What are Cultivation materials and formula of Enoki Mushroom/ Flammulina velutipes ?

What are Cultivation materials and formula of Enoki Mushroom/ Flammulina velutipes ?

1. Cultivation materials
Flammulina velutipes belongs to the low-temperature wood-decomposing fungi, so the waste materials of agricultural and forestry products such as broad-leaved tree chips, cottonseed shells, corn cobs, etc. can be used as culture medium raw materials. In addition, it is necessary to add an appropriate amount of bran, corn flour and other substances with relatively high nitrogen content as ammonia sources, and add light calcium carbonate, lime or gypsum to adjust the pH of the culture medium. The appropriate carbon-nitrogen ratio when preparing the culture medium is (30~40):1, and the pH value is 6.8~7.2. For large-scale cultivation, in addition to considering the difficulty of obtaining the raw materials, inventory, price, transportation cost, and fire resistance, the physical and chemical properties (particle size, hardness, porosity, water absorption, density) and other factors should also be considered in the selection of raw materials.

(1) Sawdust
In the process of cultivating Flammulina velutipes, sawdust acts as a filler, water retainer, and porosity adjuster. If the main formula is mixed sawdust, it is best to choose soft broad-leaved tree sawdust suitable for the growth of Flammulina velutipes. Sawdust containing a large amount of resin and tannin, which are substances that hinder the growth and development of mycelium and fruiting bodies, should not be used. No matter which cultivation container is used, the purchased mixed sawdust must be screened with a simple vibrating screen. For bag cultivation, since the plastic bag is relatively thin, if the sawdust particles are too coarse, it is easy to puncture the bag and cause pollution.

Some manufacturers also use sawdust of different coarseness and fineness, but it must be appropriate. If the proportion of fine sawdust is too large, the porosity of the culture medium will be very small, which will slow down the growth of Flammulina velutipes mycelium and delay the time for the mycelium to fill the bag, thereby affecting the differentiation of the mushroom buds and the development of the mushroom body; if the proportion of coarse sawdust is too large, the porosity is too large, and many evaporation channels will be formed, causing the culture medium to dry easily, affecting the growth and development of mycelium and fruiting bodies. The coarseness ratio of sawdust particles; diameters of 2~3mm account for 20%, 1~2mm account for 40%, and less than 1mm account for 40%. Too much coarse sawdust will make the culture medium dry easily; too fine sawdust will have poor ventilation.

In order to volatilize the resin and tannin in the sawdust, remove the substances that harm the growth of mycelium and improve the water retention performance, the sawdust should be piled up on the outdoor gently sloping cement ground for more than 3 months, and the sawdust should be exposed to the sun and rain to make it decompose, and the color gradually changes from beige to yellow-brown.

(2) Cottonseed hulls
Cottonseed hulls are selected by most Enoki mushroom companies. Their main function is to serve as a water retaining agent in the culture medium. If a formula based on cottonseed hulls is used, cottonseed hulls with more fluff and no obvious tingling should be selected, and they should be fresh, dry, loose in particles, without changes, no agglomeration, no odor, and no mites. Try not to use cottonseed hulls as the main material of the culture medium. At least 15% of sawdust or corn cobs should be added. The reason is that cottonseed hulls will release cottonphenol during the sterilization process, which is toxic to mycelium. Adding sawdust will have an adsorption effect.

(3) Corn cobs
Corn cobs should be fresh and free of mold. They should be stored whole and crushed into soybean-sized pieces by a grinder when used. Corn cobs have a high carbon content. From a biological structure perspective, they have more sponge tissue and high water absorption. They can be regarded as water retaining agents and also act as a "bridge" to increase the porosity of the culture medium and facilitate the spread of mycelium. Whether wheat bran or rice bran is used, it should be kept as fresh as possible.

(4) Wheat bran or rice bran
It is best to order directly from the flour mill. Feed-grade bran that has been transported over long distances should not be used. From the perspective of nutritional utilization, fine rice bran is easier for mycelium to fully degrade. The only drawback is that rice bran will oxidize and become rancid one week after it comes out of the shell and is not easy to preserve. Therefore, for companies with smaller cultivation scales, it is better to choose bran that is easy to preserve instead of rice bran. In addition, bran can be divided into red bran and white bran, with red bran being better.

(5) Corn flour
Due to the high nitrogen content of corn flour, the cultivation bag has "stamina". The dosage of corn flour is 2%~5%. If the proportion is too high, it will prolong the vegetative growth stage and delay the fruiting of mushrooms.

(6) Other auxiliary raw materials
① Gypsum is mainly used to improve the structure of the culture medium, increase calcium nutrition, and adjust the pH value of the culture medium. The general dosage is 1%~2%.
② Calcium carbonate aqueous solution is slightly alkaline. It is often used as a buffer and calcium nutrition. The dosage is generally 0.5%~1%.
③) Lime mainly increases the alkalinity of the culture medium to prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria, and at the same time increases the calcium nutrition in the culture medium. The general dosage is 1%~2%.
④ Superphosphate is a kind of phosphate fertilizer that can supplement nutrition and eliminate the ammonia smell in the culture medium. The dosage is generally 1%.

When using auxiliary raw materials, the dosage should be appropriate. When preparing the culture medium, it should be mixed evenly with the main material. At the same time, it must be noted that the pH value of water must be measured in advance before the culture medium is prepared. Flammulina velutipes belongs to the wood-decomposing fungi and is suitable for slightly acidic culture medium. The pH value of 6.0~6.5 is most suitable for the growth of Flammulina velutipes.