Strain selection for cultivation of Shiitake mushrooms (Lentinus edodes) on straw

Abstract A two-stage method of strain selection was developed for optimal adaptation of the production of Shiitake mushrooms ( Lentinus edodes ) on straw substrate. The use of esterase isoenzymes, to indicate genetic variations, and mycelium growth rates, as a criterion for strain/substrate compatibility, were combined as tools for selection. The strains that were selected (four out of 22) developed fruit bodies on cotton and wheat straws mixtures (CWS), but only two of them gave yields on cotton straw (CS) alone. Biological efficiency reached 82% for CWS and 46% for CS in commercial-scale production trials.