Progress in the cultivation of the edible mushroom Cookeina sulcipes

Para consultar el capítulo véase el libro con la clasificación 635.8 I58, en SIBE-Tapachula

Cookeina sulcipes is a mushroom that grows during the months of July to November in the southeast of Mexico, and is collected for consumption during that time by the peasants of the region. The natural rate of production on dead stumps of cocoa tree is estimated at 64.6 Kg/hectare/year. The chemical composition of this fungus gives an intermediate level of protein (20-25%), a low fat level (2.9%), good C:18 fatty acids, all essential amino acids, and carotenoids are present which give the characteristic red colour of this species. The cultivation of this fungus would provide an excellent alternative in the diet of local people, and it could also be grown as an ornamental fungus. The rate of mycelial growth is optimal at 70% humidity within the substrate, at a pH of 5-6.5, at a temperature of 27°C and in a substrate of sawdust from the wood of cocoa trees. It has not yet been possible to induce fructification artificially. However, in the laboratory it has been observed that diffuse white light, a high relative humidity and 70% water content of the substrate stimulates the development of fruiting bodies upon naturally-infected trunks. eng