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 hjalmar
chemist, autist
 
Registered: 10/27/04
Posts: 295
Loc: Belgica Secunda
Last seen: 1 year, 17 days
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 "acclimatising" (sub)tropical species to temperate weather conditions 
#6539382 - 02/07/07 06:48 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I've recently read in TMC that there are two varieties of Pleurotus ostreatus, the "cold weather" strain and the Florida strain (ex- Pleurotus floridanum Singer) , the former being adapted to temperate climate conditions and the latter to subtropical ones, hence fruiting in the late spring and summer in temperate regions.
The fact that these two strains -previously thought to be different species- do crossbreed, yet are adapted to such different climate conditions, made me wonder if a similar thing is possible with subtropical Psilocybe or Panaeolus species?
Maybe if one would make outdoor cultures of ps. cubensis in the late spring and during the summer of temperate zones, and propagating every time from the best looking, most hardy specimens? This is IIRC the way Stephen L. Peele created his "Polar" strain which was claimed to fruit at temperatures as low as 13-15°C. I have a old sample of spores of this but have repeatedly tried to germinate them w/out succes.. 
If one was to do this, maybe it is a good idea to start with a strain that was collected at the most extreme northern or southern border for ps. cubensis? South African or Australian would perhaps be a good idea?
Also, Stamets wrote in PMOTW that pan. cyanescens can be found in the Meditteranean region. According to "Worldwide distribution of neurotropic fungi" by Guzman, Allen & Gartz pan. cyanescens has been found in France, Austria, Switserland and apparantly even in the UK. Perhaps this species is an even better candidate to adapt to temperate zone outdoor culture?
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Noj
Student for Life
Registered: 11/27/06
Posts: 7
Last seen: 16 years, 5 months
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 Re: "acclimatising" (sub)tropical species to temperate weather conditions [Re: hjalmar]
#6544750 - 02/08/07 04:56 PM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Sounds like a good plan to me. These strains should be better suited to the temperate range than others.
I assume you would be using the spores from the most successful strains for propagation to encourage sexual reproduction, right? Sexual reproduction is the only way to create variation and mutations.
Noj
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hjalmar
chemist, autist
Registered: 10/27/04
Posts: 295
Loc: Belgica Secunda
Last seen: 1 year, 17 days
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Re: "acclimatising" (sub)tropical species to temperate weather conditions [Re: Noj]
#6556917 - 02/12/07 01:14 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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Indeed, that would be the idea. The spores from the most succesful strains would only be used, with a special considerance for the most cold-tolerant specimens.
This strain of ps. cubensis looks like a good one to start with:
http://www.fsre.nl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=144&Itemid=57
Quote:
The Tasmanian cubensis is a fantastic mushroom found by BIO on the island of Tasmania just below Australia. Tasmania is a state of Australia, sub-tropical, having 4 seasons. It tends to get very cold their at times, and as -Clyde- found out, this mushroom does very well in cold temperatures outdoors, -Clyde- did some work with the Tazmanian cubensis and was just estatic about this strain of cubensis.
He sais its extremely fast growing on compost, high yielding, and produces some very large capped beauties as you will see in the pictures. He also gave word people will be very pleased with the sensation within it provides. Its potency is a little above average for a cub. -Clyde- sais this is an extremly fast grower. At 80F temps, it colonized 10 lbs of compost in 5 days !! That is very fast. Most other fast strains he sais does it in around 10 days.
and:
http://www.view.com.au/weather/index.htm
Quote:
Tasmania is located at latitude 40° South, longitude 144° East, right in the pathway of the notorious "Roaring Forties" wind that encircles the globe.
By virtue that Tasmania is an island about the same size as Switzerland, the Irish Republic and West Virginia, surrounded by sea, the climate is a maritime one, rarely extremely hot or extremely cold.
The seasons are opposite to that of the Northern Hemisphere. Summer is from December to February when the average maximum temperature is 21° Celsius ( 70° Fahrenheit ). Winter is from June to August with an average maximum temperature of 12° Celsius ( 40° Fahrenheit ).
The annual rainfall varies from 626mm ( 24 inches ) in Hobart to 2400mm ( 95 inches ) on the west coast. The prevailing weather pattern is from west to east and creates a rain shadow in the same direction. The weather on the east coast is nearly always warmer and milder than the rest of the state. Rainfall is evenly distributed throughout the year. Hobart is Australia's second driest capital city after Adelaide.
Tasmania has four distinct seasons. Summer is warm with sunny days and mild evenings. The weather is more stable between the months of February and April, from mid summer to late autumn. Autumn provides the classical transition to winter with cool to frosty nights and clear cool days with deciduous trees displaying autumn colours and loosing leaves. Winter is characterised by sudden storms, shorter day light hours and snow on the higher peaks ( Mt Ossa 1617m / 5300 ft the highest ). Spring is the season shaking off winter with spring showers and new growth warming to summer.
I live in a cold temperate climate at 50°N. We have lots of rain the whole year through, to the frustration of many of my fellow countrymen. The coldest month is january with an average temperature of 2-4°C, and there can be peaks of -4°C at night. It used to be much colder but this is how the climate has been like the last 10 years here. Spring and autumn have the most rain with an average temp of 15°C. Summer is in the 20-30°C region with somewhat less rain.
I will order the Tasmanian strain today and start out outside in March.
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hjalmar
chemist, autist
Registered: 10/27/04
Posts: 295
Loc: Belgica Secunda
Last seen: 1 year, 17 days
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Re: "acclimatising" (sub)tropical species to temperate weather conditions [Re: hjalmar]
#6556936 - 02/12/07 01:18 AM (17 years, 2 months ago) |
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I already did a small experiment last november, by spraying cow patties with a very dark spore suspension of an Amazonian strain of cubensis. In another part of the field I inoculated rained-down cow patties with fully colonized mycelium on rye grains of the strain mentioned.
I don't have much hope for this, but will keep these parts of the pasture apart just in case something pops up.
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