Detailed Explanation of High-Yield Cultivation Technology for Agaricus bisporus in Mushroom House Shelf System

For several years, the author has been exploring high-yield cultivation technology for Agaricus bisporus in mushroom house shelf systems and has gained some successful experience. The relevant techniques are summarized below for reference by peers.

1 Mushroom house and shelf structure The mushroom house is 19.6 m long from east to west, 9 m wide from north to south, with front and rear walls 2.5 m high and gable walls 3.5 m high. The walls are built with bricks and lime mortar. The outside is pointed with cement; the inside is first coated with lime mortar and then brushed with lime mortar. The front and rear walls have 4 ventilation windows of 25 cm x 20 cm each, arranged in upper and lower rows facing the aisle, with the first ventilation window 20 cm above the ground. Doors are left at both ends of the front wall, 1.0 m wide and 1.8 m high, with brick flooring and cement-grouted joints. The roof is built with bamboo poles and plastic film. The shelves are 7.8 m long, 1.5 m wide and 2.3 m high, with 5 tiers in total. The first tier is 10 cm above the ground, and the spacing between the remaining tiers is 55 cm. There is 1 east-west aisle against the front wall, 0.7 m wide; and 10 north-south aisles, each 0.65 m wide. The total cultivation area is 500 sq m.

2 Cultivation time arrangement Agaricus bisporus cultivation is generally carried out in spring and autumn. In our city, the pre-wetting period for wheat straw cultivation is August 5-15; the spawning period is September 5-15; while the pre-wetting period for cottonseed hull is September 10-15; and the spawning period is September 15-20.

3 Strain selection Select the As2796 strain, which has high yield, strong resistance to contamination and wide adaptability.

4 Compost formula (calculated based on an actual cultivation area of 100 sq m) (1) Wheat straw 3000 kg, fresh chicken manure 3.5 cubic meters (or dried chicken manure 900 kg), urea 35 kg, superphosphate 35 kg, gypsum powder 100 kg, lime powder 50 kg, calcium carbonate 50 kg; (2) Cottonseed hull 1500 kg, Agaricus bisporus special fertilizer 100 kg, gypsum powder 30 kg, lime powder 15-20 kg.

