Top-dressing methods for edible mushrooms and introduction notes, to help you achieve the desired results
Edible mushrooms are large fungi that can be eaten by humans. In the late stage of mushroom fruiting, in order to strengthen the follow-up fruiting capacity, mushroom growers often use various means to add nutrient solution for top-dressing. So how should edible mushrooms be top-dressed to achieve the desired purpose?
Top-dressing techniques for edible mushrooms
1. Choose a suitable application method.
There are usually 3 methods for adding nutrient solution: spraying, soaking and hole irrigation.
The best time to spray nutrient solution is when the fruiting bodies appear in large numbers. When spraying, make sure the nozzle is not pointed directly at the fruiting bodies, and also observe the "four no-spray" rules: do not spray on tiny young mushroom buds, so as to avoid "swelling them to death"; do not spray on places where mushrooms have just been picked or where mushroom remnants remain, so as to avoid causing bacterial diseases; do not spray when air humidity is too high; do not spray when pests and diseases are severe inside the mushroom shed (room).
The soaking method is mainly used for bag-cultivated edible mushrooms. After harvesting 1 to 2 flushes of mushrooms, if the cultivation bags are in a state of severe water shortage, they can be soaked in a prepared nutrient solution until they recover to close to their original weight. When using the soaking method to add nutrient solution, generally the mushroom bags are placed in a nutrient solution tank and weighted down with heavy objects. The soaking time must not be too long. If the mushroom bags have lost too much water, they can be soaked several times.
The hole irrigation method is mainly used on mushroom beds. It can be used when the mushroom bed produces many mushrooms and water and nutrients are consumed excessively. The specific method is: make holes in the mushroom bed at a hole spacing of 10 cm, flood the mushroom bed with the prepared nutrient solution, and cover with soil after adding the nutrient solution.
2. The concentration must be appropriate.
When the nutrient solution concentration is too high, not only is it difficult for the mycelium to absorb, but it will also hinder and even damage the growth of the mycelium; when the concentration is too low, the goal of high yield cannot be achieved. When adding nutrient solution at a suitable concentration, it should be determined according to the water content of the culture material: if the water content of the culture material is relatively high, the concentration of the nutrient solution should be increased, the amount of water used should be reduced, and ventilation should be increased after adding; conversely, the concentration of the nutrient solution should be reduced and the amount of water used should be increased.
3. The nutrients in the nutrient solution must be comprehensive.
Several nutrient solutions should be used alternately regularly, so that the nutrients needed for the growth of the fruiting bodies are both comprehensive and reasonable. If hormones are used to stimulate the growth of edible mushrooms, they should be used after supplementing the nutrient solution.
4. Pay attention to changes in the environment.
When the temperature reaches above 20°C, it is difficult for the mycelium to form high-quality fruiting bodies. Except for high-temperature-type edible mushroom varieties, nutrient solution may not be added. If the culture material has already been contaminated by miscellaneous bacteria, the miscellaneous bacteria must first be removed before adding nutrient solution. In order to prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, a certain amount of bacteriostatic agent can also be added while adding the nutrient solution, to prevent the miscellaneous bacteria from breeding and spreading.
The above are top-dressing techniques for edible mushrooms. Only by adopting the correct top-dressing method of "two suitables and two musts" can the desired purpose be achieved.