How to Cope with Disastrous Weather in Oyster Mushroom Greenhouse Cultivation

The area of oyster mushroom cultivation keeps expanding, cultivation techniques are constantly being renovated and improved, and disastrous weather also disturbs oyster mushroom cultivation from time to time. In winter and spring, the main disastrous weather includes: snowy weather (including blizzards and snowstorm weather), cold wave weather, strong wind and temperature drop weather (including blowing sand and floating dust weather), continuous overcast and foggy weather, continuous low temperature weather, and rare extreme low temperature weather. In summer and autumn, the main types are: rainy weather (including thunderstorms, torrential rain, storms, and continuous rainfall weather), high temperature and dry heat weather (sudden temperature rises, dry hot winds, rare extreme high temperatures), high temperature and high humidity weather, etc. Although these disastrous weather events occur relatively rarely, once they are encountered and prevention and resolution are not timely, at best they cause reduced yield and lower quality, and at worst they cause severe losses with total crop failure. Taking the climatic conditions of the Shijiazhuang area as an example, the countermeasures for disastrous weather during oyster mushroom cultivation are described separately.

1. Summer and autumn

1.1 Rainy weather Although thunderstorms are fierce, they do not last long and the rainfall is not heavy. As long as water is prevented from entering the greenhouse and lightning strikes are prevented, there is no major impact on fruiting management.

1.2 Storms cause a sharp increase in rainfall and last a long time, so preventive measures must be made more carefully. Not only must water be prevented from entering the greenhouse, but wind damage must also be prevented. The preventive measures for strong wind weather can be used for reference.

Overcast and rainy weather mostly occurs from late July to early August, and precipitation accounts for 60%-70% of the annual total. When building greenhouses, try as much as possible to choose areas with high terrain, convenient transportation, and easy access to water and electricity. Long periods of rain, high humidity, and no sunlight are very suitable for the growth and reproduction of various bacteria, molds, and various pests, so great attention should be paid and corresponding prevention and control measures should be formulated. The following preventive measures for the weather that occurs can be referenced.

1.2 High temperature and dry heat weather When temperatures rise suddenly and extreme high temperatures occur, dry hot winds are often present. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the greenhouse film should be kept tightly closed. Before noon, spray cool fresh well water or tap water onto the thickened coverings of the greenhouse so that strong light and high temperature cannot penetrate the coverings. Only open small vents to let in a slight breeze, and at the same time pour cold water on the walls, continuously sprinkle water on the ground and mushroom bags, and spray the air space to lower the temperature. Begin letting in a light breeze in the evening, and lift the film at night for ventilation, which has an obvious effect. Alternatively, use high-power fans or exhaust fans for forced ventilation and cooling to prevent the greenhouse from becoming stuffy.

First, select strains suitable for summer cultivation and feed materials scientifically. In this season, the greenhouse should not be fed with too much material to prevent burning the mycelium; second, use water scientifically to prevent bacterial yellow mushroom disease. The watering method should be: do not spray at the pinhead stage, or mainly spray the air space; spray less after the caps form, spray more after the caps grow larger, and spray heavily before harvest.

1.3 High temperature and high humidity weather Local rainfall is concentrated in the hottest months of July and August. When such weather occurs, a high temperature and high humidity state forms inside the greenhouse within a short time, and various diseases and pests are extremely likely to break out. Once they occur, they are very difficult to resolve. Every 3-5 days, spray 3000-4000 times diluted peracetic acid into the air space inside the greenhouse to inhibit the occurrence of contaminating microorganisms; spray a mixed insecticide of 1000 times diluted phoxim and 3000 times diluted pyrethroid insecticides around the greenhouse and in areas inside the greenhouse without mushrooms; apply dry fresh lime powder to the substrate surface after mushroom harvest. At the same time, do a good job of environmental sanitation inside and outside the greenhouse, thoroughly remove dead and rotten mushrooms and bury them deeply, and do a good job of flood prevention to avoid water entering the greenhouse.

