What is an incubated substrate?

A incubated substrate is a growing medium that has already been sown with mycelium of the desired mushroom and incubated for a certain period of time so that the mycelium has developed throughout the substrate. In simple terms, this is a "pre-cultured" substrate. Unlike a neutral substrate that the grower has to inoculate and then incubate on his site, the incubated substrate arrives at the customer's premises. settled (in part or in whole) by the fungus.

In practical terms, an incubated substrate often takes the form of packed compact block (micro-perforated plastic or bag). Inside, the mycelium of the fungus has already woven its white network into the substrate. Depending on the degree of incubation, the block may be completely white and ready to fruit immediately, or almost colonised (it will finish colonising in the days following delivery). This type of substrate is sometimes called Phase 3" substratePhase III" refers to compost that has been seeded and incubated, ready for production. For oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms and other speciesmore commonly referred to as incubated substrates or fruit-bearing bundles.

How is the substrate incubated (Manufacturing process)

The manufacture of a high-quality incubated substrate is based on a rigorous process in several stages, generally carried out by a specialist supplier in specially adapted facilities. Here are the main stages leading to an incubated substrate:

1. Preparing the raw substrate The first step is to prepare a basic mixture (chopped straw, sawdust, wheat bran, water, etc.) adapted to the target mushroom species. The ingredients are mixed according to a precise recipe to obtain a nutrient-balanced, properly moistened substrate.
2. Heat treatment This mixture is then pasteurised (most often) or sterilised, in order to eliminate most undesirable organisms. For example, at EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC, the substrate is pasteurised in a tunnel for 48 to 72 hours using steam, with computer control of the temperature steps. This step ensures that the substrate is healthy and 'clean' for the desired fungus.
3. Inoculation (seeding) Once the substrate has cooled to a suitable temperature (generally below 25°C), inoculation is carried out by introducing seed mycelium (also known as spawn, often grains seeded with mycelium) into the substrate. Incorporation takes place evenly, often using a mechanical system to distribute the grains of mycelium evenly throughout the mass of substrate. At EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC, this stage is carefully carried out using mycelium strains selected for their vigour.
4. Blocking and incubation The seeded substrate is packaged in blocks (e.g. rectangular plastic bags weighing around 12 to 15 kg). The bags are perforated or fitted with filters to allow the mycelium to breathe. These blocks are then placed in incubation chambers air-conditioned, at a temperature that is optimal for mycelium growth (often 25 to 30°C depending on the species). The level of light in the incubation chambers is adapted according to the species. Incubation lasts several weeks incubation time: between 2 and 8 weeks, depending on the mushroom grown. For example, an oyster mushroom will colonise its block in around 2 to 3 weeks, while a shiitake will require 5 to 6 weeks of incubation to fully impregnate the substrate and begin maturing.
5. Inspection and preparation for shipment During incubation, a daily check is carried out to remove any contaminated blocks (which will show mould of an undesirable colour, a sign of contamination). When the blocks have reached the desired level of colonisation (typically, the mycelium has invaded all or most of the substrate, and is beginning to form rhizomorph dots or primordias), they are ready to be shipped. Depending on your requirements, we can carry out certain operations such as open or perforate the bags to make it easier to remove the mushrooms once at the customer's premises, or on the contrary to leave the bags closed so that the customer can trigger the fruiting process himself.
6. Cold shipping To transport incubated substrates without them fructifying or suffering during the journey, they are placed in cold rooms (typically 2 to 4°C) and then in refrigerated lorries. The cold greatly slows down the metabolism of the mycelium and keeps it in a dormant vegetative phase. As a result, the incubated substrate arrives at the grower's premises costsready to start production as soon as it is brought back up to temperature and in growing conditions.

This process requires considerable know-how and dedicated infrastructure, which is why most incubated substrates are produced by a few specialist companies with pasteurisation tunnels, inoculation rooms and large-capacity incubation facilities.

The advantages of an incubated substrate for the grower

Opting for an incubated substrate rather than a conventional substrate that you have to seed yourself has a number of advantages benefits for the professional grower :

• Considerable time savings : This is undoubtedly the number one advantage. By receiving a substrate that has already been colonised, you can save weeks of incubation initials. All that's left is to trigger fruiting. For example, if you produce oyster mushrooms, instead of waiting ~3 to 4 weeks (preparation + incubation) before seeing your first primordias, an incubated substrate will give you mushrooms in around ten days. This means you can more crop cycles per year on the same installation, thereby increasing annual production.
• Health safety and loss reduction Incubation is a risky phase where contamination (green mould, bacteria, etc.) can destroy the substrate. By buying incubated substrate from a reliable supplier, you delegate this critical phase. The blocks you receive have been checked, and any contamination eliminated beforehand. So your loss rate is much lower. You don't have to manage the disposal of contaminated substrates (which is costly and time-consuming) because, statistically, these cases remain marginal with an expert supplier who masters hygiene.
• Ease and simplification of the process Using an incubated substrate simplifies your work. There's no need for an autoclave or pasteuriser, no need to handle grain mycelium, no need to monitor the incubation rooms on a daily basis... You get a product that is... turnkey. All you have to do is install it in your growing room, set the right environmental parameters and wait for the harvest. This simplicity can enable farms to start producing mushrooms without too heavy an initial investment in preparation infrastructure.
• Optimised yields The incubated substrates supplied by specialists are formulated to give the best of themselves. The supplier has chosen the most productive variety of mycelium, optimised the substrate, and conducted the incubation to the ideal point to induce fruiting. The result? A generous volleys and regular. Typically, a good incubated oyster mushroom or shiitake substrate will give a first wave of harvest representing 50 to 70 % of the weight of the block, which is difficult to achieve consistently with a home-made substrate.
• Predictability and easy planning : With incubated substrate, you can plan your production much more precisely. Because the time between receiving the substrate and harvesting is short and known, it's easy to stagger the arrival of incubated substrates for staggered harvests. For example, by having batches of incubated substrates delivered every week, you can organise staggered production where each week a new room fructifies while the other is harvested, etc. This regular rhythm would be more complex to maintain if you had to manage incubations of varying lengths yourself.
• Fewer specialised skills required in-house Growing mushrooms can be technical. By lightening the incubation/seeding part, the incubated substrate reduces the need for advanced mycological skills on the part of the grower. Of course, you still need know-how for fruiting (controlling temperature, humidity, ventilation, etc.), but you don't need to be an expert in microbiology or composting. The supplier takes care of these aspects, and can also provide you with technical support.

