Key Cultivation Techniques for Intercropping Oyster Mushrooms with Cotton
Oyster mushrooms can be cultivated all year round, but those grown in the high-temperature season yield the greatest profit. Reasons: First, summer temperatures are high, making cultivation technically difficult, and pests and diseases occur easily, often leading to cultivation failure. Second, the total area under oyster mushroom cultivation in summer decreases, and total output is low, causing a shortage of fresh oyster mushrooms on the market and driving prices up. Base...
Plot Selection and Variety SelectionSelect a high-yielding field plot with flat terrain, good ventilation and sunlight, convenient drainage and irrigation, and close to a water source as the intercropping field, with rows oriented north-south. For cotton, choose varieties with a compact plant type, high yield, disease resistance, and a long growth period; for oyster mushrooms, choose strains that are high-temperature type, tolerant of high humidity, strongly drought-resistant, and fast in mycelial growth. Generally, purchase the stock spawn in early June; mycelial growth takes 35-40 days. Use a fermentation process, do not add phosphate fertilizer, and mix 0.2% carbendazim into the substrate before bagging, then sterilize under high pressure for 3-4 hours. Inoculate at constant temperature, with an inoculation rate of 5% of the substrate. Arrange the spawn bags in a cool, dark place, keeping the temperature at around 28°C. After 20-25 days, once the mycelium has fully grown, place them into the cotton field at the appropriate time.
Placement of Spawn Bags and Intercropping Specifications
For intercropping oyster mushrooms in cotton fields, prepare the cultivation substrate early. Better to have the bags waiting for the field than the field waiting for the bags. Only after the cotton field has closed its rows may the spawn bags be placed. The cotton row spacing is 100 cm, with a 30 cm footpath dug in the middle. Place two rows of spawn bags in each furrow, spray a small amount of water on top, then cover with 1 cm of fine sandy soil, and finally spray water once more on the covering soil. Per mu of cotton field, it is best to place 14,000 spawn bags. When placing the bags, use a small knife to make 3 vertical cuts 10 cm long on each bag, with the cut side facing up. After intercropping, primordia appear in 3-5 days, and fresh mushrooms can be harvested and marketed within a week.
Careful Management of the Mushroom Field and Timely Harvesting
Under normal conditions, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., spray water once every 3 hours to maintain the relative humidity in the field at 80%-90%. Once the oyster mushrooms mature, harvest them promptly to avoid rot caused by high temperature and high humidity. If rainy weather occurs, harvest early and carry out drainage work promptly. Oyster mushrooms intercropped in cotton fields are prone to pests such as gall midges and springtails, which can be controlled by spraying with a 1000-fold dilution of trichlorfon solution; contaminated mushroom caps should be removed promptly and some quicklime powder scattered around them.