2. Winter and spring

2.1 Winter and spring weather Before snowfall, weather forecasts should be listened to in a timely manner. Before heavy snow arrives, add a layer of old plastic film over the greenhouse (the holes cannot be too many or too large), cover the entire greenhouse surface tightly, and press the surroundings firmly with bricks. After the snow stops, immediately clear the snow, lift off the film covering the greenhouse, and there will be no impact on subsequently rolling up the straw curtains to expose them to sunlight for warming and insulation. In continuous snowfall, however, it should be cleared as it falls to prevent the increasing snow thickness from collapsing the greenhouse frame, and also to prevent melted snow from freezing the straw curtains together so that they cannot be rolled up or lowered. When the weather turns clear, immediately roll up the curtains to let in light. If the light is too strong, lower the straw curtains around noon to ensure that the oyster mushrooms do not decline in quality due to strong light, that is, to prevent the mushrooms from suddenly moving from a low-light environment into a strong-light environment - "light shock" of the mushrooms. On the second or third day after snow, as the cold snow melts and the temperature is relatively low, the curtains should be rolled up late (after 10 a.m.) and lowered early (at 3 or 4 p.m., before the temperature drops), and ventilation should be carried out at noon when the temperature is relatively high.

2.2 Cold wave weather Before a cold wave arrives, ventilation openings should be sealed tightly, the greenhouse film should be covered tightly, ventilation should be reduced, and a layer of old film should be added over the greenhouse, which can produce an obvious preventive effect. After the temperature drops, roll up the straw curtains late and lower them early, ventilate at noon, and maximize moisture retention and heat preservation. Oyster mushrooms that have suffered freezing damage have a rough surface and dull color; in severe cases, the surface appears wavy and the texture is very brittle.

2.3 Strong wind and temperature drop weather Before strong winds arrive, set at least two No. 8 iron wires from east to west over the straw curtains of the greenhouse, fix both sides with wooden stakes, and then press stones and thick wooden sticks on the iron wires, which is fully sufficient to withstand level 6-7 strong winds. During the day, when rolling up the curtains to expose them to sunlight, roll the straw curtains up to 1/3-1/2 of the greenhouse depending on the wind strength.

After strong winds arrive, the air humidity is extremely low; strong winds very easily carry away the moisture on the mushroom bodies inside the greenhouse, causing the mushroom caps to dry at the edges. The air space inside the greenhouse should be sprayed continuously to maintain relative humidity. Blowing sand and floating dust weather will leave a layer of floating soil on the mushroom caps. After the wind weakens, wash it off with a strong stream of water to ensure the quality of the oyster mushrooms.

2.4 Continuous overcast and foggy weather Continuous overcast and foggy weather is often accompanied by low temperatures and mostly occurs from mid-November to mid-December. During this period, the scattered light of overcast and foggy days should be fully utilized during the day, and the straw curtains should be fully rolled up to raise the temperature inside the greenhouse. If there are many mushrooms in the greenhouse, ventilate for 1-2 hours around noon; if there are few mushrooms, ventilate once every 3-5 days. If this kind of weather continues for more than 5 days, artificial heating should be considered.

2.5 Continuous low temperature weather If the temperature remains below -7°C for more than 3 consecutive days, artificial heating facilities should be added to ensure that freezing damage does not occur. However, care must be taken not to use open flames, otherwise fires are likely to occur, and the carbon monoxide produced cannot be dispersed.

2.6 Rare extreme low temperature weather During the day, keep the greenhouse tightly closed, fully roll up the straw curtains to expose them to sunlight, and lower the straw curtains in the evening. Only when the air inside the greenhouse is very stale should ventilation be carried out for less than half an hour during the hottest period at noon on one day. If conditions permit, heating can be added inside the greenhouse, or a small arched tunnel can be added inside the greenhouse.

The various types of disastrous weather above occur with the seasons. As long as their patterns of occurrence are understood and thorough countermeasures are formulated, the harm they bring can be avoided or reduced, ensuring successful cultivation.