The growing global demand for Agaricus bisporus has focused on automated harvesting systems, prompting the adoption of artificial intelligence to enhance precision and efficiency. This study aimed to prove the possibility of automated analysis for mushroom phenotypic traits including pileus diameter and color parameters (L*, a*, b*) by using AI model, YOLOv11-seg. Mushroom images were obtained in custom-designed imaging chamber and image training was processed using YOLOv11-seg. By achieving an mAP50 of 0.96, model demonstrated high detection and segmentation performance with stable predictive behavior. To evaluate biological validity, predicted phenotypic traits were compared with mechanically measured values. Pearson correlation coefficient analysis showed that the correlation coefficient for chromaticity was above 0.69, while the correlation coefficient for shoulder diameter was very low at 0.03. Linear regression analysis showed correlations above 0.69 for all phenotypic traits, indicating that the model analysis reflected the actual measurement variation well. Mean absolute error (MAE) analysis showed less than 10% error of 1.32, 2.43, 0.55, and 0.90 in pileus diameter, L*, a*, and b*, respectively, resulting in significant model accuracy. Based on these results, YOLO-based estimation of pileus area was processed to prove the model’s capacity to extract phenotypic traits beyond the limits of traditional analysis. These results indicate that AI models including YOLOv11 show the possibility of the automated growth monitoring for the next-generation smart cultivation systems.

Tricholoma matsutake, one of the most favorable ectomycorrhizal mushrooms, forms a symbiotic relationship with its host, Pinus densiflora. In this study, co-cultivation of T. matsutake mycelium with bacteria from fairy rings was conducted to explore artificial cultivation. Among the isolates tested, strain B22_9_B28 promoted mycelial growth across five T. matsutake isolates: KMCC05631 from Yangyang-gun (124.23%), KMCC05632 and KMCC05633 from Yeongdeok-gun (127.68% and 156.61%, respectively), and KMCC05634 from Yeongdong-gun (153.31%), and KMCC05644 from Bonghwa-gun (171.59%). 16S rRNA sequence analysis suggested that B22_9_B28 may represent a novel species of Paenibacillus. These results highlight the potential of a new Paenibacillus species with pan-regional growth-promoting effects on T. matsutake mycelium, offering a promising avenue for the artificial cultivation of this valuable mushroom.

In this study, the development of a new white beech mushroom (Hypsizygus marmoreus) cultivar, ‘Baekmaru24’, is described, and its growth characteristics and field adaptability are evaluated. ‘Baekmaru24’ was bred from the parent strains, KMCC05528 and KMCC05529, through controlled crossing and multi-stage line selection, resulting in the final elite line, ‘HWD-22-116’. Mycelial growth tests demonstrated that the cultivar had superior growth under low temperatures (10–15 °C) and on YM medium, with optimal growth at 20–25 °C. In indoor bottle cultivation, the per-bottle yield was 146 g per 850 mL, which was 8% higher than that of the control cultivar (135 g). The fruiting bodies had stipes with a mean of 70.5 mm, which is approximately 10 mm longer than that of the control, and they had highly uniform clusters, enhancing marketability. Field trials at two farms confirmed a significant increase in yield of approximately 11 % over existing commercial cultivars, together with a generally superior morphology, including larger caps, longer stipes, and greater tissue firmness. Somatic incompatibility testing revealed a distinct demarcation zone between ‘Baekmaru24’ and its parent strains, indicating that it is a genetically independent cultivar. Overall, these results demonstrate that ‘Baekmaru24’ has stable growth, high productivity, and favorable fruiting-body characteristics under both controlled and farm conditions, supporting its potential as a high-quality commercial mushroom cultivar.

