Coprinus spp.
Coprinus spp.
Ink cap fungi appear on the beds before mushroom fruiting. The Coprinus fruit bodies have the shape of a bell on a thin, long stipe. When young, their caps are cream-colored, later, they darken and gradually turn into a mucous black mass. This phenomenon is connected to the development of a great amount of spores which quickly colonize newly-prepared compost. The ink cap fungi mycelium is grey in color and it’s not easy to distinguish it from the mushroom mycelium.

Mycelium and young Coprinus fruit bodies

Coprinus

Coprinus

Young Coprinus growing in the casing layer

Ripe Coprinus

Coprinus, on the last stage of development
Coprinus indicates the presence of free ammonia or conversely, a high content of nitrogen in the compost. The appearance of ink cap fungi in the growing room indicates the low quality of substrate due to the disturbance of the fermentation and the substrate’s pasteurization process.
There are a few reasons:
- The use of bad raw materials: old manure, or manure that has become totally dry after heating, and also straw that is decayed and too old.
- Over humidification of the compost during fermentation or retarded humidification of the compost after its drying.
- The use of excess amount of poultry manure during the composting process.
- Improper execution of the pasteurization process and the disturbance of temperature levels at conditioning.
The basic measures taken in order to avoid the appearance and spreading of Coprinus: strict compliance to the technology of compost preparation and its proper pasteurization.
Shaurya:
Thanks sir si nice of you
James:
What can I use as a substitute for peat moss as casing soil? I thick layer of mycelia known as stroma...
Compost production: estimation of the process according...sean toronto ontario canada:
Can you help me understand the plenum in the aerated tunnel? I need to know what calculations i need...
Mushrooms in KazahstanMuhammad Abbas, Peshawar, Pakistan:
Assalam-o-Alaikum!
Without chicken manure compost? Yes, it's possible...Hi!
I would like to serve my services for Kazakhstan mushroom companies or Russian...
shahbaz h.:
It looks good ,but how about production i.e mushroom kg/m2
Without chicken manure compost? Yes, it's possible...Rajeev gupta:
Please Let me know the alternative used for Compost in place of chicken manure
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Arkansas, U.S.:
What size bags are used in the pictures and where is a good place to source them?
How long can mushrooms be kept fresh?U.Harsha vardhan, Nellore,Andhra pradesh:
How to prevent inked caps in mushrooms
Proteins in compost at the end of phase IIShaurya india:
I also agree with sir basic thi g is ti perform the phase 2 as per protocol rest observe it and done