Zen & The Art of Mushroom Cultivation - 2022
- 1. ZEN & THE ART OF MUSHROOM CULTIVATION Colorado Psychedelic Convergence, Jan 29 2022 Jesse Noller, Founder & Scientist, The Humble Fungus
- 2. Founder, Scientist @ The Humble Fungus Ex programmer, distributed systems engineer, open source advocate. Founded Humble in Feb 2020 Now at 4 full time employees 5000 sqft facility - full lab, part machine shop, farm We are a science-based, data-driven company INTRODUCTIONS
- 4. WHY ZEN
- 5. THE CORE OF ZEN 1 2 3 Beginners Mind Non Duality Impermanence Practice life and all things with a beginners mind - drop your expectations and preconceived ideas about something, and seeing things with an open mind, fresh eyes, just like a beginner. Things are rarely binary, or "not one not two" - everything is not intertwined, and they are also not disconnected. Things may be interconnected while not being separate or the same. Anitya, the concept that all phenomena (all things and experiences) arise due to causes and conditions and are subject to change, decline and cessation.
- 7. THE AMOUNT OF DNA SHARED BETWEEN HUMANS AND FUNGI We're more closely related to Fungi than plants, and the same contaminates an pathogens that kill them kill us. Example: Fungicides. Over 50%
- 8. NEW FUNGI ARE DISCOVERED EVERY YEAR Only with modern advances in genetic sequencing, microscopy and other areas have we been able to "rediscover" kingdom fungi and their bacterial partners. Over 2000
- 9. WOULD NOT EXIST WITHOUT FUNGI Fungi (and bacteria) are why we have soil, plants, aren't buried in organic waste, animals, humans and basically all life on Earth Organic Life
- 10. IS A FUNGI The Humongous Fungus is estimated to be 8000 years old and spans over 2000 acres - and we know there are bigger, older ones under our feet and forests Largest living organism?
- 11. WE BARELY KNOW WHAT WE KNOW 1866 Protista added to Kingdoms of life. 1969 Kingdom Fungi added 1970 Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya 1998 6 Kingdoms are (re)defined - Bacteria, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia 1863 The term "Mycology" is coined by M.J. Berkley 2015 The 7 kingdom model is defined: Bacteria, Archaea, Protozoa, Chromista, Plantae, Fungi, Animalia. Bacteria is broken into Bacteria (Eubacteria) and Archaea (=Archaebacteria)
- 12. THE ZEN OF FUNGI
- 13. The world and nature are filled with magic and wonder, and science is the way we observe that magic.
- 14. Fungi are intelligent and want to live Nature abhors monocultures & stasis Fungi are (organic) chemistry all the way down Soil Science is Fungal Science Carbon & Nitrogen are mass Moisture & Oxygen are life Water without oxygen is death Fungi reject binary states
- 21. CLEANERS MUST DRY TO CLEAN Bleach, isopropyl, soapy water, hydrogen peroxide need time to work and should be allowed to dry. Isopropyl works by evaporating the moisture within cells, the faster it dries (eg, over 90%) the less effective it is!
- 22. USE BLEACH FIRST Bleach (1 cup to 5 gallons of water) is probably the best cleaner available to us. It attacks and destroys the protein structure of organisms such as viruses, bacteria and fungi. But it has to dry / sit for a minimum of 10 minutes.
- 23. USE ISOPROPYL SECOND Isopropyl evaporates the moisture inside the cells of bacteria, fungi and viruses, but in order for it to work it must be allowed to dry; and isopropyl over 70% evaporate too quickly to be effective.
- 24. AIR IS THE ENEMY, LONG LIVE AIR The air in your space is your number one enemy, bacterial & fungal spores and contaminates are microscopic and every breath we breath contains potentially thousands of different spores. Filter (HEPA) all air, change furnace filters, block vents, add home HEPA filters. But never, ever, ever leave the space without intake and exhaust.
