A new high-temperature Oak mushroom (Lentinula edodes) variety, ‘Heunghwa 2ho’, adaptable to climate change, was developed for bed-log cultivation. Plant variety protection was applied for in 2022, and the variety is currently distributed to farms through non-exclusive licensing. The optimum mycelial growth temperature was 25oC, and the growth rate of 16.2±0.2 mm/7days was superior to that of the control cultivar. Fruiting body formation occurred at 18~28.1oC. The pileus was flat and thinner (9.6±2.9 mm) than that of the control cultivar. Fruiting occurred in spring, late summer, and autumn in concentrated or scattered patterns, with a dry weight of 22.5 kg/m3. Three years fresh yield reached 100 kg/m3, exceeding the yield criterion for economic viability in high-temperature varieties, and the second-year production rate of 80.9% further demonstrated its commercial potential.

Wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia heimuer) are commercially used in various fields in South Korea. Therefore, it is necessary to take appropriate measures, including monitoring and prevention of microbial growth in cultivation houses, as microorganisms can reduce the wood ear mushroom’s marketability and cause food poisoning among consumers. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the direct impact of airborne fungi isolated and identified from the indoor air of domestic wood ear mushroom cultivation houses on the mycelia growth of wood ear mushroom strains. For the evaluation, 11 airborne fungal species were tested with three strains of A. heimuer on PDA using the cocultivation method. Among them, Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium anthropophilum, Cochliobolus kusanoi, Lecanicillium sp., Periconia byssoides, and Periconia pseudobyssoides suppressed the mycelial growth of all three A. heimuer strains. There was no significant difference in the reaction against the 11 tested airborne fungal species among the three A. heimuer strains. The results of this study show that proper management of airborne fungi is necessary in the indoor environment of wood ear mushroom cultivation houses.

This study was conducted to evaluate horticultural and herbal crop by-products as alternative substrates for the cultivation of Pleurotus eryngii. Chemical analysis showed that Substrate 3 contained 42.2% total carbon and 2.6% total nitrogen, comparable to the control substrate (42.9% and 2.7%). After 35 days of incubation, mycelial growth in treatments ranged from 134.3 to 140.7 mm, which was similar to or greater than that of the control (135.5 mm). Fruiting body yield in Substrate 3 (173.4 g/1,100 mL) was about 14% higher than Control A (152.6 g) at 15 days after scratching, while Substrate 4 (202.9 g) produced yields comparable to Control B (209.6 g) at 17 days. These results demonstrate that red ginseng marc can entirely replace corn germ meal without compromising growth or yield, suggesting its strong potential as a sustainable substrate for P. eryngii. In addition, to enhance the utilization of by-products as substrate resources, it is essential to first establish stable and large-scale supply chains.

Wood ear mushroom (Auricularia heimuer) is one of the most popular mushrooms in Korea. Bacteria in the air can act as contaminants of mushroom media, mushroom pathogens, and sources of food poisoning in the indoor environment of mushroom cultivation houses. Therefore, cultivation houses require proper management to maintain mushroom production, quality and hygiene. This study was conducted to evaluate the properties of airborne bacterial species isolated from wood ear mushroom cultivation. Nine species of indoor-airborne bacteria were tested against wood ear mushroom cultivars using confrontation assay on PDA. Among 9 species, Bacillus subtilis DUCC18238 showed the strongest inhibition effect on the mycelial growth of nine wood ear mushroom cultivars and the inhibition rate for 7 of them was more than 30%. In addition, B. subtilis DUCC18238 inhibited the mycelial growth of 11 out of 18 wild mushroom species, 7 out of 8 phytopathogenic fungi, and 5 out of 5 Trichoderma species, respectively. The results of this study show that the management of airborne bacteria in the indoor environment of wood ear mushroom cultivation houses is necessary.

This study was carried out to get information on the concentration and species of airborne fungi in wood ear mushroom (Auricularia heimuer) cultivation houses. Air samplings were conducted at three wood ear mushroom farms located in Iksan and Wando in 2022. Two out of the three cultivation houses exceeded the Ministry of Environment’s recommended indoor air quality standards for fungi concentration in multi-use facilities. A total of 12 genera and 15 species of airborne fungi were isolated and identified. There were species belonging to 6 genera at the genus level. Overall, the genus Cladosporium accounted for the majority with three species. Among the identified species, there were fungi that affect the human body, such as Aspergillus niger, Lichtheimia ramose, and Rhizomucor pusillus, as well as Alternaria alternata, Cladosporium ramotenellum, Cladosporium subuliforme, and Curvularia lunata, which cause diseases in plants. Penicillium brevicompactum was detected as a fungus affecting mushroom cultivation. This study is the first report in Korea on airborne fungi in wood ear cultivation houses and provides useful information for environmental hygiene management of cultivation houses.

