How to make the Mother culture  of Maitake mushroom?

 How to make the Mother culture  of Maitake mushroom?

Different strains and their quality have a decisive impact on the yield and quality of maitake mushrooms. Some strains are of poor quality and may not even form fruiting bodies. Therefore, it is essential to choose high-quality strains that have been proven in production to be vigorous, fast-growing, and high-yielding. Whether the strain is introduced or isolated by oneself, fruiting tests must be conducted before large-scale expansion.

Suitable media for maitake mother culture include PDA complex medium and bran-based medium. Grain-based media can also be used, and all are prepared using standard methods. These three types of media can be used for isolation and subculturing of maitake mother culture. The best part for isolation is the inner flesh where the cap connects to the stipe of the maitake mushroom. The selected strain for isolation should be a robust and well-differentiated specimen from the chosen lineage. Both isolation and subculturing should be performed under sterile conditions. Common formulas for maitake culture media include:

(1) Chestnut sawdust 80%, wheat bran 8%, gypsum and sugar 1% each, sandy loam or loam soil 10%.

(2) Cottonseed hulls 80%, wheat bran 8%, gypsum and sugar 1% each, sandy loam or loam soil 10%.

The ingredients are mixed with water to reach a 60% moisture content. After thorough mixing, fill the bottles, sterilize, and inoculate. Incubate at 25–26°C, and the bottles will be fully colonized in about 30 days. Only those with robust mycelium and no contamination by other microbes can be used.