This study reports the development of a new pure white Flammulina velutipes variety, ‘Seoldan’. The breeding process involved a primary cross between a brown strain (KMCC02267) collected by the Rural Development Administration and a white cultivar ‘Baekwoon’ (KMCC05472). From this cross, a white line ‘Fv-23-553’ was selected and subsequently crossed with a superior pure white resource (KMCC05474), resulting in the novel cultivar Seoldan. Mycelial growth tests showed that both varieties grew best at 25°C; however, Seoldan exhibited faster mycelial growth than the control variety under four temperature conditions except at 20°C. In media tests, Seoldan also demonstrated superior growth on three media types, with the exception of YM medium. In sawdust bottle cultivation, The time from scratching to the first fruiting was 2 days shorter in Seoldan than in the control variety, contributing to an overall reduction in cultivation time. The most distinct morphological trait of Seoldan is its pure white cap color. The average yield was 218.8 ± 10.6 g per bottle, comparable to that of the control. Morphologically, Seoldan produced smaller pileus and thinner stipes than the control. Furthermore, somatic incompatibility tests confirmed that Seoldan is genetically distinct from the control variety. These results indicate that Seoldan is a promising pure white variety with stable productivity, improved cultivation efficiency, and clear genetic differentiation from existing varieties.

Tricholoma matsutake, one of the most famous edible mushroom in Asia, has been cultivated in red pine forest. Because of its difficulty in artificial cultivation, T. matsutake cultivation has relied on foraging in the forest. Under certain environmental conditions, T. matsutake form the Shiro, the condensed mycelium, and develop into fruiting bodies. Among the certain environmental conditions, fungal communities play a major role in the mushroom development. Therefore, fungal community investigations for Bonghwa and Yangyang have been conducted on soil with fairy rings in the past, soil with existing fairy rings, and soil with presumptive fairy rings developing in the future. From the six soil samples, total 163 genera of fungi were detected and species diversity and species abundance of each sample were also analyzed. In result, the species diversity and species abundance of the fairy rings in Yangyang were lower than those in Bonghwa. In comparison with the fairy rings in Yangyang and Bonghwa, the dominance of the genus Tricholoma was higher and that of the genus Motilella was lower in Yangyang. Through the continuous study, establishment of optimal environmental conditions to promote the T. matsutake cultivation is highly expected.

This study examined domestic consumption trends in the development of mushroom-based alternative food products. It found that 85.5% of consumers were aware of alternative foods, with a higher recognition rate among younger age groups and variations based on household composition and monthly income. Additionally, 70% of consumers familiar with alternative foods had tried them. Among those who had not, taste (16%) and purchasing challenges (15%) were the primary barriers. Minced meat was the most commonly consumed alternative (25%), while dumplings (7%) and burgers (1%) were less popular. Notably, dumplings and burgers showed the highest potential for development using mushroom-based ingredients. These findings provide valuable foundational data for advancing mushroom-based alternative food products.

Oyster mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed mushrooms in Korea, and mechanization and automation of cultivation systems have enabled mass production. Many cultivars have been developed to replace the old ones such as ‘Suhan‘ and ‘Chunchuneutari 2 ho,‘ which have been cultivated for over 20 years. Among these, ‘Soltari‘ was developed in 2015. Although it has excellent quality, its cultivation is challenging and the productivity is somewhat lower. To address these issues, the Mushroom Division at the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science selected the genetic resource KMCC05165 and attempted hybridization between monokaryons from KMCC05165 and ‘Soltari(KMCC04940)’. Through repeated cultivation tests and evaluation of fruiting body characteristics, the superior strain ‘Po-2019-smj22’ was selected and finally named ‘Otari‘. The optimal mycelial growth temperature of ‘Otari’ was between 25 and 30°C and optimal fruiting body growth temperature was between 13 and 18°C. Mycelial growth on PDA medium was best at 25°C, and at the same temperature, mycelial growth was similar across four media: PDA, MEA, MCM, and YM. In 1,100 mL bottle cultivation, the yield was approximately 174 g, which is about 5% higher than the control cultivar ‘Soltari‘, and the number of valid individuals was also higher at about 25. The diameter and height of the pileus were 29.8 mm and 17.6 mm, respectively, slightly smaller than ‘Soltari‘, and the stipe was thin and long with a thickness of 12.2 mm. Additionally, the pileus’ lightness index (L index) was 30.7, indicating a darker brown color compared to 'Soltari.' With excellent mycelial growth, ease of cultivation, and high yield, the new cultivar ‘Otari‘ is expected to be widely adopted by domestic oyster mushroom farms.

