Domestication, Evaluation of Yield and Substrates of Wild Enoki Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes)
Sabitra Pradhan, Tshering Choki, Chencho Dukpa and Tshering Wangmo
https://doi.org/10.55925/btagr.26.9102
ABSTRACT
Domestication and cultivation of a local Enoki mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) isolates were conducted to assess its viability for commercial production and its suitability on different substrates. The experiments were carried out in three stages. The first trial examined whether the wild strain could be successfully domesticated on sawdust substrates. The results demonstrated successful domestication, with the first flush yielding significantly more than subsequent flushes (p < 0.001), indicating nutrient depletion and reduced productivity in later harvests. In the second phase, the local strain was compared with four commercial enoki strains. Based on a single first harvest, the local strain yielded significantly less than the commercial hybrid strains (p < 0.001). However, the local strain produced taller fruiting bodies and exhibited less variability in stipe length than three of the commercial strains. In the third phase, three sawdust substrates namely oak, alder, and poplar were tested for their effects on the colonisation rate and yield of the local strain. There was a highly significant difference (p < 0.001) in the number of days to first harvest: 63 days on alder, 65 days on poplar, and 70 days on oak. However, there was no significant difference in yield at the first harvest across substrates. Overall, the productivity of the local strain was comparatively lower than that of the commercial strains. Nevertheless, the native strain demonstrated strong adaptability, a high level of stability in productivity, and desirable fruiting characteristics, indicating its potential as a resilient strain for cultivation.
Keywords: Bhutanese wild enoki; Domestication; Enoki Mushroom; Yield comparison; Substrates