Four Simple Preservation Methods for Edible Mushroom Mother Cultures and Cultivation Techniques

Liquid paraffin preservation method: Select chemical-grade liquid paraffin, sterilize it under high pressure, then place it in a 40°C constant-temperature incubator for several hours or in a desiccator for several days. Use a sterile pipette or syringe to draw up the liquid paraffin and inject it into the spawn test tube. The injection amount should be about 1 cm above the tip of the slant. Plug with a cotton plug, seal well with wax, and preserve upright in a low-temperature place. It can be preserved for 5 years.

Wheat bran preservation method: Weigh out a certain amount of wheat bran, add water or nutrient solution, and mix well before use. Put water and wheat bran into a test tube, sterilize under high pressure, then inoculate with spawn and culture at a suitable temperature. After the mycelium has developed well, place the test tube in a dry room at room temperature to dry. After drying, store in a dry place below 20°C. It can be preserved for 3~5 years.

Physiological saline preservation method: Inoculate the spawn into potato culture solution, with 60 ml of culture solution per 250 ml Erlenmeyer flask. Culture with shaking or shake 5~10 times a day for 5~7 days. Then transfer the formed mycelial pellets into test tubes containing 5 ml of sterile physiological saline, with about 4~5 mycelial pellets per tube. Plug with a cotton plug, seal the tube opening well with wax, and place in a low-temperature place. It can be preserved for 1 year.

Wheat grain preservation method: Take high-quality wheat, wash it, soak it in 20°C water for 5 hours, dry it slightly, and put it into tubes. The amount loaded should preferably be 1/4 to 1/3 of the tube length. Sterilize, shake loose while hot, inoculate with mycelium after cooling, and culture at a suitable temperature until sparse mycelium appears on most wheat grains, then stop culturing. Place in a dry place below 25°C. It can be stored for one to two years.