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CULTURING MUSHROOM MYCELIUM ON AGAR MEDIA 97
Figure 74. Taking spore prints on typing paper.
How to Collect Spores
A culture arising from cloning is fundamentally
different than a culture originating from
spores.When spores are germinated, many different
strains are created, some incompatible
with one another. A cultivator will not know
what features will be expressed until each and
every strain is grown out to the final stage, that
of mushroom production.This form of genetic
roulette results in very diverse strains, some
more desirable than others.
Mushroom spores are collected by taking a
spore print. Spore prints are made by simply
severing the cap from the stem, and placing the
cap, gills down, upon a piece of typing paper,
or glass. Covering the mushroom cap with a
bowl or plate lessens evaporation and disturbance
from air currents .Within 24 hours spores
fall in a beautiful pattern according to the radi-
Figure 75. The spore print can be folded and rubbed
together so that spores drop onto nutrient agar media.
This method is not the best as concentrated
populations of spores are grouped together.
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