A Complete Analysis of the New Machine-Bagging and Irrigation Technology for Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

Drawing on shiitake mushroom production techniques to grow oyster mushrooms, a new machine-bagging and bag-cultivation technology for oyster mushrooms has been summarized, and it is introduced as follows:

1. Preparation of spawn bags

According to the formula of 88% cottonseed hulls, 10% wheat bran, and 2% gypsum, add 1.1-1.2 kg of water per kg of dry material. Use the special bagging machine for shiitake production to fill the material into 55×15×0.004 cm low-pressure polyethylene plastic bags, with each bag holding 2.1-2.3 kg wet weight of material. Then, put the material bags into a sterilization stove for sterilization; after the temperature rises to 100°C, keep it for 10-12 hours, and transport them while hot to a shaded greenhouse; when the material temperature drops below 30°C, place them in an inoculation box for inoculation, punching 4 holes on the bag surface for inoculation.

2. Management during the mycelial growth stage

Sprinkle a thin layer of quicklime on the ground inside the greenhouse, and arrange the inoculated material bags in a stack-fire style, with a stack height of 6 layers. About 7 days after inoculation, when the mycelium in the inoculation holes spreads radially and reaches a diameter of 3-4 cm, tear off the sealing plastic film, stack the spawn bags in a "#" pattern, with two bags per layer and preferably 6 layers, taking care to face the inoculation openings outward (to facilitate mushroom emergence). Under climatic conditions of 15-20°C, the mycelium will fill the material bags in about 20 days.

3. Management during the mushroom emergence stage

1. Mushroom emergence from the "#"-shaped inoculation openings: after the mycelium fills the bags, artificially increase the day-night temperature difference to induce mushroom budding and primordia formation; close the greenhouse film during the day to raise the temperature, and open both ends of the greenhouse at night for ventilation and cooling. When mulberry-like small mushroom buds appear at the inoculation openings, spray water in the air in a mist form to increase air humidity. After the young mushrooms grow for about 7 days, the suitable harvest time is when the caps are fully expanded and the cap edges are not curled.

After the first batch of oyster mushrooms is harvested, stop spraying water for 3-4 days to allow the mycelium to recover growth and accumulate nutrients. Then spray water daily to maintain moisture, and after about 10 days, the second batch of mushroom buds will appear.

2. Change from mushroom emergence at the "#"-shaped inoculation openings to wall-style mushroom emergence from both ends of the spawn bags: after harvesting 2 batches of mushrooms, the water in the culture material has been largely consumed, making mushroom emergence difficult. At this point, rearrange the spawn sticks and replenish water, changing from mushroom emergence at the "#"-shaped inoculation openings to wall-style mushroom emergence from both ends of the spawn bags. Specific method: use a blade to cut away the plastic film in the middle part of the spawn bag, leaving an 8 cm long "cap" at each end; level the ground, and arrange the spawn sticks with caps at both ends closely side by side; mix soil with water into a paste, apply it onto the spawn sticks and spread it flat, with a mud layer of about 2 cm; one layer of spawn sticks and one layer of mud, preferably stacked in 5 layers, taking care to leave enough aisles between stacks for mushroom picking operations; use a blade to cut open the film at both ends of the spawn sticks to facilitate mushroom emergence.

After that, the spawn sticks will obtain water replenishment from the mud, and temperature differences should be created as much as possible to stimulate primordia formation, with conventional moisture maintenance for mushroom emergence.

3. Water replenishment method: after harvesting the 3rd and 4th batches of mushrooms, the spawn sticks lose water severely. The water replenishment method is: use the special water injection needle for shiitake cultivation to insert directly into the stack, and rely on the pressure of a submersible pump or tap water to replenish water, then stimulate with temperature differences to maintain moisture for mushroom emergence.

Using shiitake cultivation bag machines to irrigate and cultivate oyster mushrooms, generally each bag contains 1.1 kg of dry material, produces 7-8 flushes of mushrooms, and yields more than 2.5 kg of fresh mushrooms, with a biological conversion rate of 200%-300%. This method has advantages such as saving labor (for 1 t of material, machine irrigation, 4 people can complete the bag-filling process in 2.5 hours), fast mushroom emergence (about 20 days, making it easy to flexibly control the production season), and good quality (the cooked-material cultivation formula contains no fungicides or insecticides, and water replenishment is also repeated applications of clean water).