The most profitable thing is to grow champignons in the village when you have your own farm and pets. Useful product farms are sawdust and manure. Using these resources, you can significantly minimize production costs. In other cases, you need to think about the possibilities of purchasing much-needed raw materials, and given the high demand, it can sometimes be difficult to get several tons of manure. However, if you wish, you can find suitable inexpensive sources. By the way, farmers who start such a business are entitled to good subsidies from the state.
In addition to the premises and raw materials, you will need equipment, especially if you plan to produce compost yourself. After all, loading 20 tons of compost manually is unlikely to be possible. You must have a tractor, the necessary equipment and workers to service the champignon farm.
Sawdust as an alternative to straw
Champignons grow on a specially prepared substrate. The yield largely depends on the quality of its preparation. The two main components of the substrate are manure and straw. They are used in a 1:1 ratio. Sawdust can be used instead of straw. This is done extremely rarely, but in recent years this method is becoming increasingly popular.
If there is a woodworking shop next to the farm, then getting sawdust is much easier and cheaper than straw. But there is very important point: wood waste should only be from hardwood wood Considering that a sawmill usually saws everything and does not separate the sawdust, it is more correct to purchase raw materials from coniferous trees.
The number of gardeners who want to grow mushrooms on their plots is growing. For example, oyster mushroom. The agricultural technology for growing it is so diverse that, in principle, each of us can harvest a fairly high yield of mushrooms. And the oyster mushroom harvest can be obtained in a shorter time if grown on a straw substrate. To do this you need to have a sufficient amount of straw. It can be purchased simultaneously with organic fertilizers among rural residents.
Option N 1.
Growing oyster mushrooms in a straw bed.
A bed 20 cm high is built from pressed straw. The straw is soaked in water (when pressed with your hand, drops of moisture should appear).
A straw bed is “infected” with mycelium at a depth of 8 cm. A kilogram of mycelium is required for 1-1.5 square meters.
The bed is covered with a thick film for four weeks. After a month, it is removed, and the bed is covered with a 5 cm layer of soil; in the winter it is covered to protect it from excessive dampness.
A mushroom plantation is usually planted in May, but this can also be done in September for the winter.
Over two years of growing season, 3-7 kilograms of mushrooms are collected from each square meter.
Option No. 2 provides:
Growing oyster mushrooms on a straw substrate.
The straw is crushed into pieces 2-4 cm long, ground into powder, soaked thoroughly in moisture and kept in hot water or impregnated at temperatures above 70 degrees. Then the straw substrate is cooled, thoroughly mixed with mycelium and placed in perforated plastic bags with holes with a diameter of 5-10 mm, located at a distance of 10 cm from each other. These preparations are stored for a month at a temperature of 20-25 degrees and taken out into the fresh air in the shade. On the eighth day, the plastic bags are removed.
And after 2-3 weeks they get the first harvest of mushrooms.
Mushrooms are collected for four months. On average, at each stage of harvesting, the product yield is 20-25 percent of the weight of the straw substrate. When frost sets in, mushroom plantations are covered.
Oyster mushroom - very delicious mushroom, which is not difficult to grow. Preparation substrate for growing oyster mushrooms– a responsible process on which the mushroom harvest directly depends.
Substrate composition
Substrate at intensive cultivation For oyster mushrooms, chopped straw with a size of about 2-3 cm can be used with the addition of crushed corn cobs with a particle size of about 0.5 cm. The ratio in the mixture of starting materials can vary, and different materials containing cellulose can be used as additives or in pure mass - grain waste, bark, hardwood sawdust and others.
Moistening the substrate for oyster mushrooms
The prepared crushed mass is moistened. Humidification on a mushroom farm is carried out in a pile or by flooding.
When moistened in a pile, the initial substrate mass is laid in the form of a pile on a cleaned surface. Watering is done 2-3 times a day. The humidification process usually takes from 3 days to a week depending on the material used. When the substrate is saturated with moisture, it is advisable to stir the mass 2-3 times.
