Causes and Control Methods of Mushroom Bud and Young Mushroom Death

1. Excessive temperature. When mushroom buds form and grow, if the temperature in the mushroom shed (room) suddenly rises or stays above 20°C for several consecutive days, combined with poor ventilation, the mushroom buds will shrivel, turn yellow, and eventually die. This situation often occurs in late autumn or early spring. Because the mushroom buds form under low-temperature conditions, their nutrients are transported from the mycelium to the fruiting body. When the temperature suddenly rises, the nutrients flow back from the fruiting body to the mycelium, and the mushroom buds die from lack of nutrients. Control methods: Pay close attention to temperature changes, adjust the temperature of the mushroom shed (room) well according to the weather forecast, keep the temperature of the mushroom shed (room) below 20°C, and strictly prevent sudden temperature rises in the mushroom shed (room).

2. Poor ventilation in the mushroom shed (room). In winter, in order to maintain the temperature of the mushroom shed (room), mushroom growers often keep the mushroom shed (room) tightly closed and neglect ventilation. It may also be that because the mushroom shed (room) is too large, although there are ventilation holes around it, the ventilation is uneven, the air inside and outside the mushroom shed (room) cannot be exchanged, the air supply inside the mushroom shed (room) is insufficient, and the mushroom buds or young mushrooms suffocate and die because they cannot get enough oxygen. Control methods: Under no circumstances should ventilation of the mushroom shed (room) be neglected. Ventilate 1-2 times a day. When the temperature is high, ventilate in the morning or evening; when the temperature is low, ventilate around noon, and the ventilation time can be appropriately shorter. On windy days, open only the ventilation holes on the leeward side, while on windless sunny days, open all ventilation holes so that the air can circulate fully.

3. Improper watering. During the growth period of young mushrooms, spraying water directly onto the mushroom bed and the mushroom bodies makes the humidity inside the mushroom shed (room) too high. If the mushroom shed (room) has poor ventilation, the accumulated water on the mushroom bodies cannot dissipate in time, forming a water film on the surface of the mushroom bodies, which drowns them or induces bacterial diseases, causing the young mushrooms to rot and die. If the mushroom logs or casing soil layer lack water, the young mushrooms cannot get enough water and wither and die. It is also possible that when the temperature in the mushroom shed (room) is high, water is sprayed directly onto the mushroom bodies, and the mushroom buds die from sudden stimulation. Control methods: When the temperature in the mushroom shed (room) is above 20°C, do not spray water. Pay attention to ventilation each time you spray water, and do not spray water in a stuffy environment. During the mushroom bud or young mushroom stage, do not spray water directly onto the mushroom bodies and mushroom bed. Spray water toward the ground and the air to maintain suitable humidity in the mushroom shed (room). When the mushroom logs or casing soil are short of water, replenish water in time to adjust humidity.

4. Overdense fruiting. For bed-cultivated edible fungi such as button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) and shaggy mane mushroom (Coprinus comatus), because the compost is too dry or the casing soil is too thin, the mycelium grows quickly after casing, forming dense mushroom buds on the surface layer. However, because the nutrients cannot meet the needs of too many mushroom buds, some of the mushroom buds die. For bag-cultivated mushrooms such as shiitake (Lentinula edodes) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus), when the mycelium has not yet matured, encountering a large temperature difference between day and night, or too many times of turning the mushroom bags, or too long soaking time, will also form dense mushroom buds, and most of these mushroom buds die. Control methods: Control the casing soil thickness at 3-5 cm. After casing, spray water in time to adjust humidity so that the soil moisture content remains at 18%-20%. For bag cultivation, cultivate until the mycelium is physiologically mature, and then induce fruiting. When inducing fruiting, the duration of temperature difference stimulation should not be too long; 3-4 days is sufficient.

5. Damage from diseases and pests and improper pesticide use. Damage from diseases and pests, or excessive spraying, or too high pesticide concentration, will all cause mushroom buds or young mushrooms to die, or even cause cultivation failure. Control methods: During the fruiting period, do not use chemical methods for control. Trapping and manual capture methods can be used for control. If pesticides must be used, they can only be used after the mushrooms are harvested, choosing low-toxicity, low-residue drugs, and the concentration used should be controlled within the permitted range.