Effects of nutrient supplements on biological efficiency, quality and crop cycle time of maitake (Grifola frondosa)

The effects of various combinations of wheat bran, rye and millet (at 20% and 30% of total dry substrate wt) on crop cycle time, biological efficiency (BE) and mushroom quality were evaluated for a commercially used isolate of Grifola frondosa (maitake). Supplements were combined with a basal ingredient of mixed oak (primarily red oak) sawdust, and the resulting mixture was pasteurized, cooled, inoculated and bagged with an autoclaving mixer. Times to mushroom primordial formation and mushroom harvest were recorded, and mushroom quality was rated on a scale of 1-4, where 1 was the highest quality and 4 was the lowest quality. The combinations of 10% wheat bran, 10% millet and 10% rye (BE 47.1%, quality 1.8 and crop cycle 12 weeks) and 10% wheat bran plus 20% rye (BE 44%, quality 1.7 and crop cycle 10 weeks) gave the most consistent yields and best basidiome quality over time.