The reason why mushroom farmers like to use cottonseed husks as the main raw material to produce edible mushrooms is because cottonseed husks contain comprehensive nutrients, are highly water-absorbent, and have good air permeability, making it easy for bacteria to grow and produce mushrooms. Research shows that the soluble carbohydrate content in cottonseed hulls is about 22%, the total nitrogen content is about 0.67%, and the carbon-nitrogen ratio is 70:1. It is a high-quality raw material for growing most edible fungi. At the same time, the cottonseed shell particles are moderate, so mushroom farmers no longer need to perform crushing, prewetting and other operations, making it simple and convenient to use. Mushroom farmers should pay attention to two points when choosing cottonseed hulls:
First of all, pay attention to adding supplementary materials and supplementing nutrients. Due to the improvement of delinting equipment, the fluff on cottonseed shells has become less and shorter, resulting in lower water absorption capacity and poorer air permeability. Cottonseed oil production equipment causes less damage to cottonseeds and makes it difficult to absorb nutrients contained in cottonseed hulls. Mushroom farmers must add certain auxiliary materials, such as bean cakes, bran, etc. to supplement nutrients.
Secondly, use fresh cottonseed hulls. Mushroom farmers must be cautious when purchasing. It is best to choose new cottonseed husks. If they are old cottonseed husks, it is best to cultivate them with high-temperature sterilized clinker. However, inoculation and cultivation of oyster mushrooms only started after September, and raw materials are mostly used for cultivation. Here, we would like to remind mushroom farmers that they must be careful when purchasing cottonseed husks and choose fresh cottonseed husks that are not moldy.