Cultivating Flammulina velutipes and Pleurotus ostreatus in bottles with sawdust-based media on which the surface was sprinkled with KWE (Water extracts from Siberian larch wood), the utilization of KWE for cultivation of edible mushrooms was investigated. For the cultivation ofF. velutipes, KWE 4 g (the inoculationhole was filled and the surface of the media was completely and thickly covered with KWE) was effective from the viewpoint of fruit-body yield. For P. ostreatus, KWE 2 g (the surface of the media was thinly covered with KWE) was effective from the viewpoint of days required for fruit-body formation. With the media on which the surface was sprinkled with KWE, the fruit-body yield was increased by 10% as compared with the control (No-sprinkling). Therefore, it is considered as an effective procedure for mushroom cultivation.

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The suitability of adzuki-bean paste refuse, as the medium material in the sawdust based cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus, was investigated. By using adzuki-bean paste refuse as a nutritional supplement, the number of fruit-bodies and fruit-body yield decreased as the substitutive ratio of adzuki-bean paste refuse for either rice bran or wheat bran became higher. On the other hand, by using adzuki-bean paste refuse as a substrate, the fruit-body yield increased on the medium which was replaced sawdust of Cryptomeria japonica (Sugi) by adzuki-bean paste refuse. In up to 75% of the substitutive ratio, the fruit-body yield increased as the substitutive ratio of adzuki-bean paste refuse became higher. On the medium substituted with a 75% substitutive ratio, the fruit-body yield was 1.2 times as much as that on the medium that only used sawdust of C.japonica. However, the fruit-body yield on the medium that was 100% substituted by adzuki-bean paste refuse was inferior to the medium with 75% substitutive ratio and showed a remarkably low efficiency for preparing the substrate. These results suggest that adzuki-bean paste refuse is not suitable as a nutritional supplement but is useful as a substrate when mixed with sawdust of C. japonica in a sawdust based cultivation of P. ostreatus.

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Lumps of wood flour formed in fans and ducts for gathering dust produced. In the lumbering process of Siberian larch wood (Larix sp.), contain water extracts of about 40% (W/W). This lump was ground into wood flour (Karamatsu wood flour). The effects of Karamatsu wood flour added to agar, saw-dust and liquid media on the mycelial growth and fruit-body formation of edible mushrooms, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes, are investigated. The addition of Karamatsu wood flour to the above media accelerated the mycelial growth of P. ostreatus and L. edodes. By adding Karamatsu wood flour to the saw-dust medium, both fruit-body yields of P. ostreatus and L. edodes were increased. By adding suitable concentrations of Karamatsu wood flour, 2〜5% in relation to the saw-dust medium, the fruitbody yield of P. ostreatus and L. edodes were 1.2 and 1.4 times greater, respectively, in comparison to the saw-dust medium without Karamatsu wood flour. Moreover, Karamatsu wood flour reduced the mycelial growth of Trichoderma species. The effects of Karamatsu wood flour on P. ostreatus, L. edodes and Trichoderma species showed similar tendencies as the Karamatsu wood extracts. Therefore, it was considered that the water extracts of Karamatsu wood flour produced these effects.

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We developed an efficient method to increase the amount of vitamin D_2 in Lentinula edodes and the equipment to produce vitamin D_2-enriched shiitake mushrooms. The relationship between the photoisomerization of the ergosterol to previtamin D_2 was very close, separated by 295nm. This study used a lamp with a 310nm dominant wavelength. This lamp formed 1.5 to 3.5 times as much vitamin D_2 in L. edodes as a germicidal lamp of a 254 nm dominant wavelength. Using the lamp with the 310 nm dominant wavelength, one fruit-body of the shiitake mushroom included a one-day requirement of vitamin D_2 (100 IU), which formed the condition of an irradiation intensity of 100μW/cm^2 from 15 to 30 seconds. Based on this knowledge, the equipment can be adjusted from 0 to 150μW/cm^2 on ultraviolet irradiation intensity and is able to control the irradiation time by changing the conveyer belt speed from 1.7 to 16.5cm/sec. If we use this equipment, it is possible that the vitamin D_2 contents are able to be changed for any type of mushroom or for the purpose of its use.

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The optimal temperature and pH for the growth of F. obliqua mycelium were 30℃ and 5-7, respectively. When pieces of cultured fruit bodies were subcultured onto a new medium, new fruit bodies formed within a short period of time. The addition of mannitol, sorbitol, or trehalose increased the rate of the fruit body formation. By cultivating F. obliqua in bottles containing wheat flour-enriched Betula platyphylla sawdust and these saccharides, fruit bodies equaling 13% of the total weight of the culture media formed in 60days. We were also able to confirm that these fruit bodies formed spores. When these bottle cultures were studied for one year, the formation of sclerotia was confirmed.

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The mycelial growth and fruit body production of Lentinula edodes were examined. They were in a suspension medium and on the sawdust-based substrate supplemented with raw or defatted rice bran stored at 25℃ for 0, 90 and 180 days. The mycelial growth was accelerated in the medium with the use of the stored raw or defatted rice bran compared to using the fresh one. However, the fruit body yield on the substrate with the use of the raw or defatted rice bran decreased according to the prolongation of their storage days. The number of abnormal fruit bodies increased by the cultivation on the substrate with the stored raw or defatted rice bran, and the number of the stored defatted rice bran was more than that of the stored raw rice bran.

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