Two "Suitables" and Two "Musts" for Fertilizing Edible Fungi, with a Detailed Explanation of Disease Identification Methods

In the late stage of fruiting in edible fungi, to strengthen the follow-up fruiting capacity, growers often apply supplementary fertilizer by adding nutrient solutions. Only by following the principle of the two suitables and two musts can the desired goal be achieved.

The Application Method Should Be Suitable

There are usually 3 methods for adding nutrient solutions: spraying, soaking and hole irrigation. The best time to spray the 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 young mushroom buds, so they do not swell and die; do not spray on spots where mushrooms have just been harvested or where mushroom remnants remain, 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 house. The soaking method is mainly used for bag-cultivated edible fungi. After harvesting 1-2 flushes of mushrooms, if the cultivation bags are severely short of water, they can be soaked in a prepared nutrient solution until they recover to close to their original weight. When adding the nutrient solution by soaking, the fungus bags are generally placed in a nutrient solution tank and weighted down with heavy objects, and the soaking time must not be too long. If the fungus bags have lost too much water, they can be soaked several times in batches. The hole irrigation method is mainly used on mushroom beds, and it can be adopted when the bed produces many mushrooms and water and nutrients are consumed too heavily. The specific method is: punch holes in the mushroom bed at a spacing of 10 cm, flood the bed with the prepared nutrient solution, and cover with soil after adding the nutrient solution.

The Added Concentration Should Be Appropriate

When the concentration of the nutrient solution is too high, not only is it difficult for the mycelium to absorb, but it can also hinder or even damage mycelial growth; when the concentration is too low, it cannot achieve the goal of high yield. The concentration of the added nutrient solution 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 it; conversely, the concentration of the nutrient solution should be reduced and the amount of water used should be increased.

The Nutrients in the Nutrient Solution Must Be Comprehensive

Several nutrient solutions should be used alternately regularly, so that the nutrients needed for fruiting body growth are both comprehensive and reasonable. If hormones are used to stimulate the growth of edible fungi, this should be done after supplementing with the nutrient solution.

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, and except for high-temperature-type edible fungus varieties, the nutrient solution may not be added. If the culture material has already been contaminated by miscellaneous fungi, be sure to remove the miscellaneous fungi first before adding the nutrient solution. To prevent contamination by miscellaneous fungi, a certain amount of bacteriostatic agent can also be added while adding the nutrient solution, to prevent the miscellaneous fungi from breeding and spreading.

The Application Method Should Be Suitable

There are usually 3 methods for adding nutrient solutions: spraying, soaking and hole irrigation. The best time to spray the 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 young mushroom buds, so they do not swell and die; do not spray on spots where mushrooms have just been harvested or where mushroom remnants remain, 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 house. The soaking method is mainly used for bag-cultivated edible fungi. After harvesting 1-2 flushes of mushrooms, if the cultivation bags are severely short of water, they can be soaked in a prepared nutrient solution until they recover to close to their original weight. When adding the nutrient solution by soaking, the fungus bags are generally placed in a nutrient solution tank and weighted down with heavy objects, and the soaking time must not be too long. If the fungus bags have lost too much water, they can be soaked several times in batches. The hole irrigation method is mainly used on mushroom beds, and it can be adopted when the bed produces many mushrooms and water and nutrients are consumed too heavily. The specific method is: punch holes in the mushroom bed at a spacing of 10 cm, flood the bed with the prepared nutrient solution, and cover with soil after adding the nutrient solution.

The Added Concentration Should Be Appropriate

When the concentration of the nutrient solution is too high, not only is it difficult for the mycelium to absorb, but it can also hinder or even damage mycelial growth; when the concentration is too low, it cannot achieve the goal of high yield. The concentration of the added nutrient solution 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 it; conversely, the concentration of the nutrient solution should be reduced and the amount of water used should be increased.

The Nutrients in the Nutrient Solution Must Be Comprehensive

Several nutrient solutions should be used alternately regularly, so that the nutrients needed for fruiting body growth are both comprehensive and reasonable. If hormones are used to stimulate the growth of edible fungi, this should be done after supplementing with the nutrient solution.

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, and except for high-temperature-type edible fungus varieties, the nutrient solution may not be added. If the culture material has already been contaminated by miscellaneous fungi, be sure to remove the miscellaneous fungi first before adding the nutrient solution. To prevent contamination by miscellaneous fungi, a certain amount of bacteriostatic agent can also be added while adding the nutrient solution, to prevent the miscellaneous fungi from breeding and spreading.