How to control mushroom size? Here are the key methods
In the @#@136@#@ of button mushrooms, buyers are very strict about the requirements for fresh mushrooms (requiring a diameter of 2-4 cm), which directly affects the production efficiency of mushroom growers. The techniques for how to control mushroom size are introduced below.
1. Replace the strain. The mushroom variety now commonly used is the "As2796" strain, which is a large-sized hybrid. Its main advantages are wide adaptability, strong stress resistance, large size, and high yield, making it suitable for fresh market sales, but relatively few meet the buyers' purchasing specifications. If there is a supply order, promptly replace it with a small-sized strain. For example, F56, F62, and others are all small-sized varieties. Although small-sized varieties have slightly lower yields, the fresh mushrooms that meet purchasing requirements account for a larger proportion.
2. Change the casing soil. The thickness of the casing soil layer directly affects the size of the fruiting bodies. Its mechanism of action is: as the casing soil thickens, the mycelium becomes densely distributed in the soil layer, but is not easy to knot. Once it knots and forms primordia, the surrounding mycelium concentrates nutrients and water to supply it, which will inevitably form large fruiting bodies. If there is no time to replace the strain, it can be controlled by adjusting the casing soil layer. The normal casing soil thickness is 3-5 cm, which can be adjusted to about 2 cm. In this way, mycelial knotting and primordium formation are dense, forming a certain survival competition situation, and it is not easy to form "large mushrooms."
3. Increase the temperature appropriately. The suitable growth temperature for mushrooms is generally between 15°C and 20°C. If the temperature inside the shed is appropriately increased by 1°C-2°C, the number of primordia can be significantly increased, growth accelerates, and most fruiting bodies remain at a medium-to-lower size level.
4. Harvest early at the right time. When visual inspection shows that the fruiting bodies have grown to meet the requirements, harvest them immediately. There is no need to wait until they reach seven or eight tenths maturity before harvesting. Early harvesting may appear to affect yield, but the delivery rate is high, which invisibly increases commercial value, and it can avoid the fruiting bodies consuming too many nutrients by growing fully. The yield will be compensated for by an increase in the number of flushes, and the overall benefit will not only not decrease, but will actually increase.