How should fertilizer be applied during the cultivation of edible fungi?

Proper fertilization is an important measure for achieving high yields of edible fungi and improving their quality. The role of fertilization is to supplement and adjust nutrient components and to eliminate harmful factors, creating favorable conditions for sustained high yields of edible fungi. Fertilization of edible fungi can be divided into two aspects: fertilization of the growing substrate and fertilization of the mushroom bed.

I. Fertilization of the growing substrate. Today's cottonseed hulls have very low water absorption and are lacking in nutrients. If no additional nutrients are added, it is very difficult to increase yields, which is why many mushroom growers report that yields are far lower than before. Fertilization of the growing substrate should be based mainly on organic fertilizers, with the amount of chemical fertilizers used kept relatively small. Organic fertilizers provide comprehensive nutrition and can supply all-around nutritional support for the growth of edible fungus mycelium, and this is especially evident in the late fruiting stage. The components of chemical fertilizers are substances that are easily absorbed and utilized by mycelium, and they can be applied in combination with organic fertilizers. Organic fertilizers commonly used for edible fungi include livestock and poultry manure, soybean cake, cottonseed cake, cornmeal, wheat bran, rice bran, and so on. Depending on the nitrogen content of the raw materials, 10%-30% may be added. Chemical fertilizers generally include monopotassium phosphate, magnesium sulfate, urea, compound fertilizer, special fertilizer for edible fungi, and so on, with the amount added generally being 0.1%-0.5%. It must not be added in too large an amount, otherwise it will lead to poor mycelial growth.

II. Fertilization of the mushroom bed. Commonly used components for mushroom bed fertilization include special micro-fertilizer for edible fungi; many plant growth hormones such as triacontanol, indoleacetic acid, gibberellin, and naphthaleneacetic acid; and self-prepared nutrient solutions such as compost extract, mushroom root soup, soybean milk, poultry manure extract, glucose-calcium carbonate solution, urea or ammonium sulfate solution, peptone-yeast powder solution, and plant ash extract. Fertilization can be carried out by hole irrigation or furrow irrigation. For hole irrigation, the hole spacing can be 10 cm; for furrow irrigation, the furrow spacing is 30-50 cm. After pouring in the fertilizer solution, increase ventilation, and another irrigation can be done after 5-6 days.

Fertilization of the fruiting bodies is also one of the most commonly used methods at present. The main nutrient components used can be mainly inorganic nutrients, such as special micro-fertilizer for edible fungi, urea solution, monopotassium phosphate solution, humic acid solution, and so on. Many biological liquid fertilizers now promoted for application, such as Guangda Junwang and Lixin Junwang, also show obvious application effects.