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Late summer and
fall rains are considered to be a primary influence in
mushroom production. Rainfall means more mushrooms. Yet
observations indicated rainfall, moisture, didn't assure
fruitbodys would be produced.
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"Can moisture, or the lack of, effect matsutake
mushroom fruiting?" |
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Goals of the
study were to artificially add moisture to one treatment
group, while leaving the other to natural moisture.
In 1995 4 shirro with production
records, and 2 areas with allotrope were selected for
treatment application.
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A portable water tank was placed in an area higher than
areas to be treated, gravity flow the intent.
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Hoses were routed to 3 sprinklers placed in the areas to
be treated with moisture.
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Rain gauges were placed in watered area to measure amount
actually applied. Soil moisture was checked weekly in all
treatments, again 12 to 24 hours after treatments in
watered areas. 1 inch per square foot was applied to
treated area weekly. No rainfall was recorded during
monitoring period.
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Moisture in untreated areas began at
an average of 10% as did treated areas. Unwatered areas
declined to 8% while watered areas maintained 25%, with a
maximum of 35% 12 to 24 hours after treatment. Five of the six produced fruit.
One watered shirro did not. Fruiting in each treatment group
occurred at essentially the same time |
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Twice as many mushrooms were recorded in unwatered
shirros as watered. However mushrooms in water treatments
weighted twice as much as natural moisture. |
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