On September 4, Morel mushrooms cultivated in Chongqing Puzhuo Agricultural Development Co., LTD are showing good growth tendency while staffs are orderly engaged with the picking and drying work. “With the investment of over 4 million CNY, our company is building a processing factory that occupies 1200 square meters and the estimated completion time is in late October,” introduces Mr. Zeng Fanping, general manager of Puzhuo Company warmly.

Founded in November, 2015, Chongqing Puzhuo Agricultural Development Co., LTD is a modernized agriculture enterprise which sets R&D, cultivation, processing and marketing of Morel mushroom into one. Over the years, Morel mushroom industy has been leading quick development speed in Chongqing City of China, however, unsound drying equipment restricts the further expansion of local Morel mushoom industry.

Now, Puzhuo Company absorbs strain factory of Morel mushroom that occupies 6000 square meters, Morel base that takes up over 1000 mu, of which steel-frame greenhouses cover over 500 mu of area. With the mu fresh output of 150 kg and market price of 200 CNY per kg, sales incomes in each mu attain over 30,000 CNY. Morel mushroom products developed by the company are not only sold well in Guangdong, Fujian, Sichuan Province of China, but also enjoy favorable markets in Europe and other oversea nations.

In recent years, Xiyang County, Shanxi Province of China has been going to great lengths to build itself into The Great Mushroom County, by now, a series of varieties such as Button, Shiitake, Oyster, Chestnut mushroom, Black fungus, Morel mushroom and Agaric Polyporus have been developed within the county.

In Xiyang County, area for Button mushroom growing totals 1.2 million square meters. On August 22, a batch of Button mushroom products were exported to Thailand from the county, which realizes Zero Breakthrough in export and import trade.

In order to ensure the smooth development of mushroom industry, Xiyang County positively pushes the quality and safety supervision, and accelerates the construction of export quality demonstration area. In the meantime of improving the system construction of export quality and safety, the county also seeks cooperation with 66 cooperatives engaging in spawn production and ensures the quality of spawn from the origin. Besides, up to now, Xiyang County has built 71 refrigerators, 30 washing-up sinks, 8 boiling houses and 4 drying factories in a bid to extend the sales time of fresh mushroom and broaden marketing channels.

By now, mushroom growing has been spread to over 11 villages and towns totalling 810 households within Xiyang County, gross area totals 1.02 million square meters. And, annual output on fresh mushroom comes to 15,000 tons, annual output value hits 120 million CNY while over 5000 farmers are leaded to embark on the industry and generate satisfactory revenues.

Eating white button mushrooms can create subtle shifts in the microbial community in the gut, which could improve the regulation of glucose in the liver, according to a team of researchers. They also suggest that better understanding this connection between mushrooms and gut microbes in mice could one day pave the way for new diabetes treatments and prevention strategies for people.

In the study, the researchers showed that feeding white button mushrooms to mice changed the composition of gut microbes -- microbiota -- to produce more short chain fatty acids, specifically propionate from succinate, according to Margherita T. Cantorna, Distinguished Professor of Molecular Immunology in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences. Previous research has shown that succinate and propionate can change the expression of genes needed to manage glucose production, she said.

"Managing glucose better has implications for diabetes, as well as other metabolic diseases," said Cantorna.

Normally glucose is provided from the food people eat. Insulin moves glucose out of the blood and into the cells. Diabetes occurs when either there is not enough insulin or the insulin that is made is not effective, resulting in high blood glucose levels.

Diabetes and pre-diabetes contribute to severe life threatening diseases including heart disease and stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 100 million Americans have diabetes or pre-diabetes in 2017.

The researchers, who reported their findings in a recent issue of the Journal of Functional Foods, available online now, used two types of mice in the study. One group of mice had microbiota, the other group did not have microbiota and were germ-free mice.

"You can compare the mice with the microbiota with the germ-free mice to get an idea of the contributions of the microbiota," said Cantorna. "There were big differences in the kinds of metabolites we found in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as in the liver and serum, of the animals fed mushrooms that had microbiota than the ones that didn't."

