Cultivation of Culinary-Medicinal Lion's Mane Mushroom Hericium erinaceus (Bull.: Fr.) Pers. (Aphyllophoromycetideae) on Substrate Containing Sunflower Seed Hulls

Abstract

The mycelial growth rates in linear growth assays, yield, and mushroom productivity of Hericium erinaceus were evaluated in a substrate containing sunflower seed hulls as the main energy and nutritional component, with the addition of different levels of Mn(II) and/or NH4+. The mycelial growth rate in substrates possessing different sunflower seed hull sizes with or without the addition of wheat bran showed that, irrespective of the presence of wheat bran, higher mycelial growth rate was observed with the larger sunflower seed hull size (as disposed of by the regional oil-seed factory without additional process). Adding growth-limiting mineral nutrients such as Mn(II) (20 or 100 ppm) and/or NH4+ (200 or 500 ppm) increased the mycelial growth rate by 8%−16%. The first flush occurred at day 10 and the second at day 30, with a production cycle duration of 55 days starting from inoculation. No statistical differences were detected between accumulated biological efficiencies coming from different substrate formulations with the addition of wheat bran, barley straw, or poplar sawdust compared to the sunflower seed hull control, but a tendency for higher yield was observed for the substrate supplemented with 20 ppm Mn and 200 ppm NH4+. Sunflower seed hulls without supplementation constitute a very good basal substrate, so this substrate by itself constitutes a very good source of energy and nutrition for H. erinaceus growth and development.