New organic ecological cultivation technique for returning mushrooms to nature

The traditional technique for mushroom production uses rice and wheat straw as the main raw material, but in our area, with the expansion of mechanized harvesting and straw return to the field, the supply of rice and wheat straw is becoming less and less, which has limited mushroom production. In order to solve the problem of raw material shortage in the mushroom production process, over the past few years, through continuous exploration, we have successfully developed a new organic ecological nature-returning cultivation technique for mushrooms. This technique resolves the contradiction between the supply and demand of rice and wheat straw, simplifies the operating procedures, and changes mushroom cultivation from autumn cropping to year-round production in both spring and autumn. The cultivation cost is reduced by 30%-50%. If this technique can be promoted, it will certainly improve the economic benefits of mushrooms and promote the rapid development of the edible fungi industry.

The key points of its cultivation technique are introduced as follows:

1. Seasonal arrangement. Cultivation can be carried out in both spring and autumn. For spring cultivation, seize the "early" aspect: make the beds while the ground is thawing, and sow when the ground temperature is above 8 degrees C; for autumn cultivation, sow when the ground temperature is 28 degrees C.

2. Strain selection. Selecting high-quality strains is the foundation for doing a good job in mushroom production. The quality of the strains directly affects the yield of mushrooms, so the selection and cultivation of strains must be done carefully. Generally, the cultivars suitable for our area are: Zhenong No. 1 or 2796.

3. Cultivation material formula. Use dry manure such as pig manure, cattle manure, human urine and feces, and farmyard manure, spent oyster mushroom substrate, and a small amount of rice and wheat straw as the main raw materials, and add a small amount of supplementary materials such as soybean cake, cottonseed cake, organic fertilizer, urea, and phosphate fertilizer to increase yield.

Formulas (for 111 sq m):

(1) Rice and wheat straw 250 kg, urea 15 kg, dry manure 1000 kg, phosphate fertilizer 25 kg, cake fertilizer 100 kg, gypsum 15 kg, lime 30 kg, calcium carbonate 15 kg;

(2) Rice and wheat straw 250 kg, urea 15 kg, dry manure 1000 kg, organic fertilizer 75 kg, cake fertilizer 100 kg, gypsum 15 kg, lime 25 kg, calcium carbonate 15 kg;

(3) Spent oyster mushroom substrate 1000 kg, urea 10 kg, dry manure 1000 kg, organic fertilizer 75 kg, cake fertilizer 75 kg, gypsum 15 kg, lime 15 kg, calcium carbonate 15 kg.

4. Pile fermentation. Choose any one of the above formulas, mix the raw materials evenly, and pile them on a cement floor into a trapezoidal shape with a bottom width of 1.2-1.4 m, a top width of 1-1.2 m, a height of 1.3-1.5 m, and unlimited length. Make ventilation holes every 30 cm on top, cover with a clean straw curtain or plastic film to keep warm, and after the material temperature reaches 65-75 degrees C, maintain it for 3-5 d before turning the pile. In the entire fermentation process, turn only 2 times. During turning, control the moisture at about 80%, pH 7.5-8, and regulate water by the principle of "wet once, adjust twice, observe three times," that is, add enough water when building the pile the first time, adjust and replenish water at the second turning, and at the third turning decide whether to add water according to the dryness and wetness of the material itself.

5. Nutrient soil preparation. Casing soil is a key technique for obtaining high mushroom yields. Because the quality requirements for casing soil are high, the nutrient soil must be prepared 10 d before sowing. In principle, use local soil. For every 111 sq m of nutrient soil, add 150 kg of dry cattle manure and pig manure, 50 kg of plant ash, use a greater amount of water than conventional, and mix repeatedly until the soil forms granules, with a pH of about 8.

6. Building the bed and sowing. The mushroom-growing site must have good drainage. According to the different conditions of growers, cultivation can be done in a shed in three-dimensional form or on flat ground, and can also be done in the open air or in woodland as open cultivation, but a shed must be built for shade, and film must be covered in rainy weather to prevent rain. Mushroom beds are generally 40-60 cm wide, with unlimited length. Working paths must be left between beds, drainage ditches must be opened well, and the bed surface should be arc-shaped to facilitate drainage and increase the mushroom-producing area. Before use, sprinkle lime once and spray 37% formaldehyde at 200 times dilution for sterilization. Evenly spread the fermented compost on the bed, evenly sprinkle the spawn on the surface layer of the material, using 300-400 bottles per 111 sq m, and finally evenly cover the spawn with nutrient soil at a thickness of 1.5-2 cm, then cover with a layer of film to keep warm and moist and promote mycelial growth.

7. Management of mycelial growth and fruiting. After sowing in spring, as the ground temperature gradually rises, the film covering the bed should be removed during the day. From 15-18 d after sowing, the mycelium can penetrate the soil layer. When the mycelial growth is seen to be uniform and consistent, uncover the film, clean the bed surface and fill in soil where needed, build a shed for shade, and flexibly regulate water according to fruiting conditions, soil layer dryness and wetness, and climate changes. General principles: spray more when there are many mushrooms, spray less when there are few mushrooms, and do not spray when no mushrooms are visible; spray more when there are many small mushrooms, spray less when the mushrooms are large; spray more on sunny days, spray less or not at all on cloudy days; spray more near the door and around the perimeter, spray less in the middle of the mushroom bed; apply fruiting water heavily, nutrient water lightly, and air-moisturizing water frequently; do not spray water that is too warm, and do not spray water at the end of a flush; when the bed temperature is above 20 degrees C, do not spray water during the day, and switch to spraying at night. When spraying, the nozzle should be raised to prevent the water from injuring the mycelium and young mushrooms, and the air humidity should be maintained at about 90%. After spraying, ventilate and exchange air. Only when the soil no longer looks shiny does it indicate that the water has been absorbed into the soil, and only then close the shed. When the temperature is high, ventilate to cool down; when the temperature is low, appropriately reduce ventilation.

8. Harvesting. Mushrooms must be harvested at the right time to ensure quality. When the temperature is above 20 degrees C, harvest twice a day; when the temperature is 16 degrees C, harvest once a day; mushrooms should be smaller, and large mushrooms should not be allowed to grow. When the temperature is below 14 degrees C, the fruiting bodies grow slowly, the stipes are thick and strong, and the mushrooms can be allowed to grow before harvest. If the mushrooms are small and dense, harvest early and small; if nutrients are insufficient, the caps open easily, so harvest early. After harvesting, promptly clean the mushroom bases, dead mushrooms, old roots, and so on from the bed surface to prevent the spread of diseases and insect pests; fill in empty holes promptly to prevent water accumulation in low-lying areas of the bed from damaging the mycelium.

9. Characteristics of this technique. Tests over the past few years show that this technique has the following characteristics.

(1) Sufficient raw materials: mainly uses farmyard manure, pig, cattle, sheep, chicken, and duck manure, and so on, supplemented by a small amount of rice and wheat straw.

(2) Simple operation: bed making, sowing, and casing are completed in one go, and the nutrient material fermentation process requires turning only 2 times, saving time, labor, and effort.

(3) Short cycle and high benefit: makes full use of natural conditions, reduces cultivation nutrients by about 60% compared with conventional methods, takes only 15-20 d from sowing to mushroom emergence, and fresh mushroom yield per unit area is 9-18 kg/sq m.