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Light my fire

a through investigation on the photosensitivity of Psilocybe cubensis can be found in a master's thesis by E.R. Badham (1979). His work reinforces the conclusions of other researchers working with Basidiomycetes: more pinheads are initiated upon exposure to blue and ultra-violet light with distinct peaks at 370, 440 and 460 nanometers. Badham showed that light stimulation at these wavelengths for as little as half millisecond per day caused primordia to form. in contrast, red, infra-red and green light having wavelengths greater than 510 nanometers were ineffective.

with this knowledge, the cultivator of photosensitive species can develope initiation strategies incorporating the influence of light. Ideally a fully colonized substrate should be incubated in total darkness and exposed to light only after the mycelium first shows through the casing layer. If the cultivator wants to check the culture without the chance of premature pinning, red light is recommended.

the best type of light tube is one which most closely resembles natural outdoor light: i.e. one that has atleast 140 microwatts per 10 nanometer per lumen of blue spectra (440-495 nm).

this info was from "the mushroom cultivator"

[This message has been edited by sean1234 (edited May 29, 2000).]