in the cap. Preventive measures are: during cultivation, it is essential to clarify the minimum temperature that the cultivated mushroom variety can tolerate under the premise of normal development. For winter cultivation, medium-low temperature varieties should be selected, and heat preservation and warming measures should be strengthened, with good control of the fruiting temperature in the mushroom shed (room). Usually, the temperature in the mushroom shed (room) for medium-temperature varieties should be controlled above 8°C, and for low-temperature varieties it is advisable to control it above 0°C.