5 Compost preparation

5.1 Wheat straw compost preparation (1) Primary fermentation: According to the time schedule, pre-wet the wheat straw. The more thoroughly and evenly pre-wetted, the better; it is better to be too wet than too dry. There are two specific methods: First, soak in a pre-dug pit with 0.5% lime water, remove after fully absorbing water and mix evenly with pre-piled chicken manure in proportion to build a pile; Second, spread wheat straw 40-60 cm thick on a hard surface and spray water to let it fully absorb; on the 2nd day, pile it into a heap 1 m high and spray 5% lime water around it; on the 3rd day, continue spraying water until the wheat straw is thoroughly and evenly wet, with a moisture content of about 60% (pull out a few straws and twist them by hand; water should be visible seeping out). However, care should be taken not to directly scatter lime powder during pre-wetting. Likewise, mix thoroughly with pre-piled chicken manure in proportion. One day before building the pile, scatter a layer of lime powder or sprinkle 10% concentrated lime water on the pile base. On the 2nd day when building the pile, evenly add urea into the mixed wheat straw, and at the same time place any locally un-wetted wheat straw into a pre-dug water pit to soak, then place it on top of the pile. The pile runs north-south, 1.6-1.8 m wide, about 2 m high, with unlimited length, vertical on all sides, with a turtle-back shaped top, covered with straw mats. On the 2nd day, start measuring temperature every 2-3 h. When the temperature rises to 65 degrees C, maintain for 3-4 d, then carry out the 1st turning. Before turning, leave ventilation channels at the pile base or lay wooden sticks. During turning, adjust moisture properly to reach a moisture content of about 75% (squeeze the compost tightly by hand; about 10 drops of water should drip out). At the same time, evenly add gypsum powder. If the material is acidic during turning, use 2%-5% lime water to adjust pH to 8.0. The pile height and width remain unchanged, and the length shortens. After turning, clean up debris around the pile. On the 2nd day, start measuring temperature. When the temperature rises to 65 degrees C again, maintain for 3-4 d. Carry out the 2nd turning. Before turning, first moisten the compost around the pile with a sprayer; alternatively, first gather the dry material from the outer surface of the pile together, spray water to soak it thoroughly, and place it into the middle-upper part of the pile during turning. Adjust moisture content to about 72% and pH to 7.8. After turning, still maintain at 65 degrees C for 2.5-3.0 d, then carry out the 3rd turning. Before turning, likewise leave ventilation channels or lay wooden sticks for aerobic fermentation, and maintain for 2.5-3.0 d. Generally, if water adjustment is appropriate and pile temperature is normal, 3 turnings are sufficient for primary fermentation. If water adjustment is improper or material temperature is low, a 4th turning is needed. After each turning, spray the surface of the pile with 0.5% dichlorvos and 80% deltamethrin 1000x solution. (2) Secondary fermentation (post-fermentation): Wheat straw compost secondary fermentation is divided into two types: outdoor secondary fermentation and indoor secondary fermentation in the mushroom house. For outdoor secondary fermentation, the site must first be thoroughly cleaned. Then spray 80% deltamethrin 1000x solution; and scatter a thin layer of quicklime powder (just enough to cover the ground surface). Build ventilation channels with bricks (5-8 cm gaps between bricks) and air chimneys (preferably built into brick cages with ventilation on all four sides), then pile the material in a north-south direction, 1.5 m high, 1.2 m wide, about 20 m long, with a turtle-back shaped top and vertical sides. After the pile is built, block the air chimneys. Before 9:00 AM on the 2nd day, cover the pile with plastic film, with a gap of 20-30 cm between the film and the compost; for ease of operation, the gap can be larger. When the air temperature within the gap rises to about 45 degrees C, fumigate with an appropriate amount of potassium permanganate plus formaldehyde. After fumigation, when the temperature rises to 57 degrees C, keep sealed for 8-10 h. After strict disinfection of the compost, control the air chimneys and ventilation channels systematically to ferment the compost at 50-55 degrees C for 5-7 d. Then open all ventilation channels and air chimneys. When the compost temperature rapidly drops below 28 degrees C, move into the house, spread the compost and spawn. For indoor secondary fermentation in the mushroom house, evenly spread the primary-fermented compost on the shelves, seal the doors and windows of the mushroom house, then introduce hot steam into the house until the temperature reaches about 60 degrees C, maintain for 8-10 h, then slowly cool to 45-55 degrees C, maintain for 4-5 d, then rapidly cool to 28 degrees C, move in, spread the compost and spawn.

5.2 Cottonseed hull compost preparation Choose a cement floor as the fermentation site; if not a cement floor, lay a layer of plastic film. First clean the fermentation site thoroughly, then spray 80% deltamethrin 1000x solution, and scatter a layer of quicklime powder. According to the time schedule, mix the cottonseed hull and its auxiliary materials evenly so that the material-to-water ratio reaches 1:1.7-1.8. Before building the pile, build "non"-shaped (grid-shaped) ventilation channels with bricks, and build the pile centered on the ventilation channels. The pile is 1.2 m high, 1.2-1.5 m wide, with length determined as appropriate, turtle-back shaped top, and the smaller the edge slope the better. Then spray the surface with 0.5% dichlorvos and cover with straw mats. When the temperature rises to 60 degrees C, maintain for 18-24 h, carry out the 1st turning and leveling; when the temperature rises to 60 degrees C again, likewise maintain for 18-24 h, carry out the 2nd turning, and so on for 3 turnings. After each turning, spray the surface of the pile with 0.5% dichlorvos plus 80% deltamethrin. On the 4th turning, build air chimneys on the ventilation channels every 1 m. After the pile is tidied, cover with plastic film, with the film 20-30 cm from the material surface. When the temperature within the gap rises to about 45 degrees C, fumigate and ferment using 0.5 kg potassium permanganate + 1 kg formaldehyde per 5000 kg of material. During this period, control the temperature at 45-55 degrees C, adjusting temperature by opening and closing the air chimneys. After 4-5 d, open all ventilation channels and air chimneys. When the material temperature drops below 28 degrees C, spread the compost and spawn.