Fruit Body Flushing from the Upper Portion of Mycelial Block in Sawdust-Based Cultivation of Lentinula edodes

Abstract

In the present study, to establish a novel improved method for the sawdust-based cultivation of shiitake mushroom, high-temperature and water-filling treatments of mycelial block were applied for controlling the flushing portion. In the improved method, fruit bodies flushed only from the upper portion of mycelial blocks. Number and fresh weight of fruit bodies flushed from the mycelial block cultivated by improved method showed almost constant value during the flushing period (180 days). From the results obtained in this study, it is concluded that improved cultivation method makes it possible to give a continuous flushing of fruit bodies with heavy fresh weight, leading to reduce the cost and labor for budding and cropping operation of fruit bodies.