- 25. STERILE IS STERILE If you sterilize your tools, grains, agar, liquid cultures, etc - they should remain sterile. Always take one or more of an item and set in a warm, dark place and wait. If it goes bad on the shelf without inoculation? Its your technique (unless your space is filthy, then good luck)
- 26. LESS IS MORE Contaminates love extra "stuff" in environments - extra nutrition/supplements, extra moisture, high temperatures, high CO2, low oxygen. Always err on the low side. Lots of substrate contamination? Drop supplementation and moisture levels.
- 27. GENES & CULTURES The Zen of
- 28. FUNGI ARE INTELLIGENT, AND HAVE MEMORY Fungi memorize the shape of molecules they encounter and consume, and if they encounter something new, they will learn how to consume the new material given time - and that genetic memory persists.
- 29. CULTURES ARE TRAINING YOUR FUNGI The media you use directly influences the enzyme stomach of the Fungi, if you use a source that is the same as say, your main substrate amendment in your agar or liquid cultures the fungi remembers that.
- 31. GROWTH IS ACCESS OPTIMIZATION A 360 degree sphere is the most efficient way for a fungi to discover the molecules it needs. As it progresses further out from the start of growth it will specialize to transfer water, oxygen and nutrition more effectively. Once hyphae specialize, they've adapted (or remembered) the nutrient mix and will start early optimization.
- 33. FUNGI EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY A single mated spore pair has the genetic potential to rebuild the entire species - one colonized agar plate can make hundreds more. A quart of liquid culture can inoculate 95 grain bags. 95 grain bags can make 285+ fruiting blocks Use this to your advantage.
- 34. MYCELIAL GROWTH DOES NOT INDICATE FRUIT Sectoring, isolations, etc should look at adaptive traits and specialization - for example a freshly germinated spore colony producing rhizomorphic growth day one. Or speed of growth, or sectors that generate primordia or pins early But none of this indicates yield, disease resistance, etc.
- 36. NATURE ABHORS A MONOCULTURE A fungus' natural state is one of genetic flux - a single tissue sample from a mushroom stem can present multiple distinct genetic lines, and thats a clone! In fact, as you move "up" a mushroom, the diversity lessens - the base of a cluster contains the lines of that entire cluster.
- 38. OVER AND OVER AGAIN Generations are key - straight tissue clones/etc omit sexual reproduction! Fruiting bodies show you growth, yield, etc and collecting their spores "re- concentrates" those traits Fruit This is the identification of a "mostly isolated" sector of desireable or distinct growth. Once selected you fruit to see if it's worthwhile. Phenotype isolation Spores determine sex, but they have a sex, so like humans and animals, sexual reproduction is critical. Spore Germinating / mating the spores presents a new fungus with many possible genetic lines, and the memory of the nutrients etc are retained. Germinate/Colony
- 40. LESS IS MORE Contaminates love extra "stuff" in environments - extra nutrition/supplements, extra moisture, high temperatures, high CO2, low oxygen. Always err on the low side. Fungi can grow on pure agar and water! Plate and LC contamination? Check your sterilization technique, and then start reducing amendments.
- 41. CARBON & NITROGEN ARE MASS Fungi exist to decay organic matter, which just so happens to be carbon based - pure carbon (even oil) is what the fungi use to grow their hyphae and fruit bodies - Carbon mass is hyphal mass. Nitrogen provides the fungi with the energy needed to consume the carbon.
- 42. ANTIBIOTICS ARE ALMOST NEVER THE WAY Antibiotic overuse and misuse is one of the reasons we have antibiotic resistant bacteria, using this in your lab and grow is an easy way to build your own little powerful strain of death. Use H202, Carbon, remove nutrients.
