The strain performance of morel mushrooms is different from other edible mushrooms, and there are significant differences in strain isolation methods, breeding techniques, and cultivation management techniques compared to other edible mushrooms. The biggest disadvantage is that it is prone to degradation, mutation, and mold growth. This poses great difficulties for cultivating morel mushrooms. In this regard, the first step is to control the passage of bacterial strains. Regardless of the mother strain, original strain, or cultivated strain, if the technical requirements are violated, passing on one more generation will result in the above-mentioned adverse reactions or failure to produce offspring. The mother seed can only undergo one cultivation process and three rounds of bacterial healing during cultivation to maintain its quality; If the new hyphae germinate after more than 3 hyphal breaks, they will lose or reduce the enzymatic decomposition effect, resulting in poor disease resistance, easy growth of miscellaneous bacteria, and inability to produce mushrooms.

Production of mother seeds

1. Cultivation medium formula

① 500g of soybean sprouts (boiled juice), 20g of white sugar, 20g of agar, 50g of morel mushroom base, and 1L of water.
② 500g of soybean sprouts (boiled juice), 20g of white sugar, 20g of agar, and 1L of water.
③ 500g oak sawdust (boiled juice), 20g white sugar, 20g agar, and 1L water.
④ 200 grams of potatoes (boiled juice), 20 grams of white sugar, 20 grams of agar, 0.5 grams of peptone, 0.5 grams of beef paste, and 1 liter of water.
⑤ 1 gram of peptone, 20 grams of glucose, 20 grams of agar, 1 gram of yeast extract, 1 gram of potassium dihydrogen phosphate, 1 gram of magnesium sulfate, 1 gram of vitamin B1, and 1 liter of water. The pH value is natural.

Choose any one of the above formulas. Boil 1 liter of sawdust or bean sprouts in water for 30 minutes, filter and extract the juice, and make up the remaining 1 liter of water. Add other ingredients and cook until dissolved. Then, follow the conventional method for mother seed preparation and divide into 1/5 of 18 mm x 180 mm or 20 mm x 200 mm test tubes. Cover with a cotton stopper and thoroughly sterilize using a high-pressure sterilization pot; Maintain a pressure of 0.68 kilograms for 60 minutes, cool naturally until the pointer returns to its original position before opening, and place it on a slope for future use.

2. Isolation of bacterial strains

Firstly, it is necessary to have basic knowledge of edible fungi, years of experience in strain isolation, and the ability to identify mycelia. Secondly, necessary equipment such as mother culture medium, sterile inoculation box, constant temperature incubator, refrigerator, and high-power microscope should be purchased. According to the local growth season of morel mushrooms, isolate the strains while the morel mushrooms are growing vigorously.

① Separation method

The isolation method of morel mushrooms is very different from other edible mushrooms. It requires a symbiotic relationship between a growth aid fungus and the mycelium of morel mushrooms to produce mushrooms. This type of probiotic is active in the soil for a long time, sometimes appearing in the form of spores and sometimes in the form of hyphae. It plays a crucial role in the formation of primordia and the growth and development of fruiting bodies in morel mushrooms. Therefore, isolating this bacterium from soil is better than any other method of isolation. However, the difficulty of separating from soil is too high, with a success rate of less than one in ten thousand, and it is difficult to distinguish. Therefore, only by separating the foot soil of morel mushrooms can the mycelium of morel mushrooms be truly found. Beginners can purchase cultivated high-quality mother strains of morel mushrooms from the Edible Fungi Research Institute in Mianyang, Sichuan and participate in on-site training.

② Operation process

Around the growth of morel mushrooms, white mycelium can be seen filling the soil. Selecting this type of mycelium from the soil is easy to succeed. Two simple methods for soil separation are introduced: one is direct soil separation, and the other is leaching separation. Direct soil separation method: Remove the morel mushrooms from the area where they grow, take soil within 5 centimeters of the surrounding area, remove the surface layer, place the soil in a sterile inoculation box, and then place it in test tube culture medium for disinfection of the inoculation box space. Mix 10 milliliters of formaldehyde and 5 grams of potassium permanganate per cubic meter of space in the inoculation box to produce gas for disinfection, and only operate after half an hour. Pick a piece of soil the size of a soybean with an inoculation needle and quickly place it on blank culture medium in a test tube. Place one piece in each tube and stuff it with a cotton stopper. After inoculation, take it out for cultivation. Extraction and Separation Method: Dilute the footing soil with sterile water, clarify it, dip a small amount of solution with an inoculation needle, drop it onto a blank culture medium in a test tube, plug it with a cotton stopper, and take it out for cultivation.

After separation, cultivate and observe at a temperature of 12-18 ℃. After 3 days, mycelium will germinate on the culture medium, and the growth and changes of each test tube will be carefully checked daily. Distinguishing and recognizing various types of miscellaneous bacteria is the most critical core technology. The true mycelium of morel mushrooms is initially gray white in color and grows rapidly. Over time, it may turn brownish yellow and sometimes develop sclerotia. The mother strain can fill the test tube after 7 days, while the original and cultivated strains can fill the bottom of the bottle after 15 days. Whether the separation is successful or not, a cultivation test must be conducted to accurately determine whether it is a species of morel mushroom after the mushroom is grown. Once the bacterial strain is successfully isolated, care should be taken during the subsequent transfer process to prevent contamination by miscellaneous bacteria. High temperature sterilization and inoculation disinfection must be strictly controlled to ensure the quality and survival rate of the bacterial strain.

3. Transfer purification

Wait until the remaining water on the surface of the culture medium is dry before use, otherwise it may be infected by bacteria. Vaccination requires sterilization with medication inside the inoculation box. Take a large piece of soybean culture medium with mycelium from the first generation of pure mother seeds and place it on blank culture medium. Each mother seed can be inoculated 10-15 times, and the mother seed can only be propagated once. Excessive inoculation or propagation is not allowed, otherwise it will affect the growth of the fruiting body.

4. Cultivate

After inoculation, the mycelium should be cultured in the dark at a temperature of 18-22 ℃. It takes 2-3 days for the mycelium to germinate and 7 days for it to fully grow on the inclined culture medium. If not in use, store in the refrigerator at a temperature of 0-3 ℃ for a maximum of six months.