and yeah. it's an advanced culture media thing. i don't see what all the fuss is about unless you're working with truly massive amounts of mushrooms, and even then i don't see how it saves so much time, especially since there are some easier liquid mycelia techniques.

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this time, the revolution will NOT be televised.

[This message has been edited by sean123 (edited December 23, 1999).]

Check out a CD-ROM called, "How To Grow Shrooms" by Keeper at www.sporetradingpost.com/videoroom.htm

You can't go wrong!

Shane67

I'd like to hear more from someone who does it, though, and why they do it.

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Lancelot Link: Secret Chimp

The idea is that you are growing on a 2-dimensional plane (the agar surface) instead of a 3-dimensional substrate (PF cake, grain in jars, etc.) On the flat surface of the agar, contaminates cannot hide from you. As Link said, you can isolate clean mycelium from dirty prints. You can also clone fragments of tissue, do breeding experiments by isolating single spores and select and propogate specific isolates. Agar is also often used for the storage of favored strains. Just pop them in the frig for several months.

Agar culture is just a more powerful and precise way of doing things. If you like control, agar is for you. If not, just inject your spores and cross your fingers