The effects of punching treatment on mycelial culture and fruiting body productivity were investigated in a new Lentinula edodes cultivar, “Jadam”, in sawdust medium for the stable production of oak mushroom. As the punching volume and number increased, the weight loss rate and color difference increased and the L value decreased. After spawn inoculation, the sawdust medium temperature and CO2 concentration reached their highest values at 33 and 19 days of incubation, respectively. The O2 concentration showed the lowest value on the 14th day of incubation, which was the opposite pattern to the CO2 concentration. As the punching volume and the number increased, the medium temperature and O2 concentration increased, and the CO2 concentration decreased. Higher punching volumes and numbers resulted in higher temperatures and lower CO2 concentrations. The best fruiting body yield was 5 × 70 mm - 30 (punching diameter × depth - number), and the total yield after three cycles was 644.7 g.

A new spore-less cultivar Lentinula edodes ‘Daedam’ was bred from monokaryotic strains of ‘LE15401-24’ and ‘LE192118-10’. The optimum temperature for mycelial growth of ‘Daedam’ on potato dextrose agar was 22~25oC. Total cultivation period of the new cultivar, from inoculation to its first harvest, was 134 days, similar to that of the control cultivar ‘Hwadam’. Total yield of ‘Daedam’ was 222g per 3kg substrate, and was lower than that of control cultivar(266.0g). The fruiting body of ‘Daedam’ had a thick and small pileus and a longer stem compare to control cultivar. As a result of a analyzing the productivity of ‘Daedam’ on the different substrate types, the biological efficiency was 26.7% in the 1.2kg cylindrical substrate(CS), which was higher than that of the 3kg rod-type substrate(RS). 'Daedam' had a similar yield compared to 'Hanacham' in first fruiting body production, but the cultivation period was 40 days shorter. Therefore, 'Daedam' can only harvest fruiting bodies once, it is thought that it can be used as spore-less oak mushroom cultivar for short-term cultivation instead of 'Hanacham' in mushroom farms.

We conducted an on-site application study at the livestock cooperative fertilizer plant to compare the composting period, temperature change, moisture content, and chemical properties between livestock manure compost using sawdust as a moisture regulator with those using spent oyster mushroom substrate. The composting period, moisture content, and fertilizer composition of compost containing spent oyster mushroom substrate did not differ from that of conventional compost mixed with sawdust after the first and second fermentation and post-maturation stages, it was suitable as a material for manufacturing livestock manure compost. The spent oyster mushroom substrate also lower the production cost of livestock manure compost by replacing the more expensive sawdust. The developed technology is expected to contribute towards the utilization of by-products of the oyster mushroom harvest while simultaneously producing high quality livestock manure compost.

The oyster mushroom is a widely cultivated edible mushroom in Korea. It is a regionally specialized crop in Gyeonggi-do, where 68% of the national production is produced. The present study was conducted to develop a new, highquality cultivar with stable cultivation. ‘Manseon’ is a new variety of oyster mushroom suitable for bottle culture. It was produced by mating monokaryons isolated from ‘HB-18’ and ‘P15159-16’. The optimal temperature for ‘Manseon’ mycelial growth was 26–29 °C on potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium and for primordia formation and the growth of fruit bodies the optimal temperature was 18–19 °C on sawdust medium. Spawn running required 30 d, primordia formation required 4 d, and fruit body growth in the bottle culture required 4 d. Regarding the characteristics of the fruit bodies, the pilei were round and dark grayish brown, stipe color was white, and stipe shape was short and thick. The yield per bottle was 192.7 g/1,100 cc, which was 9% higher than that of the control strain (Suhan-1ho). The physical properties of springiness, cohesiveness, gumminess, and brittleness of stipe tissue were 87.9%, 77.4%, 445.1 kgf, and 389.6 kgf, respectively.

The present study investigated the optimum additive ratio of wheat straw pellet as a substitute for beet pulp during oyster mushroom cultivation. The chemical properties across treatments were pH of 4.8–5.5, total carbon content of 45.9–46.5%, total nitrogen content of 1.5–1.7%, and carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of 27.8–31.0. Mycelial growth was the fastest in a medium containing 20% wheat straw pellet (at 88.2 mm in ‘Heuktari’ and 70.3–79.6 mm in ‘Suhan-1Ho’); however, there were no significant differences in mycelial density among the treatments. The characteristics of fruiting bodies by variety were as follows. In ‘Heuktari’, the valid stipe number per bottle (1,100 cc) was 22.5 and yield was 177.1 g/1,100 cc in the mixed medium containing 10% wheat straw pellet, with the values being comparable to those of controls. In ‘Suhan-1Ho’, the valid stipe number per bottle (1,100 cc) was 14.0 and yield was 151.2 g/1,100 cc in the mixed medium containing 10% wheat straw pellet, with the values being comparable to those of controls.

Mushroom production in Korea is concentrated on five major mushroom types. To create a new source of income for farmers, it is necessary to establish new mushroom production and marketing systems. This study was conducted to evaluate the marketability of and establish a marketing strategy for Pleurotus nebrodensis variety 'Uram'. The evaluation of distributors showed that it was necessary to cultivate mushrooms of uniform shape and size, to compensate for their low storability, and to sell them in small packages. The consumer evaluation showed that the texture of P. nebrodensis had the highest level of satisfaction for quality, but the levels of satisfaction for size and shape were low. In the consumer evaluation, as in the distributor evaluation, improvements in cultivation were found to be necessary, as the storage time is short due to a high moisture content. An evaluation of the market gave the following results regarding the marketing strategy. It was found to be necessary to consider the production of mushrooms of a uniform shape and size and sell them in small packages in the range of 150 to 300 g. The price of the mushrooms should be set using a high-end strategy for high-end sales. The mushrooms should be introduced to local food and eco-friendly stores in the early stages of production. Subsequently, if farmhouse production increases, shipments should be made to wholesale markets through a regular contract. Finally, considering that P. nebrodensis is an unfamiliar mushroom to consumers, it is necessary to promote it by increasing the accessibility of consumers through tasting events and experience groups.

This study was conducted to investigate the optimum supplementation ratio when replacing cotton seed meal with rapeseed meal for cultivating oyster mushrooms. The chemical properties among the treatments were pH 4.5~4.7, total carbon content was 46.3~46.5%, total nitrogen content was 1.6~1.7%, and carbon-nitrogen ratio was 27.0~27.8. These did not differ significantly from the control. Mycelial growth was 85.1 mm (Heuktari), and 72.8 mm (Suhan-1Ho) in medium containing 5% rapeseed meal, with no significant difference in mycelial density between cultivars. Fruiting body characteristics are as follows: In 'Heuktari', the color of the pileus was darker than control with an L value of 32.5, and pileus thickness and diameter were 3.2 mm and 27.6 mm, respectively. Stipe length and diameter were 86.0 mm and 9.1 mm, respectively. Valid stipe number per bottle (1,100 cc) was 25.9, and a yield of 189.7 g/1,100 cc was recorded in mixed medium containing 5% rapeseed meal (higher than control). In mixed medium containing 10% rapeseed meal, the yield was 184.5 g/1,100 cc (comparable to control). In 'Suhan-1Ho', supplemented with 5% rapeseed meal, pileus color was darker than control color, with an L value of 28.8. Pileus thickness was 4.5 mm. Stipe diameter was 12.3 mm (higher than control), and yield was 145.5 g/1,100 cc (comparable to control).