Detailed Explanation of Key Technical Points for High-Yield Cultivation and Management of Agaricus bisporus

I. Cultivation Season

In the Weibei Dry Belt region, where temperature differences are large, air humidity is low, and seasons change quickly, sowing can be done earlier, scheduled from mid-August to early September. In the Guanzhong Plain area, it is scheduled from late August to mid-September. Of course, mushroom growers with cave dwellings or fruit cellars can pile and ferment right after the wheat straw harvest, sow by the end of July, and harvest by late August. After the corn stalks are harvested, once the corn stalks are dry, a second round of sowing can be carried out, using cut corn stalks + cow dung, sowing from December to January, overwintering, and starting to produce mushrooms in March of spring, ending before the end of May. Through trials, the yield and quality are similar to those with wheat straw.

II. Preparation of Raw Materials

The main materials for cultivating Agaricus bisporus: wheat straw, corn stalks, cow dung. Auxiliary materials: oil residue, phosphate fertilizer, lime, gypsum, urea. Starting from the June harvest @#@245@#@, collect wheat straw; the wheat straw should be piled on open ground at a distance from the sowing greenhouse. When piling, there is no need to crush it: when collecting corn stalks, after the corn stalks are dry in November and have no green color, they can be crushed for use, or cut into two sections, either way can be used for fermentation; cow dung should be brought back in advance, air-dried until half dry, crushed, then piled 2 m wide, 1.5 m high, with unlimited length, and left to ferment naturally, with the temperature rising to 75°C. Turn the pile about once every 15 days, swapping the inner and outer positions to allow natural fermentation. Cow dung can also be sun-dried, crushed, and stored for later use.

In addition, chicken manure and pig manure can both be added for cultivation. The manure must not be mixed with clods of soil.

Oil residue: rapeseed oil residue is best, and cottonseed oil residue can also be used.

Bean stalks: adding a small amount of bean stalks to the fermentation material gives the best results.

Phosphate fertilizer, urea, gypsum, and lime should all be prepared well.

1. Pre-wetting Before building the pile, sprinkle a layer of lime powder on the wheat straw pile, wet the wheat straw with a water pipe, and let it soften for three days, or directly splash lime water on it.

2. Building the pile When building the pile, bring all the weighed auxiliary materials to the front of the pile, first sprinkle a layer of lime on the ground, then spread a layer of dry grass about 30 cm thick, 2.3 m wide, and about 28 m long for 1 mu of material. Build the pile in 5-6 layers: one layer of wheat straw 25-30 cm, sprinkle a layer of lime on top, spread a layer of cow dung, sprinkle a layer of oil residue, phosphate fertilizer, and gypsum (use 1/2 of the amount), and urea is sprinkled separately in the top two layers. The auxiliary materials can be mixed, divided into 6 portions with one portion sprinkled per layer, then spread the material again. Build the pile layer by layer in this way, one layer of grass material and one layer of auxiliary material; after spreading, begin watering, pouring water over the surface of the material once. The four sides of the pile should be vertical and neat. Complete one pile in the same way, with a total height of 1.5 m and a turtle-back shape at the top. Cover with plastic film for fermentation.

3. First turning After building the pile for 6 days, when the temperature inside the pile reaches 70-7°C and stabilizes, it can be turned. The turning method is: start removing material from one side of the pile and rebuild the pile on the other side, inserting wooden sticks or bamboo poles, that is, roll-over turning. When turning, place the material from the top of the pile to one side, then sandwich it in the middle, put the outer material on the inside, put the inner material on the outside, put the lower material on the upper layer, and while turning, shake and loosen the compost, mix the compost evenly, expel stale air from the material, and increase fresh air. Sprinkle the remaining lime and gypsum in layers. If the material is slightly dry and turns yellow or white, it indicates insufficient moisture; water while piling to replenish the moisture. Erect a wooden stick every 50 cm; after the pile is completed, shake and pull out the sticks, leaving many ventilation holes in the material. Because after a period of pile fermentation the grass material has softened and the pile volume has shrunk, when rebuilding the pile, the length should be appropriately reduced, that is, shorten the pile length by about 2 m, while the width and height remain unchanged, with the four sides vertical and neat, rectangular, and the top in a turtle-back shape, covered with plastic film or grass curtains. When covering with plastic film, do not cover it too tightly, as this is not conducive to exhausting air. Every other day, uncover the film to release stale air, which also helps raise the temperature. After about 3 days, the temperature can rise above 70°C; maintain for 2 days, then carry out the second turning.

4. Second turning After the first adjustment of moisture, addition of auxiliary materials, and creation of ventilation holes, the material temperature rises quickly. Turn after about 5-6 days, using the same method. At this time, turning can be done from one end, arranging wooden sticks to leave ventilation holes, and covering with plastic film after completion. In the same way, after five days, carry out the third turning, and after turning, spray dicofol around the sides.

5. Fourth turning After the third turning, the material has rotted. The standard for maturity is that the wheat straw is reddish-brown, breaks with a pull of the hand, and does not stick to the hand when squeezed. At this time, carry out the fourth turning, spraying deodorant or formaldehyde and acaricide on the surface of the material while turning. Check the pH; a pH value of 8-8.5 is suitable. After turning, let it sit for two days, then it is ready for cooling and sowing.

6. Discharging the material When it is ready for sowing after the fourth turning, the key is to recognize the degree of decomposition of the material. The compost is required to be uniformly and consistently decomposed, reddish-brown in color, with soft and elastic straw that breaks with a pull of the hand, no ammonia smell, no foul odor, not sticky, not blackened, and loose in texture. pH 7-8. There must be no under-decomposed material, otherwise during cultivation, ink cap and other contaminating fungi will occur.

Specific method: spread out the pile to release stale air; it can be cooled outside or directly put into the greenhouse. According to bed-making requirements, different greenhouses, different sites, row spacing, distances, and thicknesses all differ.

III. Ingredients and Pile Composting

Compost formula: amount used per mu

1. Wheat straw 5000 kg, boron fertilizer 200 kg, fresh cow dung 10 cubic meters, urea 40 kg, cottonseed hulls 500 kg, oil residue 200 kg, lime 250 kg, gypsum 200 kg, pH about 8.

2. Corn stalks 2500 kg, wheat straw 2500 kg, fresh cow dung 6 cubic meters, cottonseed hulls 500 kg, oil residue 200 kg, phosphate fertilizer 200 kg, gypsum 200 kg, urea 40 kg, lime 250 kg.