Fungiculture

The mushroom cultivation is a specialized division of horticulture. It deals with the propagation, cultivation, harvesting and marketing of edible mushrooms, so-called " culture fungi " ( for their growth no root symbiosis is necessary) and fungal cultures. In the foreground of the European edible mushroom cultivation here is on the culture of mushrooms. Mushroom cultivation is sometimes not operated commercially in the hobby gardening.

Under a fungal culture is generally understood as the cultivation of mushrooms in a culture medium for the purpose of propagation. In the microbiological laboratory practice is called fungal culture, the pre- conditions for cultivating mushrooms after a smear on a culture medium or in a nutrient solution, where appropriate, to determine pathogens.

A special form of the mushroom cultivation is the cultivation of mycorrhizal fungi. These can, with simultaneous reduction of fertilizer or irrigation, increase agricultural yields or increase the resistance of the plants.

Historical Background

The mushroom cultivation goes back to the selective cultivation of mushrooms at the court of Louis XIV in the mid-17th century. They cultivated field and meadow mushrooms that were at the court of the king under the name champignon de Paris as a delicacy, in dark vaults and cellars. Beginning of the 20th century began, mushrooms on a broad basis in its own production facilities and there in darkened, air-conditioned halls to cultivate later in an abandoned mine or air raid shelters. This meant that the mushroom, formerly a rare delicacy in Europe today is the most important edible mushroom.

With the globalization of production horticulture and Asian mushrooms came to the mushroom species and other native to Europe and cultivated mushrooms such as the velvet cap, in the growing range. The best known example of this is the shiitake, who already may have a long tradition in the Far Eastern folk medicine.

Mushroom cultivation as part of the horticultural

Commercial cultivation of edible fungi by production companies represents a specific part of the horticultural dar. Berufsständisch are organized in Germany and Switzerland, currently 12 per larger and smaller businesses. Among the mushroom growers, there are also increasing production companies that operate in a biological way. In addition to a variety of special edible mushroom cultures especially mushrooms are grown in volume. In second and third place of the edible mushroom shiitake and quantity produced pleurotus follow, such as oysters or oyster mushroom.

In Germany the commercial edible mushroom cultivation is supported in two federal states by official advice, that a body financed by the State of counseling, the gardener. Nationwide, there are therefore two to mushroom cultivation advisors. In Switzerland there since 2007 in Cernier own center for mycology, which covers various aspects of mycology, including the edible mushroom cultivation and processing or health effect.

According to FAO statistics 2005, almost 3.2 million tons of edible fungi were grown worldwide. Worldwide important horticultural land was in this period China with 1.41 million tons, followed by the U.S. 0.38 million tons. Germany produced in the given year, only 65,000 tons of edible fungi and was ranked 11th in the list of producing countries.

Currently, new edible mushrooms are continuously added to the growing range or tested for suitability for cultivation in Central Europe. For example, even the Shimeji. This is grown in China and Japan in large quantities and is considered the most eaten edible mushroom in China.

Cultivation of edible mushrooms

In the cultivation of edible mushrooms, a distinction between the light and dark culture. While primarily Asian mushrooms are cultivated rather with more or less strong light, the (white or brown colored ) mushroom is cultivated in darkness.

The substrate used is a tuned to the particular type of fungus culture substrate. Basic ingredients here can be, for example straw, sawdust, wood chips or other organic basic components that are also tasty influencing circumstances. Through several -day-long irrigation primary decomposition processes are activated and promoted the microbial digestion of the substrate. After that, a pasteurization process follows, the disinfects the microbiologically digested and homogenized substrate. Thus, colonization of the substrate is avoided by unwanted foreign organisms.

The finished substrate is then inoculated under sterile conditions with the fungal mycelium. When mushroom cultivating the mycelium advance on wheat grains and adds the middling from the mycelium mass as so-called mushroom spawn. Depending on the species, grow through the substrate and the subsequent Fruchtifizierungsphase duration varies. Champignonmycel by growing in about 15 days the substrate, after about 3 weeks, the first mushrooms can be harvested. The mycelium of shiitake needs for 15 to 20 weeks and then again up to a week to harvestable mushrooms are available. During the mycelial growth and the Fruchtifizierungsphase special climatic conditions must be adhered to. Climate parameters such as temperature, relative humidity, CO2 concentration or amount of light to be strictly adhered to and controlled in the growth rooms with climate control computer. Using the air control of the grower can ensure that at certain harvest dates a certain number of harvestable mushrooms is available. The mushrooms are usually harvested by hand. The harvest itself often extends over several separate periods.

Professional associations

The profession of edible mushroom producers for the commercial cultivation represent national associations, work together at European level. In Germany this is the covenant German Champignon mushroom growers and Culture Association ( BDC). Emerging is the professional association, who is also a member of the Central Association of German horticulture, from the German mushroom growers who banded together in 1948 to a private association. The interests of the Swiss Mushroom Growers Association represents the Swiss Mushroom Producers Association ( VSP), who in 1938 founded.

At European level, the Groupement Européen des Producteurs de champignons ( GEPC ) acts as the professional body. It represents, for example, the parent interests of the BDC.

Mushroom cultivation as a hobby

The Mushroom growing for home use can be operated in two different stages. Bought by either prefabricated mycelium by specialist companies and substrate ( fresh Hardwood stem pieces or straw bales) is inoculated, with already finished inoculated substrate blocks are available for purchase or is the complete cycle of the spore is scanned to the fungus. The latter method is much more complex and requires in addition a, albeit small, laboratory or a private clean and largely sterile atmosphere room. Unlike specialized in mushroom growers not all straw bales are used, but only parts of it. If a whole bales of straw soaked or soaked namely, it is hardly handled manually because of the wet weight. The soaked straw bales are inoculated directly without pasteurization.

Motivations for private fungus cultivation

  • The challenges to be met in various areas;
  • Freshness and flavor, such as the taste of a full-fledged been screened mushrooms, which is not offered as commercially or Schopftintlingen that are fresh not to be found in the trade because they would melt away during storage;
  • Food for the breeding of beetles;
  • Unusual shapes and colors to discover like slime molds or luminous fungi;
  • A method to find a new fungus to cultivate;
  • A possible medical or intoxicating benefits (see Hallucinogenic mushrooms and Psychoactive fungi).

Range of edible mushrooms in the German-speaking

( Sort order: latin name )

  • Anischampignon - Agaricus arvensis
  • Mushroom - Agaricus bisporus
  • Velvet cap - Agrocybe aegerita
  • Judas ear, jelly ear - Auricularia auricula - judae
  • Shaggy Ink Cap - Coprinus comatus
  • Samtfußrübling ( Enoki ) - Flammulina velutipes
  • Grifola frondosa ( Maitake ) - Grifola frondosa
  • Hericium - Hericium erinaceus
  • Graublättriger Schwefelkopf - Hypholoma capnoides
  • Holzraslinge - Hypsizygus tessulatus
  • Book mushroom ( shimeji ) - Hypsizygus tessellatus
  • Shiitake - Lentinula edodes
  • Blewit - Lepista nuda
  • Parasol - Macrolepiota procera
  • Gold cap, also Tuscany mushroom - Pholiota nameko
  • Limonenseitling - Pleurotus citrinopileatus
  • Powder blue oyster - Pleurotus columbinus
  • Oyster mushroom - Pleurotus eryngii
  • Oyster - Pleurotus ostreatus
  • Summer Oyster - Pleurotus ostreatus fm. Florida
  • Giant Kulturträuschling or even brown cap - Stropharia rugosoannulata

A variety of other fungal genera and species is currently being tested for their suitability for cultivation.

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