Study on the Preservation of Basidiospores and Tissues of Agaricus Campestris

Abstract

Comparative studies were made on the viability of basidiospores and tissue of Agaricus campestris stored at –4, –2, 0, 5, 15 and 25°C and at room temperature under vacuum- drying conditions. Spores stored at different temperatures, except those not placed in vacumm-drying tubes, all had retained germinability after one year's storage. A shorter storage period, however, was obtained with mushroom tissue. The tissue, when stored at –2 and –4°C, was still viable after one month, but lost its viability after one month at 0, 5, 15 and 25°C and at room temperature. Those tissues not stored in a vacuum-drying tube retained their viability only for less than one week.