What environmental conditions are needed for the growth of edible fungi?

Environmental Conditions for Edible Fungi

The growth and development of edible fungi are controlled by both internal and external factors. The internal factors are determined by the edible fungi's own genetic laws

and are the result of evolution in nature. External factors include temperature, humidity, moisture, air, light, pH

and so on. Only by mastering the internal and external factors required for the growth and development of edible fungi, and thereby artificially creating suitable conditions, can

success in edible fungus production be achieved. This mainly introduces the external environmental conditions required for the growth and development of edible fungi.

I. Temperature

The influence of humidity on the development of edible fungi is essentially that temperature determines enzyme activity, thereby affecting the metabolism of edible fungi.

(1) Mycelium Stage

Edible fungus mycelium is generally fairly tolerant of low temperatures; low temperatures merely inhibit it and do not harm it. For example,

in laboratories, strains are often preserved at 0-4°C, which makes use of this characteristic. High temperatures, however, are harmful

to mycelium, often causing it to wilt and die. For example, in cultivation, especially off-season cultivation, "burning of the fungus"

often occurs, which is damage caused by high temperatures.

For the general low-temperature type, such as enoki mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) and nameko (Pholiota microspora), the suitable temperature for mycelial growth is 18°C-20°C. For the medium-temperature type,

such as shiitake (Lentinula edodes), it is 22-28°C; for the high-temperature type, such as straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea), it is 28-32°C.

(2) Fruiting Body Differentiation Stage

The temperature required during the fruiting body differentiation stage is generally lower than that of the mycelium stage. For example, for enoki mushroom, the temperature must drop 8-12°C

from the mycelium stage before the fruiting body can differentiate, so it belongs to the low-temperature differentiation type; for the button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), the temperature drop is 8-14°C,

belonging to the medium-temperature differentiation type; for straw mushroom, almost no temperature drop is needed from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, so it belongs to the high-temperature differentiation type.

For some species of edible fungi, such as oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and shiitake, keeping a constant temperature after cooling still cannot

make the fruiting body differentiate; a relatively large day-night temperature difference is needed as a stimulus, and the larger the temperature difference, the better, generally 8-10°C. This is called

poikilothermic fruiting; wood ear (Auricularia auricula-judae), silver ear (Tremella fuciformis) and straw mushroom do not need day-night temperature difference stimulation, and the primordium can differentiate, which is called

homoiothermic fruiting.

(3) Fruiting Body Development Stage

The temperature during the fruiting body development stage is lower than that of the mycelium stage and higher than that of the fruiting body differentiation stage. Within a certain temperature range,

in a high-temperature environment, the fruiting body grows quickly, but the stipe is long, the cap opens easily, the flesh is thin, and the commodity value is low; while in a low-temperature

environment, the fruiting body grows slowly, but the flesh is thick and the fruit body is large, with good commercial traits. For example, shiitake under low temperature and alternating dry-wet conditions

easily forms flower shiitake, which has extremely high commodity value; under low temperature, it grows large, with thick flesh and very good quality.