What conditions do edible fungi need for growth and development?
Understanding the nutritional and environmental requirements for the growth and development of edible fungi, creating suitable environmental conditions during cultivation, and cultivating mushrooms scientifically are the only ways to achieve high yields and increase profits.
1. Nutrients needed for the growth of edible fungi Carbon, nitrogen, mineral elements and auxins are the nutrients essential for the growth of edible fungi; wood, sawdust and the like are rich in cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, and are the carbon nutrition needed by edible fungi; wheat bran, rice bran, soybean cake meal, cornmeal, urea and the like contain abundant nitrogen and are the nitrogen nutrition needed by edible fungi. When preparing the culture material, attention must be paid to the ratio of carbon to nitrogen. Edible fungi also need trace amounts of mineral elements such as phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and molybdenum, and these mineral elements are generally already present in the cultivation material. In addition, the growth and development of edible fungi also require a certain amount of auxins, such as vitamin B1, B2, B6 and the like, which are found in relatively large amounts in potatoes, rice bran and other such materials.
2. The growth of edible fungi requires suitable temperatures It must be noted that the temperatures required by different edible fungi are not the same, and different varieties of the same edible fungus also require different temperatures. Moreover, different growth stages of a single variety also require different temperatures.
3. The growth of edible fungi requires suitable moisture The water content of the culture material is preferably 60%-70%. During the mycelial cultivation period, the relative humidity of the air is not required to be high; it is mainly during the fruiting period that a high-humidity environment of 80%-90% is required. Therefore, during the fruiting period, attention should be paid to frequent watering to increase the relative humidity of the air in the cultivation site and meet the needs of fruiting body growth.
4. The cultivation site requires fresh air and sufficient oxygen
This is an important factor in obtaining high yields. Therefore, always pay attention to ventilation and air exchange in the mushroom house to keep the air fresh. When ventilating and exchanging air, be sure to pay attention to temperature changes and the impact on relative air humidity, manage scientifically, and coordinate them as a whole; never attend to one thing and lose another.
5. The light requirements of edible fungi are relatively special
During the mycelial growth period, most do not need light and are suitable for growing under dark conditions, while during the fruiting period they do need a certain amount of scattered light. If there is no appropriate amount of scattered light at this time, they cannot fruit or deformed mushrooms will occur. This phenomenon mostly occurs in mountain caves, air-raid shelters, vegetable cellars and the like.
6. pH is an important factor affecting metabolism
Edible fungi must grow and develop in a suitable acid-base environment. Different kinds of edible fungi have different pH requirements, and most prefer slightly acidic or acidic culture substrates. The pH value suitable for mycelial growth is mostly between 3 and 8. When the pH value is greater than 7, the mycelial growth of most edible fungi is inhibited.
The effects of the various environmental factors mentioned above on the growth and development of edible fungi are comprehensive and integrated. In cultivation management, one cannot focus only on certain conditions while ignoring others. Edible fungi can grow and develop smoothly only under comprehensively suitable ecological conditions. This is the scientific knowledge that must first be mastered in the artificial cultivation of edible fungi.