Comparison of Mycelial Growth of Different Tricholoma matsutake Strains in Soil Medium at Varying Temperatures

Abstract

Aims: To investigate the effect of temperature on the mycelial growth of the highly prized mushroom, Tricholoma matsutake, in soil medium. Methodology: Seven strains of T. matsutake collected from different areas of Japan were incubated in soil medium at 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30°C for 89 day. After incubation, the linear growth of mycelia from the inoculum was measured on vertical lines under a dissecting microscope and classified by the cultivation day number to obtain the growth rate in each vial. The mycelial densities in the soil medium in all the vials were analyzed using qPCR to determine the mycelial biomass. Results: The mycelial growth of T. matsutake strains was mainly observed at 5–25°C. The optimum temperatures for linear mycelial growth and for the increase in mycelial density were 19.6°C and 17.6°C, respectively. These values were lower than those reported previously for T. matsutake grown on agar medium or in liquid medium. These optimum temperatures showed no clear relationship with the mean air temperature at the site of strain collection. Conclusion: It can be suggested that a temperature around 18°C is suitable for cultivation of T. matsutake mycelia in the soil medium.