Towards an Optimal Methodology for Basidiomes Production of Naturally Occurring Species of the Genus Oudemansiella (Basidiomycetes)

Oudemansiella species are worldwide distributed and they are characterized for having attractive appearance, a soft fleshy context and mild taste and odor, what makes them interesting for mushroom intensive production. However, studies on their cultivation are scarce and there is no information regarding productive and morphological parameters of fruiting bodies obtained in culture. Here, we propose a methodology to determine the best production technique for the cultivation of not only Oudemansiella species but also of other xylophagous species assaying five different mushroom cultivation systems. Also, the optimal temperature of vegetative growth, the optimal lignocellulosic substrates and the nutritional properties of two naturally occurring Oudemansiella species were determined. As a result, bags with holes-system proved to be the most appropriate technique for the production of fruiting bodies, 25 °C was determined as the optimal temperature for mycelial growth and wheat straw as the best substrate. The evaluated species showed a higher content of fats and fiber and a lower content of proteins and carbohydrates compared to other mushrooms. Furthermore, this is the first report of the cultivation of O. cubensis on agricultural wastes in the world.