Liquid calcium supplementation between flushes increases shiitake yield

Practical and technological innovations in mushroom production is of paramount importance to ensure enhanced yields and promote the development of mushroom cultivation on a global scale. The purpose of this study was to evaluate of Lentinula edodes with liquid supplementation of two calcium sources at different dose and application intervals. The experiment was divided into two trials, with the first aimed at assessing different doses of calcium carbonate and calcium nitrate applied either before or after primordia induction. The second trial involved applications interspersed throughout the production flushes, ranging from one application to four during the crop cycle. In the first trial, it was observed that the dose of 40 ml of calcium carbonate applied before the induction of primordia yielded the highest returns compared to other dosages. This source of calcium and dose were selected for the second trial. In the second trial, it was found that a single application before the second flush, double applications in the first and second flushes or in the first and third flushes, and triple applications before the first, third, and fourth flushes, as well as in the second, third, and fourth flushes, provided an increase in yield of up to 20 %. Thus, it is concluded that the use of calcium supplementation during the cultivation of L. edodes was effective, proving to be a promising technique for commercial cultivation.