Abstract:

To screen for high-quality Morchella esculenta strains suitable for artificial cultivation, the growth characteristics of different varieties were systematically compared across various stages of strain propagation. Seven cultivated strains (YGF3-2, YGF5-8, JQ5-2, XF, JQ3-1, XJDYH and YGF5) were evaluated for mycelial growth performance during the mother strain, original strain, and cultivated strain stages. Under unified environmental conditions (25±2)℃ in the dark, PDA medium was used for mother strain cultivation, and a substrate formula based on wheat (including cottonseed hulls, soybean meal, etc.) was prepared for original and cultivated strain media. The mycelial growth rate was measured using a cross method, recording colony morphology, mycelial density, and time to fill up the bottles (bags). Statistical evaluations were conducted using variance analysis and multiple comparisons. The results showed that all strains could germinate and expand normally under the experimental conditions. During the mother strain stage, YGF5, JQ3-1 and XF exhibited the fastest growth, with an average growth rate of (2.60±0.00) cm/d. In the original strain stage, YGF5-8 had the strongest mycelial expansion ability, with an average fill time of (12.00±0.45) d, significantly better than YGF3-2. In the cultivated strain stage, YGF5 performed the best, and the average fill time was (8.00±0.00) d, with dense and robust mycelium, significantly faster than other varieties (P<0.05). Overall, YGF5 showed significant advantages in both the mother and cultivated strain stages, while YGF5-8 had the highest efficiency in the original strain propagation stage.

Key words: Morchella esculenta, hyphal subgeneration, growth traits, colony characteristics, hyphal morphology, strain screening, cultivation technology