- 43. FUNGI GET BORED Fungi exposed to the same nutrition sources over and over (through transfers, grain to grain, etc) will get bored and slow down and even die. Limit the number of transfers you do from the original fungi or regularly change the nutrition in the media (agar, lc or grain for example)
- 44. RECIPES All recipes are for 1 liter of agar, sterilize 30 minutes @ 15psi 15g agar-agar 20g Light Malt Extract 1 Liter water Malt Extract 15g agar-agar 20g Potato Dextrose 1 Liter water Potato-Dextrose 15g agar-agar 20g Sorghum Syrup 1 Liter water Sorghum 2% by volume H202 1g peptones 4g activated carbon 1g yeast Glitter Mixins 2% by volume H202 1g peptones 4g activated carbon 1g yeast Glitter Mixins 2% by volume H202 1g peptones 4g activated carbon 1g yeast Glitter Mixins
- 45. RECIPES All recipes are for 1 quart of Liquid Culture, sterilize 30 minutes @ 15psi 20g Light Malt Extract 1 Quart water Malt Extract 20g Potato Dextrose 1 Liter water Potato-Dextrose 20g Sorghum Syrup 1 Liter water Sorghum Honey Karo Molasses Or use...
- 46. GRAIN SPAWN The Zen of
- 47. ALL GRAINS ARE GOOD GRAINS Fungi don't care what you're growing them on as long as the basic building blocks of life are there. Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Moisture - that's it. Some grains are better in terms of labor, cost and surface are but they all work.
- 48. CHEMICALS! Ash Fat Proteins Starch Dietary Fiber Arabinoxylans B-Glucan Cellulose Lignin Fructan Rye composition Ash Fat Proteins Starch Fiber Cellulose Lignin Hemicellulose Silica Millet Composition Ash Fat Proteins Starch Fiber Cellulose Lignin Hemicellulose Whole Oats
- 49. AVAILABILITY & COST These are your primary factors - able to get bulk oats for $1 for 500lbs? Use oats! You will use tons of grain, and the perfect grain is the one that works for you, it has to be cheap and easy to get.
- 50. LABOR WILL KILL YOU If you can get 500lbs of oats for $1, but it requires soak, simmer and dry-time while the millet next door is $10 for 500lbs and doesn't. Labor is your primary cost, period.
- 51. YOU DON'T NEED A SOAK, SIMMER OR DRY Many common grains used in cultivation can all be done with no-soak, no- simmer approaches. There is zero need to soak, rinse, etc as contaminates are a result of your sterilization and inoculation technique. Extend your sterilization time. Fungi will happily consume garbage and crude oil. They don't care about millet chaff or lint.
- 52. RECIPES 3lbs bag ratios, sterilize 2.5 hours at 15psi (16@elevation) 1000g Millet 500g Water Whole Millet 1000g Whole Oats 400g Water Whole Oats 1000g Rye Berries 650-700g Water Rye Berry 40% Hydration 65-70% Hydration 50% Hydration
- 55. STERILIZATION IS TIME, NOT TEMP. You can sterilize grains in a moist oven, you can do it in an instant pot, a microwave. You can build a pasteurizer that runs for 36 hours or get a pressure cooker.
- 56. SPEED Grain surface area directly correlates to the speed of substrate colonization. Compact grains such as millet or milo have the most surface area by weight. Agar to grain < LC to grain < grain to grain. Break and shake your spawn bags at 10-15% and again at 50% colonization.
- 58. CARBON IS MASS Lignin, hemicellulose and cellulose are what trees and plants are made from - only fungi consume lignin and convert it into hyphal (and therefore fruiting) mass. Coco coir - lignin, cellulose & hemicellulose Sawdust - lignin, cellulose & hemicellulose Millet, Rye, Oats - lignin, cellulose and hemicellulose
- 59. NITROGEN IS FUEL Nitrogen provides the energy required to break down the carbon. Cellulose is primarily sugars which is why fungi can consume pure sawdust as well. Nitrogen can be soy hulls, cow manure, coffee grounds, etc
- 60. OXYGEN IS LIFE Substrates must be airy - Fungi do not enjoy anaerobic conditions, and forest soil has air pockets, different sizes, shapes, pockets - the denser and more moist your substrate the higher your contamination and failure rate.
