How to choose suitable species for edible mushroom cultivation

Edible mushrooms are nutritious and delicious, and as people's living standards improve, they are increasingly favored by consumers. At present, there are more than 90 species of edible mushrooms that can be cultivated artificially, more than a dozen are produced on a relatively large commercial scale, and several dozen rare species are produced in smaller quantities. So how should cultivation species be chosen? Simply put, there are only 2 bases for choice: the market and production conditions. This requires a great deal of investigation, research and analysis. As a professional spawn factory, species should be chosen according to the needs of growers; for mushroom farms and mushroom farmers producing for their own use, species should be chosen according to the market and production conditions, and cultivation spawn should also be chosen according to the market and production conditions. Specifically, when choosing cultivation species, the following work should be done well:

1 Market survey

Only when the products produced meet market demand can ideal economic and social benefits be obtained. Different cultivation models, different production models and different target markets require different scopes and depths of investigation.

1.1 Local market survey

The local market survey includes the mushroom species already sold on the local market, sales volume, product forms (dry products, fresh products, salted products, canned products, etc.), consumption trends (changes in species, changes in the consumption of different species and their product forms, etc.) and prices (ex-factory price, wholesale price, retail price), as well as the resources of existing market products. Through investigation and analysis, a basic estimate is made of market capacity and recent price changes. If the cultivation site is far from densely populated large and medium-sized cities, transportation is inconvenient, and products are almost all sold locally, then the survey of the local market is particularly important. Whether it is a mushroom farm or enterprise engaged in intensive production or a mushroom farmer engaged in small-scale family production, this survey is very necessary.

1.2 Domestic market and market conditions survey

For production enterprises and extension projects with a relatively large one-time investment, this survey is necessary, as it concerns the success or failure of the enterprise and the extension project. Any commodity market has a degree and a capacity; once this degree is exceeded, prices will naturally fall, affecting the economic benefits of producers. When there is a shortage, prices will naturally rise and climb, increasing producers' economic returns. To obtain ideal economic returns, a thorough market and market conditions survey must be conducted, including national production by category; the output, species and quantities of different product forms in the province, autonomous region or municipality and in neighboring provinces, autonomous regions or municipalities; the sales situation in the province, municipality, autonomous region and neighboring provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities (sales prices, sources of goods, quality, species, etc.); and the requirements of the target market population for mushroom products (species, flavor, texture, etc.).

1.3 Foreign market and market conditions survey

China is a major producer of edible mushrooms, and a large number of products are exported every year, but in recent years prices have been unstable and unsatisfactory. Therefore, enterprises that target their product market at exports must conduct this survey in order to rationally design mushroom farms and select suitable mushroom types, varieties and corresponding technical routes. Surveys of foreign market conditions are mainly conducted through foreign trade departments and customs. The departments in China handling the export of edible mushroom products mainly include import and export companies at the national, provincial, municipal and autonomous region levels, native produce and animal by-products companies, grain and oil companies, supply and marketing cooperatives, etc. The survey content should include not only mushroom species, quantities, prices, etc., but also a detailed understanding of product specifications, varieties, etc. Blind production must be avoided to prevent unnecessary losses.

2 Production conditions survey

The production of any kind of edible mushroom requires certain production conditions, and different species have both similarities and differences, which cannot be ignored. In addition to fixed buildings, sites and facilities, production conditions generally fall into three major aspects, namely raw materials, meteorological conditions and transport distance.

2.1 Raw materials

These are mainly consumable raw materials, such as large amounts of growing substrate, followed by containment materials, such as commonly used plastic sleeves and plastic bags of various specifications. Growing substrate has natural resources in the vast rural areas of China, but plastic bags, sleeves and the like are harder to purchase in areas where no industry has formed, so contact with relevant manufacturers must be made in advance. The growing substrate used for cultivation should be obtained locally as much as possible, which can both ensure quality and reduce costs. At the same time, in a sense, whether the growing substrate can be obtained locally is also an important factor in whether a cultivated mushroom species can gain a competitive advantage in the market. For example, the largest amounts of materials used for Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom) are wheat straw and rice straw, etc. If it is cultivated in forest areas without these raw materials, transporting such materials from afar greatly increases cultivation costs; not only is material preparation difficult during cultivation, but the product also loses its competitive advantage in the market, thereby losing its cultivation feasibility. Therefore, we advocate cultivating those mushroom types for which local materials are convenient to obtain.

2.2 Meteorological conditions

Whether the local climatic conditions are suitable is an important factor in whether mushroom cultivation can succeed. Cultivating edible mushrooms under suitable meteorological conditions, or making use of seasons with suitable meteorological conditions, can greatly reduce the cost of creating suitable environmental conditions. Meteorological conditions are also often the key factor in choosing mushroom species. For example, the temperature at which straw mushroom fruiting bodies form must not be lower than 24°C, with 26-30°C being suitable. In Northeast China, summer nighttime outdoor temperatures are often lower than 24°C, making it difficult to meet the needs of straw mushroom fruiting, so commercial production of straw mushroom is difficult there. In Guangdong and Guangxi in the south, however, except for a few months in winter, it can be cultivated almost year-round.

2.3 Market distance

Market distance is an important factor that must be considered in developing edible mushroom production. When growing mushrooms at locations relatively close to large and medium-sized cities, the main focus should be on mushroom species suitable for fresh sale, such as shiitake, oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom and straw mushroom; while in remote villages or mountainous areas far from large and medium-sized cities, where the quantity for fresh sale is limited, the main focus should be on mushroom species suitable for drying, such as shiitake, wood ear and silver ear fungus. Under the premise of signing purchase contracts, mushroom species suitable for making cans or other simply processed products can also be cultivated, such as Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom), oyster mushroom, enoki mushroom and nameko mushroom, but the scale should be moderate to avoid sales difficulties and product backlogs, which would prevent achieving the deserved economic benefits.