Detailed Guide to Methods and Tips for Selecting Straw Mushroom Spawn
Superior straw mushroom spawn is produced on a straw substrate and overwintered (10-15°C). After overwintering, those proven by early cultivation to be high-quality and high-yielding are selected. Mother spawn (first-generation spawn) is then obtained through tissue isolation and further expanded for culture, to supply spawn for that year's production. Mushroom growers should pay attention to the following points when selecting straw mushroom spawn: 1. Straw...
Superior straw mushroom spawn is produced on a straw substrate and overwintered (10-15°C). After overwintering, those proven by early cultivation to be high-quality and high-yielding are selected. Mother spawn (first-generation spawn) is then obtained through tissue isolation and further expanded for culture, to supply spawn for that year's production.
Mushroom growers should pay attention to the following points when selecting straw mushroom spawn:
1. Straw mushroom mycelium is transparent, silvery gray, evenly distributed, and relatively sparse; the presence of reddish-brown chlamydospores indicates normal spawn. For straw mushroom mother spawn, stock spawn and cultivation spawn, if there are many chlamydospores, generally the fruiting bodies produced are smaller; conversely, the fruiting bodies are larger.
2. If white thread-like mycelium is mixed among the silvery gray straw mushroom mycelium, followed by the appearance of fish-egg-like granules that later turn yellow-brown, it may be contaminated with sclerotium-forming molds; if the mycelium in the bottle is excessively dense and white, it may also be contaminated with other microorganisms. Both should be discarded.
3. If the mycelium in the spawn bottle gradually disappears and mite-feeding patches appear, it indicates mite infestation and the spawn should be discarded.
4. If the mycelium in the bottle has shrunk and a water-soaked liquid with a fishy odor appears, the spawn cannot be used.
5. The spawn age of straw mushroom cultivation spawn is best around 18 days; those exceeding 30 days are best not used.