Detailed Explanation of Key Points of Efficient Edible Mushroom Cultivation Techniques

The level of yield and quality of edible mushrooms can only be achieved through scientific cultivation and management, so that various edible mushrooms can be cultivated and their edible value, medicinal value and economic value can be brought into play. Therefore, exploring the current edible mushroom cultivation techniques is of great significance to the progress of China's agricultural production technology.

1. Problems existing in current edible mushroom cultivation techniques

1.1 Low planting yield and poor quality

Most of China's edible mushroom cultivation relies on manual labor for production, and the production technology is backward, resulting in relatively low yields of some edible mushrooms in China. For example, the single yield of shiitake mushrooms in China is about 6000 kg per mu for summer mushrooms and about 1800 kg per mu for winter mushrooms, while in countries with advanced agricultural technology such as Japan, the yield per mu is about 20-50% higher than that in China. This leads to the low competitiveness of China's edible mushrooms in the international market, and it is difficult to meet the standards of high-quality mushrooms in terms of quality.

1.2 Few varieties and lack of innovation

At present, there are relatively few edible mushroom varieties in China, and there is a lack of a series of related supporting varieties. Compared with Japan, the edible mushroom varieties planted in China each year are only a few common ones, and there are too few new varieties. Moreover, in the breeding process, due to reasons such as technology and economic strength, growers simply cannot reasonably arrange planting varieties and cultivation techniques according to local climatic conditions and cultivation methods, making it difficult for the edible mushroom industry to develop.

1.3 Chaotic production management and passing off inferior goods as good ones

Due to the development of the market economy, people are pursuing material interests and have neglected product quality. As far as the current status of edible mushroom production in China is concerned, edible mushroom production is extremely chaotic, and there is a phenomenon of passing off inferior goods as good ones. Although the edible mushroom production management law has just been established, due to the lack of units for production quality inspection, coupled with the poor management and monitoring level of technical departments, the current edible mushroom production and management remain backward.

1.4 Weak research on edible mushroom cultivation techniques

China has experienced only more than thirty years since the reform and opening up, and research on edible mushroom cultivation techniques has just started, especially lacking senior research talents in edible mushroom technology and applied talents who can truly integrate theory with practice and carry out technical research and promotion according to market demand and China's national conditions. At the same time, China also lacks professional institutions for edible mushroom technology breeding, and research funding is also seriously insufficient, resulting in serious backwardness of China's technology.

2. Analysis of edible mushroom cultivation techniques

2.1 Edible mushroom breeding

Science is developing and technology is also progressing, so research on edible mushroom breeding techniques will also develop and progress accordingly, and some new techniques, new processes and new methods for edible mushroom breeding will continue to emerge. At present, China's edible mushroom breeding methods include hybrid breeding, artificial breeding, mutation breeding and so on, all of which can achieve the expected results.

Hybrid breeding is currently the most widely used breeding method with the most obvious effect. The basic principle of edible mushroom hybrid breeding is gene recombination during the tetrad process. This breeding method is suitable for heterothallic edible mushrooms, such as oyster mushroom, shiitake mushroom, enoki mushroom, wood ear fungus, silver ear fungus, lion's mane mushroom and so on. The strains formed by the germination of single spores of heterothallic edible mushrooms are infertile, and only when different monokaryotic hyphae are paired and hybridized can they become dikaryotic and form fruiting bodies. According to this principle, using monokaryotic mycelia with different advantageous hereditary traits for hybridization and selecting excellent hybrid heterokaryons is an important way to breed edible mushroom varieties. It has stronger directionality and operability than mutation breeding.

Artificial breeding is a newly emerging method of strain cultivation at present. It mainly uses artificial means to purposefully cultivate some high-quality mushroom varieties, select and accumulate beneficial characteristics, thereby obtaining new types of edible mushroom varieties.

2.2 Cultivation management

China's current main cultivation method is liquid culture of edible mushrooms, which was developed on the basis of antibiotic fermentation technology and has been widely studied and applied because of its advantages such as short production cycle, large yield, high quality and outstanding economic benefits. Liquid culture of edible mushrooms is also called submerged fermentation or liquid fermentation. Its main principle is to add liquid medium to a fermentation tank or Erlenmeyer flask, introduce sterile air to increase the dissolved oxygen content in the medium, provide the oxygen needed for the respiratory metabolism of edible mushroom mycelia, and at the same time stir or shake it, and control suitable external conditions, so that the mycelia can reproduce and develop in the depths of the liquid and obtain a large amount of mycelia or metabolites.

After breeding is completed, growers should place the inoculated colonies in a culture room for cultivation. Although the mycelia of the strains have not yet germinated at this time, there are other microbial activities in the raw materials, and high temperatures will soon be generated. If the colonies are placed too crowdedly, it is very easy for mushroom burning to occur. The burned strains not only lose their vitality, but also provide an additional nutrient source for contaminating bacteria, which is not conducive to the cultivation of edible mushrooms.

In winter, the cultivation bags should be tied somewhat tightly, and at the same time turning, ventilation and inspection should be strengthened, and no carelessness is allowed. The cultivation of edible mushrooms requires cleanliness, ventilation and dryness, maintaining room temperature at normal temperature at all times, and maintaining internal humidity at 70%. During the cultivation process, attention should always be paid to observing the fermentation of the culture, frequently turning the fungus bags, ensuring the dryness and ventilation of the fungus bags, and providing sufficient oxygen for colony development. In the mycelium growth management process of mushroom bed cultivation, attention should always be paid to strengthening ventilation, controlling temperature, maintaining moisture, and at the same time preventing large amounts of water accumulation on the surface of the mushroom bed.

2.3 Mushroom fruiting and harvesting

For different varieties, the specific methods of fruiting management are different, but the following principles should be followed: First, attention should be paid to environmental hygiene and strict disinfection, so as to effectively prevent the occurrence of pests and diseases. Before the mushroom shed is put into use, the environmental hygiene should be carefully cleaned, fumigation and disinfection should be strictly carried out, organic debris should not be piled up randomly, and pesticide spraying for insect control should be carried out regularly. Second, in the process of fruiting and picking, in addition to strengthening the management and control of temperature, humidity, light and heat conditions, special attention should also be paid to the timing of mushroom picking, with particular emphasis on timely harvesting, because only timely harvesting can obtain the highest yield and the best commercial value. Finally, during the picking process, attention should be paid not to leave mushroom roots and not to damage mature mushrooms. After picking mushrooms and scratching the fungus, old mushrooms, dead mushrooms and rotten mushrooms should be promptly cleaned up, so as not to create conditions for the breeding of pests and diseases.

At present, edible mushrooms have become an indispensable edible product in people's daily lives, and are also an agricultural development project that cannot be ignored in China's market, especially playing an important role in the current targeted poverty alleviation. As long as greater attention is paid to technical research and pollution-free, high-yield edible mushroom cultivation techniques are promoted and developed, it will be possible to meet current social needs, promote the development of the socialist market economy, and push China's agriculture onto a green and healthy development path.