The Colonisation of Non-sterile Wheat Straw by Fungi

Abstract

A survey of the national production of surplus straw
and the measures taken to reduce this surplus is given.
This is followed by a review of the current knowledge of
the genus Coprinus and the species Coprinus cinereus, a
Basidiomycete. The temperature and pH relations of three
strains of the fungus in pure culture are outlined and from
this, values for temperature and pH are suggested to give
optimal growth as measured by several methods. Also in
pure culture, the preferences for nitrogen sources and
carbon/nitrogen ratios are also studied.
Having studied the growth characteristics under sterile
conditions, the suggested optima were incorporated into a
non-sterile, wheat straw substrate. One of the strains was
selected and its growth and colonisation on this straw
substrate charted. Various aspects of such growth are
then described.

Date of Award	1976
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Aston University