Plastics are widely used in industries in human society and because of their structural stability, degradation is a serious global issue. To estimate the degradation of plastic, 31 edible mushrooms were cultured with the selected plastic films (polyethylene [PE], polystyrene [PS], and poly(ethylene terephthalate) [PET]) for 3 months at 25 °C. Measuring the weight of the films showed that four species of mushrooms, namely Porostereum spadiceum, Ganoderma lucidum, Coprinellus micaceus, and Pleurotus ostreatus, exhibited the highest degrees of plastic degradation. In addition, the mushrooms and fungi that exhibited the most significant plastic degradation were cross-cultured to promote this degradation. As a result, cross-cultivation of G. lucidum and Aspergillus niger showed a weight loss of 2.49% for the PET film. For the PS film, Aspergillus nidulans showed a weight loss of 4.06%. Cross-cultivation of A. nidulans and C. micaceus, which showed a weight loss of 2.95%, was noted as an alternative for PS biodegradation, but is harmful to humans. These bio-degradation effects of edible mushroom will contribute to the development of alternatives for eco-friendly plastic degradation.

As a member of ectomycorrhizal fungi, Tricholoma matsutake has a symbiotic relationship with its host, Pinus densiflora. To cultivate T. matsutake artificially, the co-cultivation of T. matsutake mycelia and bacteria from shiro was introduced. In this study, bacteria were isolated from soil samples in Bonghwa-gun, and seven bacterial isolates (B22_7_B05, B22_7_B06, B22_7_B07, B22_7_B08, B22_7_B10, B22_7_B13, and B22_7_B14) promoted the growth of T. matsutake mycelia (147.48, 232.11, 266.72, 211.43, 175.17, 154.62, and 177.92%, respectively). Sequencing of the 16S rRNA region of the isolated bacteria was performed. B22_7_B05 and B22_7_B10 were identified as Bacillus toyonensis, B22_7_B06 and B22_7_B08 as Paenibacillus taichungensis, B22_7_B07 and B22_7_B14 as P. gorilla, and B22_7_B13 as P. odorifer. These bacterial isolates were associated with the shiro community and are expected to contribute to the cultivation of T. matsutake.

Tricholoma matsutake is a traditional favorite food in East Asia, cultivated in fairy rings called “shiro,” which are found near Pinus densiflora. For effective artificial cultivation of Tri. matsutake, microorganisms from symbiotic fairy rings are co-cultivated. In this study, one bacterial isolate (Y22_B35) and two fungal isolates (Y22_F64 and Y22_F68) displayed growth-promoting effects on Tri. matsutake mycelium (158.47, 125.00, and 122.26% enhanced growth, respectively). For identification, 16S rRNA or ITS regions from the microorganisms¡¯ genomes were sequenced. Other sequences, including BenA, CaM, and RPB2 were sequenced in the fungal isolates. The bacterial isolate Y22_B35 was identified as Bacillus cereus. Y22_F64 and Y22_F68 were identified as Umbelopsis nana and Aspergillus parvulus, respectively. To identify the effects of the dominant microorganisms on Tri. Matsutake cultivation, metagenomic analyses were performed. Discovery of these Tri. matsutake mycelium growth-promoting microorganisms and metagenomics analyses are expected to contribute to our understanding of Tri. matsutake fruiting body growth and construction of biomimicry.

To cultivate pine mushroom (Tricholoma matsutake) artificially, co-cultivation with microorganisms has been introduced. Here, experiments were performed to assess the growth-promoting effect of bacteria on T. matsutake mycelia. Bacteria were isolated from soil samples collected in Yangyang County, Korea. Four of the bacterial isolates (Y22_B06, Y22_B11, Y22_B18, and Y22_B22) exhibited a growth-promoting effect on T. matsutake mycelia (154.67%, 125.91%, 134.06%, and 158.28%, respectively). To analyze the characteristics of the bacteria, especially the antifungal activity, -amylase and cellulase activity assays were performed. In comparison with the controls, the isolated bacteria exhibited low -amylase and cellulase activity. 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed to identify the four bacterial isolates. The isolates belonged to the Terrabacteria group and were identified as Microbacterium paraoxydans, Paenibacillus castaneae, Peribacillus frigoritolerans, and P. butanolivorans. These bacterial isolates are expected to have contributed to the growth promotion of T. matsutake mycelia and the artificial cultivation of T. matsutake.