Detailed Explanation of Key Techniques for Raw-Material Cultivation of Winter Mushroom

Winter mushroom, also known as enoki mushroom, is a type of fungus that can grow in the harsh winter season. The fruiting bodies of the winter mushroom are small and attractive, and rich in nutrients. The winter mushroom is a premium edible fungus, but its spawn production and cultivation are not complicated. At present, cooked-material cultivation is mostly adopted in China. To save energy and reduce and simplify the procedures of high-pressure or low-pressure steaming of the substrate, relevant experts have achieved complete success through long-term cultivation experiments with raw materials. The new method for raw-material cultivation of winter mushroom is briefly introduced below.

I. Cultivation and Sowing Time. The winter mushroom is a low-temperature fungus, and the fruiting temperature is mostly between 5 and 15 degrees C. The optimum temperature for fruiting body growth is 5 to 8 degrees C. For raw-material cultivation, sowing is mostly carried out from October to December, and can also be extended to the Spring Festival.

II. Preparation of the Culture Substrate. Cottonseed hulls, wheat bran or other raw materials must be fresh, free of lumps and free of mold, and must be exposed to sunlight for 2 to 3 days for surface disinfection before use. The substrate formulas are: 1. Cottonseed hulls 78%, wheat bran 20%, white sugar 1%, gypsum 1%, carbendazim 0.2%; 2. Cottonseed hulls 96%, corn flour 3%, white sugar 1%, carbendazim 0.2%; 3. Cottonseed hulls 100%, carbendazim 0.2%. Notes: When mixing, the material-to-water ratio is 1:1.2 to 1.4, and the water content is 65% to 70%. After mixing the materials evenly, pile them up, cover the pile well with plastic film and let it sit for 2 hours. If it is not piled and left to sit, or if the time is less than 2 hours, carbendazim will not only fail to sterilize but may also easily cause harm, because carbendazim also has a killing effect on the spawn.

III. Cultivation and Sowing Methods

1. Raw-material bottle cultivation. (7) Sowing and bottling. Ordinary 500 g cans may be used. According to conventional practice, first disinfect the bottles, then fill them with the culture substrate. For bottle cultivation, layered sowing is preferable, that is, fill one layer of substrate and sow one layer of spawn, for a total of 3 layers, with the top layer given a larger sowing amount (that is, sealing the opening with spawn). The spawn and substrate must be tightly combined, and the total spawn amount is preferably 10%. When filling the bottles, do not press too tightly, nor too loosely; only moderate firmness is favorable for mycelial growth. After sowing, seal the bottles with plastic film and tie them tightly. (2) Mycelial growth culture. Send the inoculated bottles into the culture room for mycelial growth. Note that the room must be kept dark to create a black-room effect. Keep the room temperature at 5 to 12 degrees C. It takes about 30 to 35 days for the mycelium to fill the bottles and complete the vegetative growth stage. (2) Growth culture: Move the bottles with well-grown mycelium to the fruiting room to promote fruiting. First remove the plastic at the bottle mouth, lay newspaper over the bottle mouth, and spray the newspaper with water to keep it moist. Keep the room temperature between 5 and 15 degrees C, and keep the relative air humidity at 80% to 90%. After the fruiting bodies appear, in order to make the cluster shape perfect and neat, produce excellent fruiting quality, and prevent the stipes from bending and falling over, put a rigid paper tube 8 to 10 cm long over the bottle mouth, poke 4 to 5 small holes in the paper to facilitate air exchange, with the large opening of the paper tube facing upward and the small opening fitted over the bottle mouth, and fasten it firmly with a rubber band. At the same time, also cover the paper tube with newspaper and keep the newspaper constantly moist, so as to preserve moisture and block light. In addition, also splash water on the ground. Spray mist in the room. In this way, the first flush of mushrooms can be harvested in about 15 to 20 days. When harvesting, pick cleanly without leaving residual mushrooms, do not damage the mycelial block, tidy the substrate surface, allow the mycelium to recover and grow for a few days, then spray heavy water once every two days. After covering for several days, the second flush of mushrooms can grow, and about 3 to 4 flushes can be harvested. 2. Bed cultivation and block-pressing cultivation: This method is mostly adopted for intensive large-scale production and large-area cultivation. For household cultivation, the space under beds or under tables can be used, but the site must be strictly disinfected and sterilized. (1) Bed cultivation. For making the mushroom bed, the width should not exceed 80 cm, and the length is unlimited. Sowing can adopt a combination of layered sowing and spot sowing on the substrate surface, divided into three layers in total, and the technical measures can follow conventional practice. (7) Block-pressing cultivation. Use a wooden mold to press blocks. The wooden mold specification is generally preferably 50 cm x 35 cm x 10 cm. For the sowing method, either spot sowing or mixed sowing can be used. No matter which cultivation method is adopted, mycelial growth, fruiting, harvesting and management can all be carried out according to conventional practice.