For the complete article and source, click here

1. WHITE FUNGUS:
SPORES: Mycelia form at 15-32 degrees Celsius, the optimal range is 22-24 degrees Celsius.
MYCELIA: Environmental Temperature is at 6-34 degrees Celsius and the optimal range is 22-26 degrees Celsius.
SPOROCARPS: Suitable Temperature is 20-24 degrees Celsius. In the case of inoculation, the suitable range of water content on cut-log and bark is respectively 42%-47% and 44%-50%, the preferred range on relative air humidity is 80%-95%.
2. BLACK FUNGUS:
SPORES: They germinate with the fastest speed at 22-28 degrees Celsius, spores refuse to appear at above 36 degrees Celsius.
MYCELIA: Mycelia grow at a temperature range of 4-36 degrees Celsius, the optimal range is 22-30 degrees Celsius. During the growth period of mycelia, water content of substrate and cut-log should be respectively adjusted at a range of 60%-70% and 70%-80%.
SPOROCARPS: Suitable temperature range is 15-32 degrees Celsius, the preferred temperature range is 20-28 degrees Celsius. And, the fit relative humidity is at 90%-95%, sporocarps refuse to form below 70%.
3. MONKEY HEAD MUSHROOM (HERICIUM):
MYCELIA: Temperature range on growth is 12-33 degrees Celsius and the optimal range is 21-25 degrees Celsius.
SPOROCARPS: Temperature range on formation is 12-24 degrees Celsius and the optimal range is 15-22 degrees Celsius. In addition, 10-20 lux of scattered light is required. Water content on substrate should be adjusted at 60% and the preferred relative air humidity is at a range of 85%-95%.
4. BUTTON MUSHROOMS:
MYCELIA: Suitable temperature range is 3-34 degrees Celsius and the optimal range is 24-25 degrees Celsius. After mycelia become fully-grown, 12-16 degrees Celsius is appropriate. Besides, suitable water content on composting materials is 60%-70%, anaerobic fermentation occurs and substrate is blackened, or becomes sticky or stinking when it reaches over 70%. while fruiting white knobs, maintain relative air humidity at 90% and avoid direct sunlight.
5. OYSTER MUSHROOM:
MYCELIA: The optimal temperature for the growth of mycelia is 25 degrees Celsius or so, sporocarps show thick and superior quality at a range of 13-18 degrees Celsius. Most noticeably, when temperature reaches above 40 degrees Celsius for 2-3 hours, mycelia undoubtedly die.
Substrate requires 60%-65% of water content. During the growth period of mycelia, it is best to control relative air humidity below 70%, and lift it to 90% during the formation phase of sporocarp.
SPOROCARPS: Sporocarps lead tardy formation speed when relative air humidity is below 80% while they show low or even rotten quality at above 95%.
6. STRAW MUSHROOM:
MYCELIA: Suitable temperature range is 15-45 degrees Celsius and the optimal condition is 35 degrees Celsius. There is a sharp drop on growth speed when the humidity exceeds 40 degrees Celsius, and mycelia stop the growth below 10 degrees Celsius while they die below 5 degrees Celsius and at above 45 degrees Celsius.
Substrate requires 60%-70% of water content, during the growth period, suitable relative air humidity is 80% and it should be maintained at above 90% during the fruiting phase.
7. NAMEKO: For Low-temperature Type, growers could choose cultivation field in high-mountain and cold area, suitable temperature range during the fruiting phase is 5-10 degrees Celsius. In addition, be sure to adjust the water content of substrate at 65% and relative air humidity at a range of 60%-70%. After the inoculation, 70% of water content is preferred in substrate and 80%-95% of relative air humidity should be kept as well.
8. SHIITAKE: Diurnal temperature difference should be kept at above 10 degrees Celsius. The optimal temperature range during the growth phase is 25-27 degrees Celsius while 90% of relative air humidity is required during the fruiting period.
9. ENOKI MUSHROOM:
MYCELIA: The optimal temperature range during the growth phase is 24-28 degrees Celsius.
SPOROCARPS: 8-10 degrees Celsius is preferred, sporocarps fail to occur when the temperature is higher than 19 degrees Celsius. And, water content of substrate should be kept at 70%-80%, sporocarps lead unfavorable growth status below 60% or above 90%.
10. BLACK OYSTER MUSHROOM:
MYCELIA: In greenhouse, be sure to lay emphasis on light shelter, and maintain the inner temperature at a range of 8-17 degrees Celsius.
SPOROCARPS: Suitable temperature range during the growth period is 20-25 degrees Celsius and the optimal range is 10-15 degrees Celsius. In general, mycelia become fully-grown and sporocarps appear after 1-1.5 months.

On August 20, a batch of Hypsizygus marmoreus weighting 446,700 tons were exported to US from Hebei Bright Jiudao Mushroom Biotechnology Co., LTD.
“Fresh mushrooms produced in our company are up to international standard, this batch of Hypsizygus marmoreus were transported by waterage in 10-feet refrigerators, which guarantees the temperature range of 2-5 degrees Celsius for 24 hours. Besides, temperature recorders are put inside and hence temperature could be successively recorded for at least 60 days,” said general manager of Hebei Bright Jiudao Mushroom Biotechnology Co., LTD.
Hebei Bright Jiudao Mushroom Biotechnology Co., LTD. is the project jointly launched by Shanghai Bright Food Group and Linxi County of Hebei Province, and it holds 1.5 billion CNY of investment, annual output on fresh Enoki, White beech, Brown Shimeji and Velvet mushroom comes to 60,000 tons. By now, industrialized mushroom base which holds the largest global monomer scale has been built within the company, and it has provided stable jobs for over 1000 population, of which 400 are in poor situation.

As the second largest mushroom variety in China, Black fungus occupies 18% of China’s gross mushroom output.
“In 2017, gross mushroom output attained 528,000 tons and output value reached 13 billion CNY in Yunnan Province of China. By 2020, the expected gross output is going to attain 720,000 tons while the estimated comprehensive output value comes to over 30 billion CNY within the province,” introduces Mr. Sun Dafeng, president of Mushroom Association of Yunnan Province, China warmly, going on that Black fungus cultivation gains popularity in Yunnan Province and local Black fungus industry requires a breakthrough from resource, variety, cultivation, preservation, processing, standard and other aspects so as to strive for a healthy and sustainable development trend.