- 61. WATER IS CONSUMED FROM THE SUBSTRATE Not the air/space or misting. The fungus pulls the moisture directly from the substrate, when misting you are keeping the fruit body and fungus comfortable. As the moisture is consumed, the growth slows. Want more growth? Inject moisture into the substrate.
- 62. SOIL SCIENCE IS FUNGAL SCIENCE Soil science is clear - the chemical and mineral makeup of soil and soil horizons are well known, these are the natural habitats of fungi. Soil acidity directly impacts fungal growth (and contaminates). Soil is 50-80% mineral by volume - which is why fungi love azomite, gypsum, etc Flooded soil goes anaerobic and will kill all obligate anaerobes
- 63. SUBSTRATES ARE A HUGE FACTOR IN FRUITING Outside of the genetics of the fungi and adaptive traits it may have, substrates are one of the largest factors in cultivation - it will influence harvest, pinset, weight, potency, etc. You can grow on plain coco/vermiculite for example, but the difference is "can grow" and "grows fast and hardy".
- 64. FUNGI FARM BACTERIAL POPULATIONS Fungi and bacteria are constant companions - many fungi cultivate thier own bacterial populations, and fungi will bring the bacteria they require to thrive. The key is to add in an amendment (example, straw, manure) that acts like a bacterial "hook" and adds more nitrogen to the substrate. Manure is partially composted; Straw immediately begins decomposing, Worm castings, etc.
- 65. STERILIZATION IS THE WAY Substrate sterilization results in faster colonization, higher bio efficiency (yield) - less competition means more available mass to consume and the fungi are already going to farm the bacteria they want. As Fungi are operating at the molecular level, the minor breakdown of elements during sterilization does not impact them.
- 66. RECIPE - BY VOLUME Sterilize 2.5 hours at 15psi (16@elevation) 50% Partially hydrated (loose) coco-coir 40% Vermiculite 10% Gypsum Base Hydrated Lime for PH Azomite Crushed/Powdered shells Chalk Dust Minerals Straw Soy Hulls Wheat Bran Manure Worm Castings Coffee grounds Corn husks Amendments 50-60% Hydration - Field Capacity
- 68. ANYTHING THAT HOLDS MOISTURE AND ALLOWS LIGHT AND AIR IS A FRUITING CHAMBER Even clear garbage bags - you want to maintain a 75-80% RH and a temp range of 65-78/80 Air (oxygen) must be able to pass through.
- 69. SIMPLE IS BETTER Overly complex fruiting chambers / systems and those with a lot of moving parts tend to fail often, hide contamination (or bring new ones) and make it harder to debug what's going on.
- 70. ENVIRONMENTAL ISOLATION Isolating your environment correctly - and what you grow in is key. 2 smaller tubs is better than 1 big one 4 bags fit in the space of one tub 2 tents are better than one Contaminates generate spores too. Cross Contamination bad. Filter all air, clean weekly, humidifier bleach / dry weekly.
- 71. STASIS BAD A fungi's natural home has humidity, temp and other fluctuations, they are not in a static environment. Fluctuate your levels/use a range. Make sure you have filtered intake going into the space - fungi exhale CO2 and contamination loves dead, stale air and CO2. Too much ambient water pooling? Contamination.
- 72. FRUITING IS A SET OF TRIGGERS Light O2 vs CO2 Bacterial population(s) Temp Soil Acidity Time Soil Nutrients Plant/other pairings
- 73. THE SETUP Tent LED String Lights in 6500k range Low speed 6" fan, 6" ducting 6" inline filter Digital Light Timer RH monitor/controller Humidifier (Ultrasonic)
- 74. HOODIE TEK
- 78. THANK YOU! @humblefungus - insta @jessenoller - insta humblefungus.com youtube.com/c/TheHumbleFungus