Enoki is a delicious edible mushroom and a healthy food that is rich in protein, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. Bottle cultivation of enoki is the main method of factory-based and automated production.

There are many kinds of mushrooms, all of which have high nutritional value for us.

1.Raw Material Preparation
Mix raw materials according to the nutritional needs of the mushroom species (e.g., 78% sawdust, 20% bran, 1% gypsum, 1% lime). Use sawdust from broad-leaved trees (e.g., poplar, birch) and screen out large impurities. Bran must be fresh and free of mold, while corn cobs should be crushed into particles 1/4 to 1/3 the size of a corn kernel for uniform mixing. Use a spiral mixer to blend the materials for 15-20 minutes, ensuring even distribution and consistent nutrition to support mycelium growth.、

2.Bag Formation
Use a bagging machine to evenly fill polypropylene bags with the prepared mixture, adjusting weight and compactness as required (e.g., shiitake mushroom bags typically weigh 1.2-3 kg with moderate compactness). After filling, seal the bags with a binding machine to ensure a firm closure, preventing contamination. Machine binding is more efficient and reliable, making it a critical step in the production process.

3.Sterilization
Sterilization is crucial and requires strict control of temperature, pressure, and time:
Atmospheric Sterilization: Place the mushroom bags in a sterilization chamber, maintaining a temperature of 100°C for 10-12 hours using steam.
High-Pressure Sterilization: Sterilize under high temperature and pressure (121°C, 0.1-0.15 MPa) for 2-3 hours. This method is more effective but involves higher equipment costs. After sterilization, allow the bags to cool to a safe temperature before moving to the inoculation stage.

4.Inoculation
Inoculation must be performed in a sterile environment. Operators wear sterile clothing and use disinfected tools (e.g., inoculation needles, scoops) to evenly introduce the spawn into holes or onto the surface of the mushroom bags. The inoculation amount depends on the species and bag size (e.g., 10-15 g per bag for enoki mushrooms). The inoculation room is equipped with air filtration systems, UV lamps, and ozone generators to maintain sterility. Pass-through windows facilitate the transfer of materials while minimizing external contamination.

5.Cultivation
Place mushroom bags on multi-layer cultivation racks with adequate spacing for ventilation and observation. Adjust the environment based on the mushroom species:
Temperature: 22-26°C for shiitake, 20-25°C for king oyster mushrooms.
Humidity: Maintain at 60-70% using humidifiers or dehumidifiers.
Light: Oyster mushrooms thrive in diffused light, while enoki mushrooms grow better in darkness.
Ventilation: Ensure 1-2 air exchanges per hour to meet the oxygen needs of the mycelium.
Regularly inspect the growth conditions, and adjust ventilation or environmental parameters if excessive growth or abnormalities are detected, ensuring smooth cultivation progress.

1. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Techniques
Preventive Measures (If your area has already been affected by a storm, skip this section):


Monitor weather updates closely and prepare essential supplies such as drinking water, food, medicines, and daily necessities to ensure personal and property safety.
Before the storm arrives, inspect and reinforce mushroom sheds, clear surrounding drainage ditches, and ensure smooth drainage to prevent flooding inside the sheds.
Safeguard materials such as spawn, raw materials, and cultivation bags by moving them to higher ground if necessary to avoid flood damage.
Factory-based mushroom enterprises and spawn production facilities should arrange for on-site personnel to ensure electrical and equipment safety, inspect power lines and transformers, and prepare emergency power supplies, water pumps, and backup lighting.
If the storm coincides with the outdoor fermentation of compost for button mushrooms, cover the compost with plastic sheeting before the rain and ensure proper drainage. Remove the plastic sheeting afterward to prevent anaerobic fermentation.
For high-temperature mushroom varieties, reinforce mushroom sheds and address drainage issues around the area
Ensure proper drainage to prevent mushroom cultivation bags from being soaked and contaminated.


2. Post-Disaster Response


Maintain Hygiene and Control Pests and Diseases

Clear weeds and debris around mushroom farms promptly, disinfect with lime or bleach powder, and manage pests like mushroom flies and contamination using specialized mushroom-safe pest control agents.



Clean Flood-Affected Areas

Drain standing water, remove mud and debris, and relocate submerged or buried cultivation bags to shaded, ventilated areas. Disinfect the premises with lime, chlorine dioxide, or bleach, ensuring thorough drying and pest control before resuming production.






Mushroom Bag Management

Wash submerged or contaminated cultivation bags with clean water, then spray with a lime or bleach solution. Relocate them to dry, ventilated areas for recovery.
For bags that absorbed excessive water, puncture small holes in the plastic to release moisture and improve aeration, promoting mycelial recovery. Conduct ventilation during cooler periods to avoid heat stress.
For severely damaged bags, reconnect broken sections with bamboo skewers, reposition them on racks, and remove any crushed or contaminated bags promptly to prevent cross-infection.



Reprocess Contaminated Spawn Bags

For spawn bags submerged shortly after inoculation, open the bags, sun-dry the substrate, and remix with fresh materials to recreate spawn bags.



Ensure Cultivation Environment Recovery

After cleaning and disinfecting, ensure soil or substrate conditions are restored to optimum levels for further cultivation.



By taking these preventive and responsive measures, mushroom farmers can minimize losses during extreme weather events and ensure the sustainability of their operations.

Mushroom production heavily depends on cultivation bags. As the saying goes: "Mushrooms first, bags second, management third." This highlights the importance of bag quality as the foundation of successful mushroom cultivation. However, issues like bag rupture, contamination, uneven substrate adhesion, or poor fruiting often stem from overlooked bag quality and selection, which ultimately impacts mushroom yields.
Today, we will discuss how to assess the quality of cultivation bags and share some practical tips for selection.


Methods to Assess Bag Quality
1. Check the Appearance
Align the bottom seal and the opening of the bag. If the edges are uneven, the bag is likely handcrafted, which makes it less airtight. On the other hand, machine-sealed bags are evenly aligned and generally offer better airtightness and sealing.
2. Inspect the Heat-Sealing Line
If the sealing line is opaque, it indicates manual sealing. Such bags have poor plasticity, are prone to air leakage, and are stiffer, making them more susceptible to breakage. In contrast, machine-sealed lines are transparent, soft, and durable, ensuring over 95% airtightness and reliable sealing.

3. Examine Bag Color and Consistency
High-quality bags have a clear, uniform, and smooth appearance. To check thickness, open the bag and feel it by running your hands around in a circle. If you notice uneven thickness or thin spots, the bag is likely to tear easily.

4. Puncture Test with Fingernail
Inflate a bag and seal it. Try puncturing it with a fingernail. If the bag does not leak, it indicates good quality.
5. Submersion Test
Seal the inflated bag and submerge it in a water basin. If no bubbles appear, the bag is airtight and meets quality standards. Bags with leaks are more prone to contamination during cultivation.

6. Feel the Surface
Run your hands over the surface of the bag to check for smoothness. A smooth surface suggests that the bag contains fewer recycled materials, indicating higher quality.

7. Inspect Against Sunlight
Hold the bag up to sunlight to check for small black dots. These dots are unmelted particles from recycled materials. If such particles are abundant, avoid using the bag.
8. Stretch Test
Cut a strip about 1 cm wide from the bag. Hold both ends of the strip and gently pull to stretch it. The farther it stretches without breaking, the better the bag quality.



Additional Tips
There are many ways to evaluate bag quality, but it’s crucial to select cultivation bags from certified manufacturers. Mushroom cultivation is challenging and requires careful attention to every detail. Choosing high-quality cultivation bags is an essential step that should never be overlooked!