How to manage button mushrooms during the fruiting period? These key points you need to master
The button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) is one of the common edible fungi in our daily lives, deeply loved by people, with a broad market and many growers. During the cultivation process, managing the fruiting period of button mushrooms is extremely important, as it affects both the yield and quality of the mushrooms. So how should button mushrooms be managed well during the fruiting period? Let's take a look together.
1. Water management
Water management in edible fungus production is very important. Regulating water in the casing soil layer is a crucial technical step in water management, and two management methods can be adopted. The first is the spray method, which makes the casing soil layer not soaked through but moistened through, so that within 1-2 days the casing soil layer reaches its maximum water-holding capacity. This method has less impact on the mycelium and is suitable for clay soil. The second is heavy watering to set the mushrooms, using the pouring method to give sufficient water in one go. This method can effectively stimulate the rapid transformation of mycelium from vegetative growth to reproductive growth, and is suitable for casing materials with good physical and chemical properties.
2. Temperature management
During the fruiting period of button mushrooms, the greenhouse temperature needs to be kept between 11-20°C at all times. This is the optimal suitable growth temperature for the fruiting bodies, and they can grow normally with almost no regulation needed. As the temperature decreases, insulation measures should be strengthened, which can be done by covering with insulation film and ventilating at noon for regulation. In recent years, some farmers have adopted methods such as heating fire walls and earthen heating, with very good results. In low-temperature seasons, it is only necessary to keep the temperature above 8°C to meet the normal growth and development needs of the fruiting bodies.
3. Ventilation management
How effective the ventilation is in the mushroom greenhouse directly affects the later yield and quality. Many farmers tend to focus on temperature and water management but neglect ventilation management. In addition to the needs of mycelium and fruiting body growth, ventilation in the mushroom greenhouse can also promptly discharge and dilute carbon dioxide, and carry excess moisture out of the greenhouse, which is especially important when the humidity inside the greenhouse is too high. In addition, good ventilation can also prevent the occurrence of certain diseases. Generally, the carbon dioxide concentration inside the greenhouse is required to be around 0.05%, and should not exceed 0.1%.
4. Light management
The biggest characteristic of button mushrooms is that during the fruiting body growth stage, they can basically grow normally without light, but under weak light conditions, it will not hinder their growth and development. Therefore, in production, the mushroom greenhouse can be tightly covered, and only when entering for operations should the edges or ventilation holes be opened. If conditions permit, lights can be turned on for illumination, and turned off when people leave.
The above is an introduction to the key management points for button mushrooms during the fruiting period. We hope it can help you. If you want to learn more related knowledge, please follow us.