Detailed Explanation of Key Points for Organic Cultivation of the Ferula Mushroom
Cultivation season: The suitable temperature for the mycelial growth of the Ferula mushroom is 5°C to 32°C, but it grows fastest in an environment at 25°C, and the best temperature for fruiting body growth is 8°C to 15°C. When cultivating the Ferula mushroom, spawn bags are generally made from September to October, and fruiting management is carried out from November to April of the following year.
Cultivation site and cultivation method: Rural idle houses (which must be renovated) can be used as cultivation sites, and if underground facilities (civil air-defense tunnels, national defense projects, basements) are equipped with light sources and ventilation facilities, they can also be used as cultivation sites. The Ferula mushroom is mainly cultivated on sterilized substrate in plastic bags. In the cultivation site, the bags can be placed in a single layer on the ground, cultivated in wall-type stacks, or placed on multi-layer mushroom racks to improve the utilization rate per unit area of the mushroom house. Regardless of which placement method is used to cultivate the Ferula mushroom, the surrounding environment must be clean, hygienic, free of pests, and free of pollution, and must also be fumigated with sulfur. The cultivation area must be well ventilated, with fresh and dry air.
Cultivation materials: Agricultural and forestry by-products can be reasonably combined to prepare a culture medium with comprehensive nutrition and good physical properties. Commonly used materials include cottonseed hulls, sawdust, sugarcane bagasse, wheat straw, rice straw, bran, etc., supplemented with minerals such as calcium carbonate and phosphate rock powder. These materials are all required to be fresh, free of mold, and free of moisture and caking.
Culture medium formulas: 1. Mixed sawdust 78%, bran 20%, calcium carbonate 1%, phosphate rock powder 0.95%, yeast tablets 0.05%; 2. Cottonseed hulls 78%, bran 20%, calcium carbonate 1%, phosphate rock powder 0.95%, yeast tablets 0.05%; 3. Sugarcane bagasse 78%, bran 20%, calcium carbonate 1%, phosphate rock powder 0.95%, yeast tablets 0.05%.
Spawn bag production and mycelial culture: Low-pressure polyethylene plastic bags can be used for Ferula mushroom spawn bags, with specifications of 15 cm x 28 cm or 17 cm x 33 cm. For the bagging process, refer to the bagging method for organic cultivation of shiitake mushrooms, and for sterilization, inoculation, and culture techniques, refer to the organic cultivation process for king oyster mushrooms.
Fruiting management: After the Ferula mushroom spawn bags are cultured at about 25°C for 1 to 1.5 months, the mycelium can fill the bags. When the mycelium has filled the bags for about 7 days, fruiting management can begin. First place the spawn bags on mushroom beds that have been sterilized and treated for insect pests, then induce fruiting by the following methods: first, adjust the temperature to 12°C to 15°C; second, adjust the relative air humidity to 85% to 95%; third, adjust the light to 200 to 1,500 lux; fourth, ventilate every day to facilitate air convection and keep sufficient fresh air in the cultivation space. Under suitable conditions of temperature, humidity, light, and air, primordia soon grow in the spawn bags. When fruiting body primordia appear on the surface of the spawn bag substrate, remove the cotton plug from the spawn bag and take off the collar ring on the bag, and adjust the relative air humidity to about 95% to promote continued growth of the primordia. When the primordia grow to 2 cm in size, increase ventilation, and when the relative air humidity is lowered to 80% to 90%, the temperature can be adjusted to 15°C to 18°C. Under these conditions, cultivate until the fruiting body cap gradually begins to flatten from an inward-curled state, then harvest. The Ferula mushroom is generally harvested only once, and after harvesting, the spawn bags should be removed promptly.