Photo of king oyster mushroom on a subtractive block
Humidification by flooding is carried out in a special pool. The duration of soaking is from 3 to 6 days, and it is necessary to exchange water in the pool.
The optimal humidity of the prepared substrate for oyster mushrooms is 70-75%.
Heat treatment
The moistened substrate intended for growing oyster mushrooms must be thermally treated, best way processing - steam pasteurization at a temperature of 55-60 ° C for 10-12 hours. After pasteurization, the substrate is cooled to 22-25 °C. The cooling process can occur independently or by forced ventilation of the room with fresh cold air.
Sowing mycelium
The substrate prepared for sowing oyster mushroom mycelium should have a light golden color, a moisture content of 70%, a specific pleasant odor, and an acidity pH of about 6.5-7.0. The total nitrogen content should be 1.3% (on a dry basis).
Using a conveyor with a dosing hopper and a sowing apparatus, the finished oyster mushroom substrate is placed in containers. In this case, simultaneous sowing of oyster mushroom mycelium is carried out.
To produce subtractive blocks, polymer bags with perforations are usually used (hole diameter 2-3 mm in increments of 9-15 cm).
If you do not have the means of mechanization for mushroom growing, namely for filling containers with substrate and sowing oyster mushroom mycelium, then mix the mycelium with the substrate manually on a clean, spread film. After adding oyster mushroom mycelium, containers with substrate (blocks) are placed for germination in a prepared incubation room.
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The photo shows the rotation of oyster mushrooms on the substrate
Growing oyster mushrooms is a very interesting and exciting process. But you can make mistakes in any business.
The technology for growing oyster mushrooms is divided into two types: extensive (growing in natural conditions at minimum costs) and intensive method (growing in artificial conditions).
Therefore, before starting work, you need to familiarize yourself with the characteristics of these mushrooms. Each gardener grows oyster mushrooms differently, since the rules and methods, technology of this process depend on production conditions and personal experience mushroom lovers.
Substrate preparation work
Growing oyster mushrooms is impossible on ordinary soil; for this you will need a substrate. To prepare it you need the following ingredients:
- sunflower husk;
- sawdust from deciduous trees.
The substrate must meet certain quality criteria in order to ensure proper cultivation oyster mushroom
Sunflower husks should be:
- fresh;
- without foreign impurities;
- not very wet (no more than 30%).
To grow one mushroom block, you need to use 25 liters of dry substrate. If you measure in buckets, you get 2.5 buckets.
Oyster mushrooms are grown in special beds. To create them you need to buy plastic bags measuring 350x750 mm. First you need to measure the territory where oyster mushrooms will be grown, then calculate how many bags are needed for such an area. There is no need to treat the bags with anything; they are immediately ready for use.
When the beds are ready, you need to start purchasing mycelium. Without mycelium, mushrooms cannot grow, since it is the beginning of the mushroom.
Mycelium is the vegetative body of actinomycetes (bacteria) and fungi. These raw materials are necessary to start growing oyster mushrooms.
To create one mushroom block, you need 150-200 g of such raw materials.
Storing mycelium at home occurs:
- during the day at temperatures from +20 to +24 degrees;
- three days at temperatures from +15 to +18 degrees;
- 14 days (two weeks) at a temperature from 0 to +2 degrees;
- For a month at temperatures from -2 to 0 degrees.
To help the mushrooms grow faster, a growth stimulant and activator is added. Growth stimulants are organic substances that can increase yield by 30% and significantly speed up the growing process. Typically, powder additives are used at the stage of substrate processing, and liquid additives are added to the substrate before sowing the mycelium.
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How to properly process the substrate
A bioactivator (1-2%) is added to the substrate. You can replace dietary supplements with slaked lime and grain waste. It all gets mixed up. The mixture is placed in a polypropylene bag and tied.
Next is soaking (pasteurization). To do this, a bag of organic matter is placed in a container and poured hot water, the temperature of which should be +65-70 degrees. The substrate should be soaked in water for about 3 hours, then the water should be allowed to drain from the substrate for about 8 hours. Its temperature should drop to +20-26 degrees.
