Six Key Prevention Techniques for Introducing Straw Mushrooms in Midsummer

Straw mushroom, also known as orchid mushroom, is one of the more commonly cultivated mushroom varieties in China. Straw mushroom contains Vc and a variety of amino acids, is rich in nutrients, and has a unique flavor; it is a variety with a short production cycle, quick results, low investment, and high returns. In the hot summer, fresh mushroom varieties are already rare on the market, but straw mushroom can not only regulate the supply of mushrooms during the off-season and meet people's growing living needs, but can also generate foreign exchange through export after deep processing. Straw mushroom is a saprophytic fungus, and it must absorb ready-made nutrients and water from dead plant matter and soil in order to live. Therefore, relevant experts remind mushroom growers that they must meet the straw mushroom's growth condition requirements before successful cultivation is possible, and must guard against losses caused by insufficient or improper supplies of what it needs.

Prevent insufficient nutrition. Nutrition is the material basis for the growth and development of straw mushroom and an important condition for high yield and good quality. The nutrition of straw mushroom mainly consists of nitrogen sources, carbohydrates, minerals, and so on. In mushroom beds or straw piles with sufficient nutrition, the mycelium grows vigorously, the fruiting bodies are plump, the mushroom-producing period is long, and both yield and quality are relatively good. Therefore, when cultivating straw mushroom, high-quality, golden-yellow rice straw should be selected; moldy and deteriorated rice straw should not be used, and some soybean stalks and dried powdered manure of chickens, ducks, pigs, and cattle and other organic matter should be added to the rice straw pile to supplement nitrogen sources, which is beneficial for high yield and good quality.

Prevent insufficient moisture. Water is not only an important component of straw mushroom, but all nutrients can only be absorbed and used by the mycelium after dissolving in water, and the metabolic products of straw mushroom must also dissolve in water before they can be excreted from the body. Insufficient moisture will hinder the growth and development of straw mushroom and may even cause it to dry up and die, but if there is too much moisture, it will affect the aeration of the compost, inhibit the respiration process, and cause large numbers of mycelia and mushroom buds to die. Practice has proved that a water content of about 65% in the substrate or rice straw pile is more suitable for the growth and development of straw mushroom mycelium. A relative humidity of 85%-90% in the air around the mushroom bed is most suitable for the growth of straw mushroom fruiting bodies.

Prevent direct sunlight. The spore germination and mycelial growth of straw mushroom generally do not need sunlight, but the formation of fruiting bodies does need sunlight. Under completely dark conditions, it is very difficult to form fruiting bodies. Diffused light can promote the formation of fruiting bodies, promote their robust growth, increase resistance to diseases and pests, promote the transformation and accumulation of pigments, and make the color of the fruiting bodies darker. However, strong direct light has an inhibitory effect on fruiting bodies. Therefore, straw mushroom cultivated in the open field must be covered with a straw mulch, and the site should preferably be chosen under sparse forest shade with "three parts sun and seven parts shade."

Prevent unsuitable temperature. Straw mushroom originated in the tropics and subtropics and is a high-temperature type agaric. The temperature range for mycelial growth is 20°C-40°C, with the optimum temperature being about 32°C. The optimum air temperature for fruiting body growth is 30°C-32°C. The temperature inside the straw pile is most suitable for fruiting body development at 35°C-38°C. Therefore, when the mycelium or fruiting bodies are below or above their temperature range during growth, effective measures should be taken immediately to restore them to the normal growth temperature.

Prevent air flow that is too fast. Straw mushroom is a saprophytic fungus that likes air, and sufficient oxygen is an important condition for the normal growth and development of straw mushroom. If oxygen is insufficient and carbon dioxide accumulates too much, mushroom buds often stop growing or die because respiration is inhibited; but if the ventilation rate is too large, water disperses too quickly, which is also unfavorable to the growth of straw mushroom. Therefore, it is best to choose a place with slow air convection for cultivating straw mushroom.

Prevent pH imbalance. pH is an important factor affecting the growth and development of straw mushroom. Practice has proved that the optimum pH value for the growth and development of straw mushroom mycelium is 7.2-7.5; the optimum pH value for fruiting body formation and growth is about 7.4; and the optimum pH value for spore germination is 7.4-7.6. If the acidity or alkalinity is too great, it will affect the normal growth and development of straw mushroom.