Causes and Prevention Methods of Mushroom Bud and Young Mushroom Death

1. Excessive temperature: When mushroom buds form and grow, if the temperature of the mushroom shed (house) suddenly rises or stays above 20°C for several consecutive days, combined with poor ventilation, the mushroom buds will shrivel, turn yellow, and eventually die. This situation often occurs in late autumn or early spring, because the mushroom buds form under low-temperature conditions, and their nutrients are transported from the mycelium to the fruiting body; when the temperature suddenly rises, the nutrients flow back from the fruiting body to the mycelium, and the mushroom buds die from lack of nutrients. Prevention methods: Pay close attention to temperature changes, adjust the temperature of the mushroom shed (house) according to the weather forecast, keep the mushroom shed (house) temperature below 20°C, and strictly prevent sudden temperature rises in the mushroom shed (house).

2. Poor ventilation in the mushroom shed (house): In winter, mushroom growers often keep the mushroom shed (house) tightly closed to maintain temperature, while neglecting ventilation. It may also be that the mushroom shed (house) is too large, and although there are ventilation holes around it, the ventilation is uneven, so the air inside and outside the mushroom shed (house) cannot be exchanged, the air supply inside the mushroom shed (house) is insufficient, and the mushroom buds or young mushrooms cannot get enough oxygen and suffocate to death. Prevention methods: Under all circumstances, attention must be paid to ventilation of the mushroom shed (house), ventilating 1 to 2 times a day. When the temperature is high, ventilate in the morning or evening; when the temperature is low, ventilate around noon, and the ventilation time can be appropriately shortened. On windy days, open only the ventilation holes on the leeward side; on windless sunny days, open all ventilation holes so that the air can circulate fully.

3. Improper water use: During the growth period of young mushrooms, directly spraying water on the mushroom bed and the mushroom bodies makes the humidity inside the mushroom shed (house) too high. If the mushroom shed (house) has poor ventilation, the accumulated water on the mushroom bodies cannot dissipate in time, forming a water film on the surface of the mushroom bodies, causing them to die from waterlogging, or inducing bacterial diseases that cause the young mushrooms to rot and die. If the mushroom logs or casing soil layer lack water, the young mushrooms cannot get enough water and wither and die. It is also possible that when the temperature in the mushroom shed (house) is high, directly spraying water on the mushroom bodies causes the mushroom buds to die from sudden stimulation. Prevention methods: When the temperature in the mushroom shed (house) is above 20°C, do not spray water; pay attention to ventilation each time you spray water, and do not spray in a closed, stuffy environment; during the mushroom bud or young mushroom stage, do not directly spray water on the mushroom bodies and mushroom bed, but spray water on the ground and into the air to maintain suitable humidity in the mushroom shed (house); when the moisture of the mushroom logs or casing soil is insufficient, replenish water in time to adjust humidity.

4. Overdense fruiting: For bed-cultivated edible mushrooms such as Agaricus bisporus and Coprinus comatus, because the compost is too dry or the casing soil is too thin, the mycelium grows quickly after casing, forming dense mushroom buds on the surface layer, but because the nutrients cannot meet the needs of too many mushroom buds, some mushroom buds die. For bag-cultivated mushrooms such as shiitake and oyster mushrooms, when the mycelium has not yet matured, encountering a large temperature difference between day and night, or turning the mushroom bags too many times, or soaking in water for too long, can also form dense mushroom buds, and most of these mushroom buds die. Prevention methods: Control the casing soil thickness at 3 to 5 cm; after casing, spray water in time to adjust humidity so that the soil moisture content remains at 18% to 20%. For bag cultivation, cultivate until the mycelium is physiologically mature, then induce budding. When inducing budding, the temperature difference stimulation time should not be too long; 3 to 4 days is sufficient.

5. Damage from diseases and pests and improper pesticide use: Damage from diseases and pests, or excessive spraying, or too high a pesticide concentration, can all cause mushroom buds or young mushrooms to die, or even cause cultivation failure. Prevention methods: During the fruiting period, do not use chemical methods for control; trapping and manual capture methods can be used for control. If pesticides must be used, only after the mushrooms are harvested, choose low-toxicity, low-residue agents, and control the concentration used within the permitted range.