
Spawn production generally begins about 80 days before inoculation of the fruiting bags. Each mother spawn
can be used to propagate 5 spawn bottles, with a cultivation time of about 30 days. The spawn production process
is as follows: ingredient preparation → bottling and sterilization → cooling and inoculation → cultivation.
(1) Main Culture Medium Formulas
① Sawdust Culture Medium: Broadleaf sawdust 7-8%, wheat bran 2-0%, sugar 1%, gypsum 1%, pH 6.5-7.
② Cottonseed Hull Culture Medium: Cottonseed hulls 7-8%, wheat bran 2-0%, sugar 1%, gypsum 1%, pH 6.5-7.
(2) Selection of Spawn Bottles: 500mL standard spawn bottles are commonly used.
(3) Mixing, Boiling (Bagning), Sterilization, and Cooling
① Mixing: Mix the material and water evenly using conventional methods. ② Bottling: After washing and drying the culture bottles,
fill them with culture medium up to the shoulder. Wipe the inside and outside of the bottles clean and cover them with a cap with ventilation holes.
③ Sterilization and Cooling: Temperature control is crucial during sterilization. High-pressure sterilization tanks must be used for
centralized sterilization of the culture medium. Maintaining a steam pressure of 0.15 MPa for 2 hours will achieve thorough sterilization.
When cooling the sterilized culture bottles, slowly vent the gas to lower the temperature. Once the temperature inside the sterilization tank
drops to 60℃, move them to a cooling room for complete cooling.
(4) Inoculation: Inoculate in an inoculation box or inoculation room. Inoculation steps: First, place the cooled culture bottles into the box according
to its capacity, leaving sufficient space for bottle transfer. Place the mother culture tubes and necessary inoculation equipment together for pre-inoculation
disinfection. After igniting the gas mist disinfectant, promptly seal and disinfect the box (room). During inoculation, under aseptic conditions, cut the mother
culture slant culture medium into 5 pieces. The first piece should be cut longer because the culture medium is thin and easily dries out, affecting mycelial growth.
Then, transfer it along with the culture medium to the primary culture bottle, inoculating one piece per bottle, and ensuring it is close to the inoculation hole to
facilitate germination of the mother culture piece. After that, quickly consume the culture medium and establish the culture. (5) Cultivation The primary culture room
should be clean, dry, and cool. The indoor temperature should be maintained at 23-25℃, and the relative humidity of the indoor air should be 40%-50%, and the indoor
air should be kept fresh. The windows of the primary culture room should be covered with black cloth to prevent the mycelium from being affected by light, causing
the moisture in the substrate to evaporate, resulting in premature appearance and aging of the primordia. During the cultivation of the primary culture, the culture
bottles should be checked frequently for contamination by other microorganisms. Once contamination is found, the bottles should be discarded in time. The primary
culture can generally be fully grown in 30 days.