The effects of adding corncob meal to the medium on the yield of fruiting bodies in sawdust-based cultivation of Lentinula edodes using smoke-heated Cryptomeria japonica and Larix kaempferi sawdust were investigated. Mycelial growth of Lentinula edodes was promoted with an increase in the amount of corncob meal added to the media in both smoke-heated C. japonica and L. kaempferi woods. In Lentinula edodes sawdust cultivation, yields of fruiting bodies were increased by the additional 20% corncob meal, whereas 10 and 30% corncob meal did not show large positive effects. Of all the media examined, the sawdust bed containing the mixture of L. kaempferi and Fagus crenata (1:1, w:w) with 20% corncob meal gave the highest yield of fruiting bodies which was almost equal to that of Fagus crenata sawdust alone. The CN ratio of this medium was about 70. The results obtained in this experiment suggested that sawdust of smoke-heated softwood, especially L. kaempferi, can be sufficiently used as a substitute of hardwood for cultivating Lentinula edodes.

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Using a strain (Marbre 88-8) of Hypsizygus marmoreus that is possible to make the cultivation period shorter than other strains, effects of supplements on the fruitbody production were investigated by fruiting initiation treatment at 50 days after inoculation earlier than in commercial cultivation. As a result, fruit-body yields on the substrate substituted by the supplements (soybean shell, grain sorghum, whisky production waste) for 25-50% of rice bran as a nutrient, were higher than those on the substrate with rice bran only as a nutrient without deterioration. These results suggest that it is possible for these methods to shorten the cultivation period of H.marmoreus more than the standard cultivation method of H.marmoreus.

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The comparative study of the changes of nitrogen uptake and availability of mycelia of four species, namely, Flammulina velutipes, Lentinula edodes, Panellus serotinus and Pleurotus ostreatus during the submerged cultures using the shredded Citrus unshiu peel as a substrate have been carried out. During the cultures.which lasted 12 days, the weight of each dried residue of all species decreased steadily, and then, those of P. ostreatus and F. velutipes increased rapidly as the time proceeded, and P. serotinus increased gradually. Whereas the weights of the dried residues of L. edodes decreased continuously. The changes of pH and reducing sugar contents in the filtrates of each culture showed that there were some differences in the growth process. The mycelial growth in the media are approximately estimated from the changes of nitrogen content in the dried residues. Each maximum nitrogen contents in the dried residues of F. velutipes, L. edodes, P. serotinus and P. ostreatus were 1.46, 1.20, 1.37 and 1.60% respectively. The nitrogen availabilities of each species were as follows in descending order : P. ostreatus (108.2%), F. velutipes (94.2%), P. serotinus (74.1%) and L. edodes (61.1%).

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Proteinous amino acid composition of the dried fruit bodies of Flammulina velutipes have grown on three kinds of media, i.e. Citrus unshiu peel, Citrus unshiu peel supplemented with 5.0% of fresh rice bran and GPY agar have been determined. The data obtained from the analyses were compared with the composition of commercial cultivated products and of the dried fruiting bodies reported by different authors. The graphs of amino acid patterns draw with 18 amino acids indicated that there are seven peaks at aspartic acid, glutamic acid, alanine, valine, leucine, lysine and arginine. The amount of glutamic acid is the largest among the amino acids determined. Each graph shows a similar tendency, but there are some differences among the quantity. Amino acid contents in the fruit body grown on the peel medium is the smallest compared with other two media, but with the supplement of 5% of rice bran, the contents are increased about 10%.

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