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Three-Stage Fermentation Process of Agaricus bisporus

The three-stage fermentation process of Agaricus bisporus covers raw material selection, raw material pretreatment, ingredient preparation, primary fermentation & transfer, secondary fermentation, sowing, and tertiary fermentation & discharge. Below is a detailed summary of the raw material selection phase:

I. General Principles for Raw Material Selection

Proximity, Accessibility, and Affordability:

Agaricus bisporus cultivation relies on agricultural waste resources. As an agricultural product (classified as a vegetable) targeting ordinary consumers, it requires good quality and low price for marketability and long-term viability.

Raw materials account for a large portion of production costs. Thus, factories should be built near raw material sources to ensure sufficient supply, easy access, and low cost.

II. Specific Raw Materials for Agaricus bisporus & Their Quality Requirements

1. Straw

Types: Bulk crop wastes like wheat straw, rice straw, and corn straw.

Functions: Provides carbon source for fungal growth; maintains the stacking structure during fermentation.

Quality Requirements (Wheat Straw as Representative):

Bright color, low soil ash content.

Length ≥ 20 cm (longer is better).

Moisture content < 10% (facilitates long-term storage).2. Livestock and Poultry Manure

Types: High-nitrogen wastes such as chicken manure and cow manure.

Functions: Provides nitrogen source for fungal growth; supplies sufficient protein nutrients for pile and mycelium development.

Quality Requirements (Chicken Manure as Representative):

Dark yellow color, fresh, no long-term fermentation.

Moisture content < 55% (loose sand-like texture, enabling uniform mixing with gypsum and better ingredient uniformity).

Ash content < 20% (lower is better, as ash has no benefit for cultivation).

Nitrogen content > 4% (higher is better, as it indicates more organic nitrogen and nutrients); broiler manure is preferred.

3. Gypsum

Type: Calcium sulfate dihydrate.

Functions: Provides inorganic salts; improves pile air permeability; reduces pile viscosity; stabilizes pile pH during fermentation.

Quality Requirements:

Natural gypsum ore is preferred (small usage but critical role).

Industrial by-product gypsum is not recommended: although it has high calcium sulfate content, it may contain toxic substances that inhibit fermentation microorganisms and disrupt the fermentation process.