발효 느타리버섯재배부산물을 급이한 흰점박이꽃무지 유충의 영양성과 안전성을 검증하고자 참나무 발효톱밥으로 사육한 유충의 영양성분 과 유해물질을 비교분석하였다. 조단백질 함량은 발효 느타리버섯재배부산물을 급이한 유충(OMCB)에서 54.0%로 참나무 발효톱밥을 급이한 유 충(FOS) 47.2%보다 1.1배 많았다. 필수아미노산 중 류신은 OMCB에서 2.8%로 가장 높았고, FOS에서는 2.7%로 비슷한 수치였다. 비필수아미 노산은 OMCB에서 프롤린의 함량이 7.2%로 가장 높았고 FOS (5.6%)보다 1.3배 더 높았다. 무기질 중 칼륨은 OMCB (2771.2 mg/100 g)와 FOS (2765.0 mg/100 g)에서 비슷한 수치였고, 불포화지방산 중 올레산은 OMCB (58.2%)와 FOS (59.6%)에서 가장 높은 함량을 나타냈다. 유 해물질 분석 결과, OMCB와 FOS에서 납, 카드뮴, 비소 모두 식용곤충 중금속 기준에 적합하였고, 식중독균에 속하는 대장균과 살모넬라균은 모두 불검출되었다. 위 연구 결과에 따르면, 발효 느타리버섯재배부산물 급이 흰점박이꽃무지 유충은 단백질과 불포화지방산뿐만 아니라 다양한 영양성 분을 포함하고 있으며, 안전성 또한 검증되었으므로 식용으로 활용하기에 적합할 것으로 판단된다.

Oyster mushrooms were analyzed to confirm the effect of installing a convection fan on the uniformity of the environment inside the cultivation house, the quantity of fruiting bodies, and marketability for stable production. When using a convection fan, it was confirmed that the temperature, relative humidity, and CO2 concentration were maintained more uniformly than when not used.As for the characteristics of the fruiting bodies, the quantity per bottle was 177.3 g when using a convection fan, which was 17% higher than when not used, and the individual weight was 49% higher. In addition, the cap diameter, cap thickness, and stem thickness increased slightly in the convection fan treatment, and the stem length was shorter.

In this study, Pleurotus ostreatus were grown in bottles at temperatures set to 15°C, 20°C, and 25°C inside the cultivation room. Changes in temperature, CO2 concentration, and humidity inside the bottles were measured, and growth characteristics according to the temperature conditions were evaluated. CO2 concentration increased overall as the temperature increased and was particularly stable at 20°C, suggesting that 20°C is the optimal condition for the physiological respiration of P. ostreatus . While humidity was relatively constant at 15°C, it decreased over time at 20°C and was maintained at a stable level at 25°C, suggesting that water retention capacity may occur at high temperatures. As a result of the growth investigation, the yield per bottle and individual weight were the highest at 20°C, confirming that 20°C is the most suitable temperature condition for the growth of oyster mushrooms. At 25°C, the yield per bottle was maintained but the individual weight decreased and the color tended to change. These results suggest that the interaction between CO2 concentration, humidity, and temperature has a significant effect on the growth and quality of oyster mushrooms, and that it is effective to control the cultivation room temperature to 20°C for optimal growth.

A new oak mushroom cultivar ‘K815’ was bred from monokaryotic strains of ‘Jadam-2’ and ‘LE191732-118’. The optimal temperature for mycelial growth of ‘K815’ was 25oC, and the temperature for primordia formation and fruiting body development was 15~20oC. The fruiting body morphology is hemispherical and the fruiting form is sporadic. Total cultivation period of the new cultivar, from inoculation to its first harvest, was 133 days, which was 3 days longer than control cultivar ‘Jadam’ (129 days), with 32 days for spawn running, 89 days for browning, 4 days for primordia formation, and 8 days for fruiting body development. In the fruiting body, the thickness and diameter of pileus of the new cultivar were 32.2 mm and 58.3mm, respectively, and the length of stipe was 35.6 mm. Compared to the control cultivar ('Jadam', 'L808'), the pileus of the new cultivar was thicker and smaller and the length of stipe was shorter. The total number of fruiting bodies of ‘K815’ was 58.9, which was higher than the control varieties and total yield of 2 crop cycle of ‘K815’ was 580 g (per 3 kg substrate), which was similar to the control variety.

Airborne bacteria are an important environmental factor that affects the hygiene of mushroom cultivation houses, as they can act as contaminants or pathogens in mushroom cultivation. To determine the distribution of airborne bacteria in the air of wood ear mushroom cultivation houses, air sampling and temperature and humidity measurements were conducted at three wood ear mushroom farms located in Iksan and Wando in 2022. Sampled air was analyzed to measure bacterial concentration levels and identify bacterial species. There was no significant difference in temperature and humidity changes detected between the three mushroom growing houses. Additionally, the concentration of bacteria in the air did not exceed 800 CFU/m², which is the maximum amount of airborne bacteria allowed by the Ministry of Environment’s indoor air quality maintenance standards. Eleven species of bacteria belonging to 11 genera were isolated and identified from air samples. These include five species of Micrococcales, four species of Bacilli, one species of Actinomycetia, and one species of Mycobacteriales. Of the 11 species identified, five are known to affect human health. However, no mushroom pathogens or species causing food poisoning were found.