Inoculation is the process of inoculating mycelium. The mycelium should be moist and loose. The conditions for the mycelium must be strictly observed: the temperature before planting must be room temperature (+21 degrees), so it must be removed from the refrigerator 3 hours before planting.
It is necessary to knead the mycelium with clean hands and place it in a clean, disinfected container.
If you decide to buy oyster mushroom mycelium, it is important to observe several simple recommendations. It is better to buy from trusted suppliers, purchasing trial lots. Ask about the variety and strain of the mushroom (label on the package), the percentage and rate of fouling of grains, resistance to mold, and shelf life.
At the time of inoculation, the mycelium should be at room temperature. Planting is easiest done with two people. One person should hold the bag, the other should pour the substrate into it and add a little mycelium in a ratio of 150-180 g of mycelium per 7-8 kg of substrate. The mixture must be mixed thoroughly. You will get one mushroom block.
You can sow as many such blocks as you like. It all depends on how much space and raw materials there are for growing oyster mushrooms. The contents of the bag must be crushed with your hands, compacting the substrate; there should be no space left at the bottom of the bag. As a result, the bag is tied tightly.
We place the mushroom blocks indoors for a day. Next, we make holes in the corners of the bag to drain unnecessary moisture and make cuts throughout the bag to allow air to enter.
Now mushroom blocks completely ready for growing oyster mushrooms. The blocks are also called mushroom beds.
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The process of mycelium germination during the incubation period
Normal mycelial growth occurs at room temperature, with periodic ventilation and the presence of light. No watering required.
The most important conditions for mycelium growth are the correct temperature conditions.
After a couple of days, white spots will appear on the substrate. These are mushrooms. This means that the process of growing oyster mushrooms has gone in the right direction. The blocks should be positioned vertically, at a distance from each other. The instructions for germinating mycelium state that if the temperature inside the block is above 26 degrees, then ventilation of the room is necessary. It should be remembered that the room temperature is 4 degrees lower than inside the bag. If the temperature drops, the conditions for mycelium growth will be unsuitable.
After a week, the surface of the substrate takes on a light brown tint, and after two weeks the substrate turns into a dense white block.
Fruiting begins thanks to slits in the bag, where air enters, after about two weeks.
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Fruiting processes
Blocks for growing mushrooms are installed in rows, and the diagonal distance between them should be about a meter, but other options for arranging the blocks are possible. There is no need to selectively cut the fruits. After cutting the first crop, the second will appear in a week.
One of the ways to introduce mycelium: Holes are drilled or filed in the block into which the mycelium is introduced, and the holes are plugged with moss or sealed with adhesive tape.
Features of growing royal oyster mushroom
Royal oyster mushroom is a very popular and tasty mushroom; its cap is larger than that of a regular one. It contains 3 times more protein than other vegetables.
Climatic conditions necessary to grow mushrooms called royal oyster mushrooms:
- The substrate during the incubation period should have a temperature of 24 degrees.
- Air humidity in the mushroom block is 70%.
- The incubation period lasts about a month.
- The carbon dioxide concentration should be from 5 to 20 thousand ppm.
- It is necessary to ventilate the room.
- No lighting required.
When the time approaches fruit formation, the following conditions are necessary:
- The air in the mushroom block should be 17-19 degrees.
- Air humidity – 95%.
- The duration of fruit formation is about a week.
- The concentration of carbon dioxide in the air should be between 500 and 1000 ppm.
When bearing fruit, the following conditions are needed for the existence of oyster mushrooms in the mushroom block:
- Temperature – 14-16 degrees.
- Air humidity inside is 85-90%.
- Fruiting lasts about 8 days.
- Ventilation of the room is necessary to maintain such conditions and for better fruiting.
- Lighting should be between 200 and 500 lux.
There are two waves of the cycle during mushroom fruiting, when the pH of the substrate is:
- From 7.5 to 8.0 throughout moisturizing.
- From 6.5 to 7.0 when adding substrate and mycelium.
The compacted mushroom blocks are placed on the shelves of the incubation room so that the perforated sides do not rest against the wall, with good air access.
