Shimeji Mushroom Cultivation Technology（1）

The Shimeiji mushroom, also known as crab-flavored mushroom and seafood mushroom, has achieved annual factory production in some countries and has become the fastest-growing bottled variety after Shimeiji mushroom. Its growth environment requirements are as follows:

1.Nutrient
Shimeji mushrooms can decompose and utilize lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose. Cottonseed hulls and corn cobs are commonly used carbon sources for cultivated species. In addition to carbon sources, the growth and development of oleracea oleracea requires the absorption of nutrients such as protein, vitamins and minerals, so auxiliary materials such as wheat bran, rice bran, soybean hulls and corn flour need to be added to the culture medium. The mixed use of auxiliary materials has a more obvious yield-increasing effect than using them alone.

2. Temperature
Different strains of shimeiji mushrooms have slightly different temperature requirements. The temperature range for mycelium development is 9~30℃, and the optimum temperature is 22~24℃. When the temperature rises from the optimum temperature to about 30℃, the mycelium growth rate drops rapidly and rises to the critical temperature of 35℃, and the mycelium will die after a few days. The temperature for fruiting body primordium differentiation is 8~22℃, and the optimum temperature for growth is 12~16℃. At low temperatures of 5~8℃ and high temperatures of 22~25℃, the fruiting body can still grow slowly. However, long-term low temperatures will cause the cap to be deformed and big-footed mushrooms to appear; long-term high temperatures will cause the stipe to grow too long and the cap to droop, which is not good for the yield and quality of Shimeiji mushrooms.

3. Water Content
During the growth and development stage of the Shimeiji mushroom, the water content of the substrate should be around 65%. If the water content of the substrate is lower than 45%, the mycelium will grow slowly, be sparse, and be prone to aging. If it is higher than 75%, the mycelium will grow slowly or not grow. The relative humidity of the air in the mushroom house during the mycelium culture stage is 70%~75%. During the differentiation and development of the fruiting body, 90%~95% is required. In particular, the relative humidity of the air is higher during the mushroom bud stage. If the air humidity is too low during the mushroom bud stage, the fruiting body will be difficult to differentiate and the mushroom bud will die easily. A long-term over-humid environment will affect the normal development of the fruiting body, causing it to grow slowly, the stem to be dark and bitter, and it will be susceptible to diseases, and mushrooms will grow on mushrooms.

4. Light
The mycelium of the Shimeiji mushroom does not require light to grow. In the dark, the mycelium grows white and thick, and is not easy to age. However, the differentiation of the mushroom buds requires 50~100lx of scattered light to promote the differentiation of the primordium. The formation of the cap and the elongation of the stipe require scattered light, otherwise the fruiting body will be poorly developed. The growth of the fruiting body has obvious phototropism, and the mushroom house should have 300~500lx of light. Light affects the quality of the fruiting body. Insufficient light will result in fewer and uneven mushroom buds, elongated stipes, small and thin caps, pale fruiting bodies, and poor quality.

5. Air
Shimeiji mushroom is an aerobic fungus. Fresh air is needed for mycelial growth, primordium differentiation, and fruiting body growth. The culture medium should be coarse and fine, and have an appropriate water content, otherwise it will affect the air permeability and mycelial growth rate. With sufficient oxygen, the mycelial growth time will be shortened, the mycelium will be dense, and the growth will be vigorous, creating conditions for high-quality and high-yield in the future. Attention should be paid to ventilation during mycelial culture and fruiting stages. The carbon dioxide content in the mycelial culture room should be controlled below 0.4%, and the carbon dioxide content in the fruiting room should be controlled below 0.3%. If the carbon dioxide concentration in the mushroom house is too high, it will cause the fruiting body to grow slowly and deformed mushrooms to appear.

6. pH
The mycelium of Shimeiji mushrooms requires a weakly acidic to neutral environment for growth, with an optimum pH of 6.5-7.5. The pH of the culture medium will decrease after sterilization, and the mycelium will also decrease the pH of the culture medium during growth. To prevent contamination by foreign bacteria and promote physiological maturity of the mycelium, the pH of the culture medium should be adjusted to about 8 when mixing the culture medium.