Analysis of the Causes of Mushroom Death and Control Measures

Mycelium aging causes mushroom death. When the mushroom spawn is subcultured too many generations, or the spawn is produced at too high a temperature, stored improperly, or kept for too long, the mycelium can degenerate and age, its vitality declines, and insufficient nutrient accumulation within the body leads to the shrinkage and death of mushroom buds. Countermeasures: Select high-quality spawn and promptly discard contaminated spawn; create conditions suitable for mycelial growth and development, keep the room clean and hygienic with fresh air, and strictly prevent high-temperature culturing; use spawn as soon as it is prepared and avoid long-term storage.

Continuous high temperature causes mushroom death. In the early stage of fruiting, when the temperature in the mushroom shed reaches above 20°C, the evaporation of water from the mushroom bed and the metabolism of the mushroom bodies accelerate, water and nutrients cannot be supplied adequately, and combined with poor ventilation, this can cause small mushroom buds to wither and die from lack of nutrients and water. Countermeasures: During the fruiting period, pay close attention to weather changes, adjust the shed temperature according to the air temperature, strengthen ventilation and air exchange, and strictly prevent high-temperature conditions inside the shed.

Poor ventilation causes mushroom death. When the mushroom shed has poor ventilation for a long time, the metabolic heat from the development of mushroom fruiting bodies cannot be quickly discharged, resulting in insufficient oxygen and excessively high carbon dioxide concentration (greater than 0.1%), which affects the normal growth and development of fruiting bodies and causes some young mushrooms to die. If high temperature occurs again, the mushroom death phenomenon becomes even more serious. Countermeasures: Pay attention to frequent ventilation and air exchange in the mushroom shed (generally 2 to 3 times per day), and ventilate in the morning and evening or at night when the temperature is high.

Improper watering causes mushroom death. If the casing soil is not replenished with water in time, or the fruiting water or mushroom-preserving water is sprayed excessively, mushroom buds can die. Countermeasures: During the fruiting stage, when the white fruiting bodies are the size of rice grains, watering must be light, the droplets must be fine, and the amount of water must be small, strictly preventing seepage into the substrate; when the fruiting bodies grow to the size of soybean grains, the amount of water sprayed can be slightly increased and the frequency of watering appropriately increased. At the same time, note that spraying with the doors closed should be avoided, and after each watering, indoor air circulation should be carried out immediately to reduce excessive humidity.

Unsuitable pH causes mushroom death. The suitable pH for the mycelial growth of edible fungi is 6 to 8. During the fruiting period, if the pH of the casing soil and the water used for spraying is below 5 or above 9, mushroom buds will die. Countermeasures: Prepare the culture substrate and casing soil according to requirements. Before watering, first test the pH of the culture substrate and casing soil, then reasonably determine the pH of the water used for spraying based on the test results, to prevent it from being too high or too low.

Pests and diseases cause mushroom death. Common diseases of mushrooms include rust spot disease and dry rot, and pests include red spiders, dung flies, gall midges, etc., all of which can cause mushroom death or reduce quality; in addition, excessive pesticide use during pest and disease control can also cause mushroom death. Countermeasures: In production, adhere to the comprehensive control principle of "prevention first, chemicals as a supplement," prevent pests and diseases from being brought into the mushroom bed with the culture substrate, eliminate pest and disease sources in the casing soil, thoroughly remove pathogenic bacteria and pests from the mushroom shed, and create environmental conditions suitable for mushroom growth; after pests and diseases occur, promptly remove diseased and dead mushrooms and use chemicals for control to avoid expansion and spread.

Harvest damage causes mushroom death. In the first and second flushes, fruiting is too dense, and during harvesting, vibration or mechanical damage can also cause some small mushrooms to die. Countermeasures: When picking mushrooms, the movements should be gentle and careful to avoid human-induced damage.