42 Z. Du et al.

2.3.4 Conditions and Requirements for Growth

2.3.4.1 Nutritional Condition

Ganoderma is a cosmopolitan genus of white rot fungi of economic importance,

and some of the species are recognised as a potentially important source of lignin-
degrading enzymes which have been shown to selectively delignify wood.
Ganoderma can grow on rotten trees in broad-leaved and coniferous forests. In
wood-log cultivation, the necessary nutrients are obtained from the phloem and
xylem. In substitute cultivation, the carbon source mainly comes from the sawdust
of broad-leaved tree, cottonseed husk, corn cob and soybean straw, and the nitrogen
source from bran. The more reasonable ratio of main and auxiliary materials is of
great importance for the cultivation of Ganoderma with high yield and great qual-
ity [70].

2.3.4.2 Environmental Condition

Temperature
The hyphae of Ganoderma species can grow between 5 and 35 °C. Hyphae can
withstand low temperature of 0 °C, maintaining the lowest physiological activity,
but will stop growing and will return to normal growth when the temperature rises
to an appropriate level [104]. The optimum temperature for the growth of hyphae in
the matrix is 25–30 °C, and 24–26 °C is the suitable temperature for the germination
of basidiospore. Fruit body can differentiate between 24 and 28 °C and develop
normally at 25–30 °C. Intense temperature variations can cause pileus defor-
mity [70].
Moisture
Ganoderma species is a hygrophilous fungus. Relative humidity in air should be
maintained between 65% and 70% during the hyphae growth, which will prevent
the moisture in the matrix from evaporating. The relative humidity of air should be
maintained between 85% and 90% during the development and growth stages of
fruit bodies. If the relative humidity is less than 60%, serious evaporation of water
in the matrix and hyphae would cause water shortage and growth inhibition of fruit
body. If the relative humidity is lower than 45%, the growth of the hyphae would
stop and the young fruit bodies die. Besides, if the relative humidity is higher than
95%, the respiration of hyphae and fruit body would be blocked because of the
decreasing oxygen content in the air, resulting in hyphae autolysis and the fruit body
decaying to death.
The water content of the matrix should be 37%–40% in the wood-log cultivation.
In substitute cultivation, 60%–65% of the water content is suitable. When the water
content in the culture medium is higher than 80%, the low oxygen content easily
causes the death of the hyphae.
2 Classi cation, Biological Characteristics and Cultivations of Ganoderma 43

Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide

Ganoderma is an aerobic fungus. If the oxygen is insuf cient, the hyphae grow
slowly during the stage of the hypha growth. When hypoxia is serious, it stops
growing. Under natural conditions, the concentration of carbon dioxide in air is
0.03%, and the hyphae of Ganoderma could grow normally. Increasing the concen-
tration of carbon dioxide can promote the growth of hyphae, and the growth rate can
be accelerated by more than two to three times when the concentration of carbon
dioxide increases to 0.1%–10% [104]. The development of fruit bodies is sensitive
to carbon dioxide in the air. The suitable content of carbon dioxide in the air for the
differentiation and growth of fruit bodies is 0.03%–0.1%. When the concentration
of carbon dioxide is higher than normal, the shape of the fruit body will be affected,
the growth will be inhibited, and the stipe will become antler-like branches and may
even not form a fruit body.
Acidity and Alkalinity
Ganoderma species are suitable for acidic growth conditions. Hyphae can grow in
the range of pH 3–9, and the most suitable pH value for hypha growth is 4.5–5.2.
The growth rate of hyphae will slow down when pH is 8 and will stop growing when
pH is higher than 9. Under alkaline conditions, the solubility of inorganic ions such
as calcium ion and magnesium ion will increase, which can inhibit the activities of
various enzymes, synthesis of vitamins and normal metabolic activities.
Illumination
Ganoderma is a heterotrophic fungus, which cannot carry out photosynthesis. The
hyphae can grow normally under dark conditions. Blue and purple light in visible
light have obvious inhibitory effect on hypha growth. Ultraviolet radiation at
260–265 nm can destroy the RNA, DNA and nucleoprotein in hyphae, and the
hyphae can be killed by ultraviolet radiation about 30 min. Direct sunlight is harm-
ful to hyphae. The stronger the light is, the more harmful to hyphae. The red light at
570–920 nm is harmless to growth. The differentiation of the fruit body requires
induction of blue light (about 400–500 nm). In dark or weak light condition (illumi-
nation: 20–1000 lx), only stipe grows and no pileus forms. When the illumination
intensity reaches above 1500 lx, the bud grows fast and can form a normal pileus.
The stipe has phototaxis, and the light in one direction can promote the stipe to grow
in the direction of strong light and become too long. The growth of the basidium is
photophobic. Purple light and ultraviolet are harmful to its growth particularly, but
it needs to be induced by purple light when hyphae differentiate into basidium. Blue
and purple light are harmful to the development of basidiospore. During the cultiva-
tion process, the light around the mushroom shed should be as uniform as possible,
and the cultivation bags and wood logs should not be moved frequently to prevent
the pileus from deformity [70, 104].