Key Technical Points for Three-Dimensional Cultivation of Flower Shiitake in Small Sheds with Large Bags

Flower shiitake has excellent quality and is formed when shiitake mushroom spawn grown on bagged substrate develops under special environmental conditions. It has higher nutritional and commercial value than shiitake, so it is called flower shiitake.

Flower shiitake is a rare delicacy in the edible fungi series. High in protein and low in fat, it contains more than a dozen amino acids and various nutrients needed by the human body, has good mouthfeel, a delicious taste, and no pollution; it can also prevent and treat many diseases and has strong disease-resistance effects, so it is called a new anticancer recruit. On the international market, demand exceeds supply.

Flower shiitake can be sold fresh or dried for storage, and it is very favorable for both export and domestic sales. The entire growing period is 6-8 months, and it falls in the agricultural slack season, with low investment, quick results, a short cycle, and a stable market. At the same time, it also finds @#@168@#@ ways for workers and idle social personnel, filling the gap for farmers during the agricultural slack season. It has broad prospects and is suitable for promotion.

I. Environmental Conditions Required for the Growth and Development of Flower Shiitake

1. Growth, development and nutrition

(1) Carbon source: The carbon source is not only the most important nutrient for flower shiitake, but also the energy source needed for its life activities. In flower shiitake production, the carbon source mainly comes from various plant materials: such as sawdust, cottonseed hulls, corncobs, soybean stalks, etc.

(2) Nitrogen source: The nitrogen source is the main raw material for synthesizing flower shiitake cell proteins, nucleic acids, enzymes and cytoplasm. In production, nitrogen-containing compounds such as soybean cake powder, soybean powder, wheat bran, rice bran and tuber crops are commonly used to provide organic nitrogen sources.

(3) Moisture: Flower shiitake has different moisture requirements at different developmental stages. For artificially prepared flower shiitake culture substrate suitable for mycelial growth, the appropriate water content is 55-60%.

(4) pH: The pH suitable for flower shiitake growth is between 3-7, with pH 4.5-6 being relatively suitable and pH 5.0-5.5 being most suitable. When pH > 7, growth is inhibited; when pH > 9, growth almost stops.

2. Required external environmental conditions

(1) Temperature: Flower shiitake mycelium can grow over a relatively wide temperature range, from 5-35°C; the suitable temperature is 18-28°C, but the optimum temperature is 23-25°C.

(2) Humidity: During the fruiting body development stage, it is appropriate to maintain 80-90%; during the fruiting period, if it exceeds 90%, the water content of the mushroom caps increases. If it is below 70%, fruiting body growth slows, and below 50%, fruiting stops, and young primordia that have already differentiated will also dehydrate and wither.

(3) Air: Sufficient fresh air is a major living condition for the normal development of flower shiitake. If carbon dioxide accumulates too much and its concentration reaches above 0.1%, it will have a toxic effect on the fruiting bodies, and shiitake will show long stipes and opened caps.

II. Cultivation Season and Site Facilities for Flower Shiitake. For bag-cultivated shiitake, there are two bag-making and inoculation seasons: spring and autumn. In addition to shared sterilization, bag-filling and mixing, and inoculation equipment, bag-cultivated shiitake generally uses indoor spawn running and outdoor fruiting. The spawn-running room is generally an ordinary house, which can be used after slight repairs and disinfection.

III. Techniques for Three-Dimensional Cultivation of Flower Shiitake in Small Sheds with Large Bags

1. Three major features. Small shed, large bag, three-dimensional. Small: the mushroom shed is only 12-15 sq m, easy to insulate, heat and manage. Large bag: use plastic bags 25 cm wide, 55 cm long and 4 silk thick, with each bag containing 2 kg of dry material. Substrate bags of this specification are easy to keep moist and rich in nutrients. Three-dimensional: place the spawn bags on 6-tier racks, making full use of space and also helping to cultivate flower shiitake.

2. Four combinations. That is, one ton of total material, one sterilization stove, one spawn room, and one mushroom shed. One ton of total material means one ton of broadleaf tree sawdust, plus wheat bran, gypsum, monopotassium phosphate, etc. One mushroom shed is built in a sunny, ventilated place, with six-tier bed racks inside, which can hold about 500 spawn bags, and it is the fruiting site.

3. Two-stage management. This refers to the two stages of indoor spawn running and fruiting in the mushroom shed.

4. Inoculation period. The best inoculation period is generally August 20-September 30, and inoculation is most suitable when the maximum temperature does not exceed 28°C. If inoculation is delayed until October, for every 10 days of delay, the fruiting period will be delayed by one month.

5. Mycelial growth period. After inoculation, early September to early November is the best season for flower shiitake mycelial growth, and it generally takes 60-70 days to fully colonize the bag.

6. Fruiting period. As long as the mycelium changes color in a timely and normal way, fruiting can begin in late November. Before the Spring Festival, 2-3 flushes of shiitake can be harvested, and after the Spring Festival, 1-2 flushes of flower shiitake and 1-2 flushes of thick mushrooms or thin mushrooms can be harvested.

With the technique of three-dimensional cultivation of flower shiitake in small sheds with large bags, the entire growth cycle from inoculation to completion of harvest is about 9 months.

7. Mycelium recovery and water supplementation during the interval between fruiting. Cultivating shiitake in large bags can not only produce flower shiitake, but also allow about 5 flushes to be harvested. Therefore, after each flush is harvested, the mycelium should be allowed to recover for a period so that it can grow and accumulate nutrients, which favors continued fruiting; this is called mycelium recovery. At this time, a temperature of 24-27°C can be maintained to let the mycelium grow rapidly, generally requiring 7-10 days, and at longer times up to half a month.

After the first flush is harvested, if the spawn bags have lost too much water, water supplementation should be carried out when the water content is below 40%. Water supplementation methods include: soaking in a soaking pool, generally requiring about 24 hours in winter; pressurized water supplementation with a water injector; water supplementation with a negative-pressure water supplementer; and sprinkling. No matter which method is used, the amount of water supplemented should be appropriate, neither too much nor too little, and it is suitable when the water content of the spawn bags reaches about 55%.