Here’s a glossary of technical terms commonly used in mushroom cultivation:
- Agar: A gel-like substance derived from seaweed used to culture mushroom mycelium and for performing laboratory tests.
- Autoclave: A device used to sterilise substrates, tools, and equipment by exposing them to high-pressure steam.
- Casing: A layer of soil, peat moss, or other material applied to the surface of mushroom substrate to promote fruiting.
- Colonisation: The process by which mushroom mycelium spreads and colonises a substrate, breaking down organic matter.
- Flush: A period of prolific mushroom fruiting, typically followed by a rest period before the next flush.
- Fruiting Body: The reproductive structure of a mushroom, often referred to as the mushroom cap and stem.
- Hyphae: Fine, thread-like structures that make up the mycelium of a mushroom fungus, responsible for nutrient absorption and growth.
- Inoculation: The process of introducing mushroom spawn or mycelium into a substrate for colonisation.
- Mycelium: The vegetative part of a fungus, consisting of a network of hyphae, responsible for nutrient absorption and growth.
- Pasteurisation: The process of heating substrate material to kill off competing organisms and pathogens without sterilising it completely.
- Pinning: The initial stage of mushroom fruiting, characterised by the formation of small primordial mushroom structures.
- Spawn: A substrate material colonised by mushroom mycelium, used to inoculate larger batches of substrate for cultivation.
- Sterilisation: The complete eradication of microorganisms and pathogens from substrate, tools, and equipment using heat or chemicals.
- Substrate: The material on which mushrooms grow, typically composed of organic matter such as sawdust, straw, or compost.
- Vermiculite: A mineral often used as a casing material or added to mushroom substrate to improve water retention and aeration.
- Yield: The quantity of mushrooms harvested from a given batch of substrate or growing area.
Understanding these technical terms is essential for successful mushroom cultivation, whether you’re a novice or experienced grower.
