• Journal of Mushroom
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.224-229
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• 2019

The two most common mushroom species grown in Korea are pearl oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) and king oyster mushroom (P. eryngii). In recent years, the production of king oyster mushroom greatly increased due to the automation of the cultivation facilities, and it became a major export mushroom owing to its excellent shelf life. However, the increase in the production of king oyster mushroom led to a decline in its market price; thus, necessitating the development of new mushroom species that could replace king oyster mushroom, to diversify the mushroom market for the benefit of both, the producers and the consumers. The Mushroom division at the National Institute of Horticultural & Herbal Science (NIHHS) reported the development of a new interspecific hybrid between P. ferulae and P. tuoliensis, referred to as 'Creamy.' Two parental strains KMCC00430 (Bisan2ho, P. ferulae) and KMCC00461 (P. tuoliensis) were selected based on the results of genetic resource analysis, and their monokaryons were collected. About 1,000 Mon-Mon crosses were performed and 73 of them were selected. Following repeated cultivation tests and strain analyses, we selected strain 7773, which had a bright creamy pileus and a thick straight stipe, and named it 'Creamy.' Optimum temperature for mycelial growth of Creamy was 25-30℃, and that for fruiting body growth was 16℃. The pileus, which had a brighter creamy color, was small in size with a diameter of 61.2 mm. Although it was cultivated in suboptimal conditions, such as low temperature and high CO₂ concentration, Creamy was characterized by its straight and smooth stipe. Field production tests and further analyses indicated that the yield of Creamy was 5% higher than that of Baekhwang. It is expected that Creamy, the new interspecific hybrid with a bright creamy pileus and a pleasant flavor, will help create new opportunities for mushroom farmers and diversify the mushroom market.