706 (PS 6) THE INTERACTIVE EFFECTS OF SHIITAKE MUSHROOM STRAINS AND WOOD SPECIES ON THE YIELD OF SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS

Abstract

Shiitake mushrooms are grown on hardwood logs or bagged synthetic hardwood media. Domestic production of shiitake mushrooms was 3.9 million pounds in 1990-91 with a value of $16.3 million. Production of shiitake is expanding throughout the U.S., but shiitake mushroom strains are so environmentally sensitive, and wood species so diverse that evaluations of shiitake strains and wood species must be conducted on a regional basis to provide reliable results for producers. The objectives of this project were to determine the best wood species, the most productive shiitake strain and the species/strain interaction for the southern region. At the end of 30 months, there were very significant (P<0.01) differences among strains and wood species and a significant (P<0.05) interaction. Five wood species--sassafras, white oak, red oak, sycamore, and cherry--were each inoculated with 8 shiitake spawn strains–WR46, V3, WW44, West Wind, Twice Flowering, WW70, CW25, and WR85. Logs were soaked as needed and mushrooms were harvested at marketable sizes. The shiitake strains WR46, WW44, and WW70 produced the highest yields over all wood species and red oak and white oak were the most productive tree species over all shiitake strains. The optimal shiitake strain × wood species combinations were WW44 and WR46 on red oak and WW70 on white oak.