Shimeji Mushroom Cultivation Technology（2）

The production cycle of shimeji mushrooms varies depending on the variety. The brown oyster mushroom variety is 100~110 days, and the white shimeji mushroom variety is 110~120 days.

(1) Cultivation Process
Selection of culture material → preparation of culture material – mixing → bottling (bagging) → sterilization → cooling → inoculation → germination period management → post-ripening culture → bacteria scratching → budding promotion → fruiting period management → harvesting.

(2) Selection Of Cultivation Materials
There are a wide range of raw materials for cultivating Shimeji mushrooms, including sawdust, cottonseed husks, corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse, distiller’s grains, etc. Practice has proven that cottonseed husks and corncobs are better medium materials. Rice bran, wheat bran, soybean hulls, and cottonseed kernel powder are ideal nitrogen sources. The culture medium must be dry, fresh, free of mold and pests. Moist culture medium is prone to mold, which will lead to incomplete sterilization, affect the nutritional content, and ultimately affect the yield and quality.

(3) Mixing
In factory production, mechanical mixing is often used. Mixing machines are used to mix materials. Raw materials are added into the hopper according to the formula. When mixing, coarse materials such as corn cobs, beet pulp, and cottonseed hulls are added first, followed by fine materials such as rice bran, wheat bran, and corn flour. Finally, light calcium carbonate and shell powder are added to adjust the pH. Dry mixing takes 5 to 10 minutes, and the mixer automatically adds water for 10 to 15 minutes. The water temperature is controlled at 15 to 20°C. The wet mixing time is 50 to 70 minutes to ensure uniform mixing. Samples are taken after each mixing to test moisture and pH. The moisture content of the culture medium is 65% to 67%, and the pH is 6.6 to 7.0 before sterilization.

(4) Bottling (Bagging)
Before bottling (bagging), measure the water content and pH of the culture medium, the water content is 65%~67%, pH8.0~9.0. Automatic loading equipment can be used for loading, the bag material should be uniform and tight, and the loading height should be 1/2 from the bottle shoulder to the bottle mouth. Usually, 1100mL cultivation bottle is loaded with 700~720g. After loading, compact the material surface, punch an inoculation hole, cover the bottle cap, sterilize in time, and do not leave it for a long time. Generally, 17cmx(30~33)cm, 0.004cm thick high-pressure polypropylene plastic bags or polyethylene plastic bags are selected, and bagging machines are used for bagging. Each bag is loaded with about 425g.

(5) Sterilization
Use high pressure sterilization at 123℃ for 2~3h; or normal pressure sterilization at 100℃ for 8~10h.

(6) Inoculation
The culture bottle can be inoculated only after it has cooled to a temperature below 20°C. Use an automatic inoculator for quantitative inoculation, and each bottle of culture (750mL culture bottle) can be inoculated with approximately 40 bottles or 30 bags.

(7) Management Of The Fungus Development Period
According to the growth characteristics of the shimeiji mushroom, adjust the temperature, air humidity and ventilation volume of the culture room to keep the temperature within the range of 22~25°C, the relative air humidity at 70%~75%, and maintain good ventilation. No light is needed during the mycelium cultivation stage. Shimeji mushrooms grow slowly and usually take 30-35 days to fill the bottle. Bag cultivation can generally fill the bag in about 50 days.
The sign of the end of post-ripening is that the mycelium changes from sparse to thick white, forming a thick mycelium, white mycelium skin appears on the surface of the material, and light yellow or yellow-brown pigments are secreted, which means that the mycelium has reached physiological maturity.