What are the key points of the cultivation techniques for reishi mushroom?

Reishi mushroom is commonly known as "reishi herb" and was called "auspicious grass" or "immortal grass" in ancient times. Its relevant cultivation techniques are introduced as follows:

1. Cultivation techniques

1. Production of spawn for cultivation. The raw material formula is 60% cottonseed hulls, 20% miscellaneous sawdust, 20% wheat bran, plus 1% sugar, 2% soybean cake, 1.5% each of gypsum and lime, and 0.4% magnesium sulfate. When preparing, first dry-mix the main ingredients evenly, then dissolve the sugar, lime, and magnesium sulfate in water, spray the solution onto the main ingredients, and turn and mix again. When the moisture content is uniform (60-65%), inoculation can be carried out. The spawn bags should preferably use 17 x 35 cm polypropylene material, tied at both ends and inoculated at both ends. Each bag can hold 0.5 kg of dry material. When filling the material, the tightness should be consistent, and the openings at both ends should be tied tightly. After the bags are filled, carry out normal-pressure (or high-pressure) sterilization in good time. When the temperature reaches 100 degC, maintain it for 8-9 hours. After stopping the fire, let it sit for another 5-6 hours before taking it out to cool the bags. When the temperature of the material bags drops below 30 degC, inoculation can be carried out. During inoculation, strict control is required, achieving aseptic operation to reduce contamination. During the mycelial growth stage, keep the light dim, control air humidity below 70%, and maintain the temperature at 24-28 degC. Turn the bags once every 7-10 days, and promptly remove and handle any contamination found. Generally, after 25-30 days the mycelium will fully colonize the material bags, and after 5-7 days it can be expanded for spawning. During expansion, mycelial culture is the same as for cultivation spawn.

2. Management of fruiting body formation. Fruiting body formation can be scheduled from late April to mid-October. When the reishi mushroom bags are fully colonized by mycelium and primordia begin to appear, management for fruiting body formation can begin. Because Ganoderma sinense has a short stipe or even no stipe, the bags cannot be completely removed when casing soil is applied; 2-3 cm of the bag should be left at one end, and the rest should be completely removed, then casing soil should be applied. The soil should be applied to below 0.5 cm from the bag opening to prevent the fruiting layer from sticking to soil and affecting quality. About 50 bags per sq m, with a bag spacing of about 2 cm. After applying the casing soil, sprinkle water with a watering can to wash away the excess soil at the bag opening, and after two days cut off the bag opening. The reishi bed should not be too wide; 80 cm is suitable. After the casing soil is applied and leveled, begin temperature control. Keep it between 22-30 degC, control air humidity at 85-90%, increase light, and ventilate so that mushroom buds form early and differentiate quickly. Under suitable conditions, it generally takes about 40 days from cultivation to harvest. The sign that reishi mushroom is mature is that the cap changes from thin to thick, the color changes from light yellow to reddish brown, the white growth ring around the edge of the cap has disappeared, and a small amount of spore powder is released inside the tube layer. The cap turns a lacquered, glossy color. Mature reishi mushroom has stopped growing, and its resistance to stress and contaminating microorganisms is weakened. In addition, the temperature and humidity in the reishi shed are relatively high, so it is prone to contamination by other microorganisms. Therefore, it should be harvested in good time. When harvesting, a sharp knife can be used to cut it off from the base of the stipe, or the stipe can be twisted off directly by hand. The harvested reishi mushroom should be promptly placed on a clean cement yard to dry in the sun, strictly preventing debris from adhering to it. It can also be dried at 40-60 degC until the moisture content drops to 12%.