Substrate raw materials:
- Straw.
- Tree sawdust.
- Shredded corn cobs.
Other materials are also possible: grain bran (bean flour) or soy flour, slaked lime, crushed chalk, as well as limestone.
The composition of the substrate can be different; each has its own instructions.
First option:
- 40% – sawdust;
- 58% – wheat or rice straw;
- 1% slaked lime;
- 1% gypsum.
Second option:
- 75% sawdust;
- 20% rice and wheat straw;
- 3% legumes and grain bran;
- 1% slaked lime;
- 1% gypsum.
Third option:
- 88% cotton;
- 10% rice and wheat straw;
- 1% slaked lime;
- 1% gypsum.
Fourth option:
- 55% crushed corn cobs;
- 25% sawdust;
- 18% wheat and rice straw;
- 1% slaked lime;
- 1% gypsum.
The process of moistening the substrate is carried out over several days. In this case, the substrate must be thoroughly mixed until completely moistened. Temperature conditions – not lower than 15 degrees Celsius.
During the period when the substrate is moistened, the pH level should be from 7.5 to 8.0.
After moistening the substrate, it must be mixed and placed in special containers - piles. The substrate must remain in the piles for at least 3 days. The formation of mushroom blocks occurs using low-pressure polyethylene bags.
The sterilization process takes place at 100 degrees. Required quantity mycelium at the correct pressure and air temperature - 750 ml per 35 substrate mushroom blocks. Their weight is approximately 2.5 kg.
Growing oyster mushrooms does not require large expenses (neither financial nor time). However, in order to achieve good harvests, you need to follow certain rules for the premises where mushrooms are grown and the quality of the substrate.
Cultivation methods
To grow oyster mushrooms, you can use any cellulose-containing material: straw, sawdust from deciduous trees, and paper are suitable for this purpose. Existing techniques make it possible to cultivate oyster mushrooms both in special rooms and on summer cottages, and also grow mushrooms at home.
All methods of growing oyster mushrooms can be divided into extensive and intensive. Extensive methods include cultivation in natural conditions. Intensive methods involve growing mushrooms in special rooms where the appropriate atmosphere, lighting and humidity are maintained.
Intensive method
The intensive method means that oyster mushrooms are grown indoors, where the necessary microclimate is artificially created. When using this method, it becomes possible to grow oyster mushrooms throughout the year in large quantities. Mushrooms develop in 8-10 weeks. This means that up to four mushroom harvests can be harvested per year.
The technology is quite complex and is only suitable for industrial production.
The straw of cereal crops, as a rule, is the basis for creating a substrate. Suitable for this purpose: wheat, rye, millet, oats. In addition, corn stalks and cobs, as well as rice straw and sunflower husks can be used.
Special substances are also added to the substrate, which are well absorbed by oyster mushroom mycelium. As a rule, these are components containing nitrogen, for example, grass meal. The addition of such substances increases the yield by 35-40%.
During the preparation process, the substrate goes through grinding, moistening and heat treatment. It is crushed in special mechanisms - feed cutters. Then comes the moisturizing stage.
Substrate humidification
Pasteurization (soaking) is carried out with hot water (+65°-70°C). The water must completely cover the substrate
In order to moisten the straw, it is filled with water and placed in a special container. The straw stems have a waxy layer that prevents moisture from penetrating, so it takes several days for complete hydration. You can speed up the process by using hot water.
Check the readiness of the substrate by squeezing it in your hand. In this case, water appears between the fingers of the palm.
Heat treatment
In order for the growing process to proceed correctly, it is necessary to protect oyster mushrooms from competitive microflora. The substrate contains microorganisms that will inhibit the growth of fungi. Therefore, it must be sterilized. For this purpose, they resort to heat treatment or pasteurization.
The usual is heat treatment, which involves heating the substrate to a certain temperature and keeping it in this state for some time. Sometimes they simply soak it in boiling water. The process takes about an hour. A significant advantage of this method is that it eliminates the previous step - soaking, which saves time.
