GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

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CULTIVATING GOURMET MUSHROOMS
and market niches—in their overall system
design.
Growing the Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus
ostreatus, on straw is less expensive than
growing on sterilized sawdust. In contrast,
Shiitake, Lentinula edodes, which barely produces
on wheat straw is best grown on
wood-based substrates.* When both straw and
sawdust are difficult to acquire, alternative substrates
are called for. Mini-trials are
encouraged before substantial resources are
dedicated to any commercial enterprise. I encourage
readers to formulate new blends of
components which could lead to a breakthrough
in gourmet and medicinal mushroom
cultivation.
Alternative Fruiting
Formulas
Here is a basic wood-free formula for the cultivation
of wood-decomposing mushrooms. A
nitrogen supplement, in this case rice bran, is
added to boost yields.As discussed, the substrate
must be heat-treated by any one of a number of
methods to affect sufficient sterilization.
Alternative Fruiting Formulas
100 lbs. (45.5 kg.) ground corn cobs, peanut
shells, chopped roughage from sugar cane bagasse,
tea leaves, coffee banana, saguaro
cactus, straw, etc.
10 lbs. (4.6 kg.) rice bran or approximately
2.5 lbs extracted soybean oil
4 lbs. (1.8 kg.) gypsum (calcium sulfate)
1 lb. (.45 kg.) calcium carbonate
100-140 lbs. (45-64 kg.) water or as required.
The amount of calcium carbonate can be altered
to effectively raise pH, offsetting any
inherent acidity. The components are mixed in
dry form and wetted until a 70-75% moisture
content is achieved. The mixture is loaded into
bags and immediately heat-treated. Should the
bags sit overnight, and not autoclaved, contaminants
proliferates making the mixture
unsuitable for mushroom cultivation.
The methods described here for the cultivation
of mushrooms indoors on straw can be
extrapolated for cultivating mushrooms on
chopped cornstalks, sugar cane bagasse, and
many other agricultural waste products. In contrast
to wood which should be
sterilized, I believe most unsupplemented agricultural
by-products are better pasteurized using
steam or hot water baths. Pasteurization typically
occurs between 140-180° F. (60-82° C.) at
atmospheric pressure (1 psi). Sterilization is by
definition, above the boiling point of water,
>212°F. (100° C.), and above atmospheric pressure,
i.e. >1 psi. A hybrid treatment, which I call
atmospheric sterilization or "super-pasteurization"
calls for the exposure of substrates to
prolonged, elevated temperatures exceeding
190°F. (88° C.) for at least 12hours. (See Figure
137.) In any case, a carefully balanced aerobic
environment must prevail throughout the incubation
process or competitors will flourish.
Readily available, inexpensive, needing
only a quick run through a shredder (and
sometimes not even this), wheat straw is ideal
for both the home and commercial cultivator.
Straw is a "forgiving" substrate for the small
to mid-size cultivator, accepting a limited
number of contaminants and selectively favoring
mushroom mycelium. Growing on
straw is far less expensive than growing on
sawdust. Many cottage growers enter the
gourmet mushroom industry by first cultivating
Oyster mushrooms on straw. Wheat, rye,
* Several patents have been awarded in the cultivation of
Shiitake on composted, wood-free substrates.
Although fruitful, wood-based substrates are still
preferred by most Shiitake cultivators.
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