Growth conditions required for oyster mushrooms
1. Nutrition
Oyster mushroom is a wood-rotting fungus with strong decomposition ability. It can easily decompose cellulose, lignin, starch and other organic matter in raw materials such as cottonseed hulls, sawdust, corn cobs, waste cotton and rice straw to obtain nutrients needed for growth, and has a high bioconversion rate.
2. Temperature
Due to different varieties, the temperature requirements are also different, but the general mycelium growth temperature range is 5~30℃, and the optimal growth temperature is 23℃~27℃. The differentiation temperature of fruiting bodies varies greatly due to differences in low-temperature, medium-temperature, high-temperature and wide-temperature varieties, and the differentiation temperature range varies greatly, generally between 5 and 30°C.
3. Humidity
The suitable moisture content of the culture material for the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium is 60% to 70%. More than 70% or less than 30% is not conducive to the growth of mycelium. The relative humidity of the air should be controlled at about 65% during the mycelial growth stage, and at the fruiting body differentiation and development stage and the fruiting stage. The relative air humidity should be controlled at 85% to 95%. Too high or too low will affect the growth of the fruiting body.
4. Air
Pleurotus ostreatus is an aerobic fungus. During the mycelium growth stage, if the air permeability is poor, the mycelium will grow very slowly or even stop growing. If there is poor ventilation and lack of oxygen during the mushrooming stage, deformed mushrooms will be produced, with long stalks and small caps, and clusters of sterile caps on the stalks. Therefore, during the mycelial cultivation and fruiting stages, the mushroom house must be ventilated and the air must be fresh.
5. Light
Pleurotus ostreatus does not require light during the mycelial growth stage, and light affects mycelial growth. When the hyphae mature, fruiting body primordia can be formed through scattered light stimulation. The fruiting body growth stage also requires scattered light. If there is insufficient light, deformed mushrooms with small caps and long stalks will be produced.
6. pH
Pleurotus ostreatus is suitable for growing on acidic culture media. It has a wide adaptability to the pH value of the culture medium. It can grow when the pH value is 3.0~8.0, and the most suitable pH value is 5.8~6.2. When configuring the production culture material, lime should be added to adjust the pH value to 7.0~8.5, because organic acids will be produced during the growth of mycelium, which will reduce the pH value of the culture material. Adding lime can also prevent infection by miscellaneous bacteria.