GROWING GOURMET - Anto2ni.it

GROWTH PARAMETERS 269
This species adapts well to liquid culture techniques. I prefer to use malt agar media supplemented
with 3-5 grams of alder sawdust. Once the cultures are grown out, they are blended in a stiner, subproportioned
into Erlenmeyers flasks containing malt sugar, yeast, and alder (2%;.l%: .5%
respectively), fermented for two days, and injected into sterilized rye grain. These liquid-inoculated
grain masters are then used to inoculate sawdust for the creation of sawdust spawn which can then be
used to inoculate the fruiting substrate: sawdust/chips/bran. For further information of Shiitake under
liquid culture conditions, see Raaska (1990), Yang & Jong (1987) and Leatham (1983).
SuggestedAgar Media: PDYA, MYA, and OMYA with the addition of .2% of the hardwood sawdust
used in the production block.
1st, 2nd and 3rd Generation Spawn Media: Rye, wheat, sorghum or corn throughout for the first
two generations. I recommend sawdust spawn for the third and final generation.
Substrates for Fruiting: Broad-leaf hardwoods such as oak, ironwood, sweetgum, beech, poplar,
cottonwood, and alder.
The formula described on page 162 utilizing sawdust, chips, rice or rye bran, and buffered with
gypsum is ideal for high yield, indoor production. At make-up this substrate hovers around 5.5-6.0.
Prior to fruiting, the pH drops to 3.5-4.5. (The optimal range for fruiting, according to Chang & Miles
(1989) falls between 4.2-4.6). Other recipes utilize a variety of supplements, including various
grains, the cereal brans, most flours, tea leaves, yeast, molasses etc. For further information on formulating
sawdust-based media, consult Jong (1989), Royse & Bahier (1986), San Antonio (1981)
and Ando (1974). The Forest Research Institute of New Zealand published one of the first studies exploring
the usefulness of pines (Pinus radiata—the Monterey Pine) which produced satisfactorily
yields when combined with a hardwood such as beech or poplar and supplemented with barley grain.
(The ratio was 6 parts pine: 3 parts hardwood: 1 part grain.)
Figure 246. 2-3 days after submersion, mushrooms 4 days trom the soak tank, mushrooms
form below the surface, cracking the outer brown visibly extend beyond the surface plane of the sawskin,
dust block.
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