As a rule, boiling water is used in small enterprises where there is little material to be processed.
Pasteurization
Chamber for pasteurization of the substrate: 7 - channel supply ventilation; 2 - air purification filters; 3 - control valves; 4 - clearance channel internal air; 5 - air duct; b - fan; 7 - distribution channel; 8 - substrate; 9 - exhaust ventilation channel
In large-scale production, the substrate is often pasteurized, as this completely eliminates the development of microorganisms in the material and makes mushroom growing as successful as possible.
The sterilization room is an oblong box, the width of which is 2-4 m, and there is a special vapor-proof coating on the walls and ceiling.
Above the floor, at a height of 50-60 cm, there is a wooden grid on which the substrate is laid. Next, steam under low pressure is supplied into the room through an air duct using a powerful fan. Circulation of fresh air and steam is necessary. Excess air is removed through another air duct where the exhaust fan is located. To control the situation, the chamber contains instruments that measure temperature and pressure.
During the pasteurization process, the substrate slowly heats up to 60 degrees, then cools down to 50-55 degrees. It remains in this state for 15-18 hours, while fresh air circulates in the room all the time. Then the material is cooled to 25-30 degrees.
The duration of the process depends on the density of the substrate. To process straw it takes 50-60 hours, for bark and shavings it takes 120-140 hours.
Pasteurization is very important in mushroom production, since without such treatment, oyster mushroom mycelium ultimately becomes infected with microorganisms that subsequently inhibit the mushrooms.
After processing, the substrate is placed in plastic bags, boxes or special containers. Next, the material is inoculated with fungal mycelium.
Laying the substrate and growing it
At the inoculation stage, it is necessary to maintain cleanliness and disturb the sensitive oyster mushroom mycelium as little as possible. Freshly grafted straw bales are wrapped in plastic film, in which, for example, about 2 dozen holes are made using a fork
Inoculation is carried out simultaneously with the placement of the substrate in containers or bags. As a rule, oyster mushroom seeds are placed in layers, first laying 5-7 cm of substrate, then a layer of mycelium, etc.
After this, the bags are closed, and the boxes are covered with foil or film with a hole made in it. They are then placed in a special room where they are supported necessary conditions. Humidity should be high (90-95%), and temperature can vary between 18-22 degrees. Oyster mushroom mycelium develops within 20 days, although germination can occur faster if the temperature in the mushroom block, that is, the container with the substrate, is higher.
After 5 days you can see white coating, which is a sign of the development of mycelium. On the tenth day, the surface of the substrate becomes white or creamy. This means that oyster mushroom mycelium penetrates the entire depth of the substrate.
It is important to remember that there must be fresh air in the room, otherwise yeast and bacteria will develop, preventing the growth of oyster mushrooms.
Towards the end of mycelium development, the material turns into a dense, homogeneous mass, which is called a mushroom block.
The technology for growing royal oyster mushrooms is somewhat different, which is highly valued because it helps process cholesterol in the body. It grows much slower than other mushrooms. In general, the technology in this case is the same as when growing other species, but it is necessary to compost the substrate and use a covering mixture to regulate the temperature.
Fruiting
To grow fruiting bodies, mushroom blocks are transferred to a room where the necessary microclimate is also created, the main components of which are lighting, temperature (18-20 degrees), humidity (90-95%) and fresh air.
Long rows, 1 meter high and 60 cm wide, are formed from mushroom blocks; a passage is left between the rows for personnel access to the seedlings. The floor and walls of the growing room are constantly treated with water to keep the air humidity high. Mushrooms appear in 10-15 days.
Harvest
Oyster mushrooms ripen in clusters; they are twisted out of the substrate or cut off at the base so as not to damage the mycelium. After 10-15 days, the second wave of the harvest appears.
During the fruiting process there can be up to four waves of harvest, but the largest number of mushrooms are collected during the first.
After fruiting is completed, the mushroom blocks are removed, and the growing room is disinfected with a chlorine solution, closed for several days, and then thoroughly ventilated. Then you can download a new batch. You can perform up to four such cycles per year.