Cultivation of Pleurotus spp in China

摘要

Pleurotus mushrooms are very popular in China and more than ten species of Pleurotus are currently cultivated on an industrial scale, including P. ostreatus P. cornucopiae and P. citrinopileatus. In 1986, the combined yield of all Pleurotus spp was only 108,000 tonnes but output in 2003 had increased to 2,488,000 tonnes. In recent years, new species such as P. erygyii and P. nebrodensis have gained prominence and annual production of these species has expanded rapidly. In 2001, annual yields of P. eryngii and P. nebrodensis were 21,022 tonnes and 7,343 tonnes, respectively. In 2003, these figures had increased to 114,107 tonnes and 52, 223 tonnes respectively, representing increases of 443% and 611%, respectively in just two years. The main reasons for this rapid increase in mushroom production are: (ⅰ) Chinese farmers are able to use as growth substrates many local by-products, e.g., cereal straw, cotton seed hulls, etc, which are usually considered as waste materials, and (ⅱ) innovative and improved cultivation methods adapted to local climates and conditions. In this paper, several methods for cultivating P. eryngii and P. nebrodensis are, described.