In short, the incubated substrate provides speed, reliability and performance. It is particularly well suited to modern professional farms that want to make the most of every square metre of cultivation space and supply their customers with quality mushrooms on a regular basis.

How do I use an incubated substrate?

Using an incubated substrate is relatively straightforward, but to get the most out of it, a few good practices are essential:

• Reception and storage When the delivery arrives, it is advisable to check the condition of the blocks. They should be firm, well colonised (generally white in colour due to the mycelium) and free of any unpleasant odours (a slight mushroom or undergrowth smell is normal). It is also important to measure the temperature of the blocks when they arrive. If you don't start growing immediately, store the incubated substrates in a cold room at between 2°C and 5°C. At this temperature, the mycelium remains stable. But don't wait too long: ideally, you shouldn't keep an incubated substrate in the cold for more than 1 or 2 weeks, so that it retains its full production potential.
• Installation in the grow room When you're ready to start fruiting, take the blocks out of the cold and place them in your grow room. On pasteurised substrate, the plastic surrounding the perforated blocks is retained on the oyster and pholiote varieties: the mushrooms grow naturally through the holes. For shiitake, the plastic should be kept around the block for 24 hours, then removed completely. For sterile substrates, produced in Europe in small plastic bags, simply open the top of the bag and the mushrooms grow from the top. Within a few hours, the mycelium will 'wake up' as the temperature rises.
• Fruiting parameters : Each species has optimal conditions for triggering fruiting. Generally speaking, this involves a temperature above 16°C, high relative humidity, some air renewal to lower the CO₂ and often a small amount of light. For example, for oyster mushrooms, we would aim for a temperature of around 18 to 20°C and 90 % humidity, with fresh air and a little natural or artificial light. With an incubated substrate, these conditions will rapidly induce the formation of primordias (small mushroom buds) on the surface of the block, often within 3 to 5 days.
• First harvest Mushrooms: Within a week or so of planting, the mushrooms will have grown and are ready to be harvested. The first harvest is generally the most abundant. You need to harvest at the right time (when the caps are at their best, for example, with the edges of the oyster mushrooms just rounded downwards). Harvest gently, taking care not to damage the substrate too much.
• Culture suites After the first flush, the incubated substrate can often produce one or two more flushes. Keep the blocks in place and continue to supply water and fresh air. The second flush will arrive after some rest (often 1 to 2 weeks after the first, depending on the species). Note that the size and quantity of mushrooms in the 2nd flush will generally be smaller than in the first, as the substrate is partially depleted. Many growers choose to do only 1 or 2 flushes maximum with oyster mushroom incubated substrates, as the time/production ratio becomes less advantageous towards the end. The exhausted blocks can then be removed and used as agricultural compost, for example.

By applying these principles, an incubated substrate will give you complete satisfaction: cultivation becomes almost a matter of a few minutes. plug-and-play processwhere the grower's attention is focused on the microclimate of the growing room and the harvest, rather than on preparing the substrate itself.

EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC: your incubated substrate expert

EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC has built its reputation on its expertise in incubated substrates for exotic mushrooms. When you call on EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC for your incubated substrates, you benefit from the experience of a European leader in this field and from all the advantages that this brings:

• Unique expertise : With 30 years' experience in the sector, EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC is a forerunner in incubated substrates. We have perfected our processes for different mushrooms (oyster mushroom, shiitake, pholiote, etc.), optimising every parameter, from the substrate recipe to the incubation conditions. This know-how has resulted in reliable, productive substrates that have been acclaimed by many growers in France and around the world.
• Multi-species incubated substrates : We offer incubated substrates for several species of fungi lignivores of great value. Our range includes, for example: grey oyster mushroom substrates (several different strains available, to suit your conditions or performance preferences), yellow and pink oyster mushroom substrates (to diversify your range with coloured mushrooms), incubated substrate of shiitake (to produce this highly prized Asian mushroom, with strains selected for their yield and field quality), as well as substrate for pholiote (a mushroom with a fine texture and flavour, still uncommon on the market - a differentiating asset). All these substrates can be supplied in conventional or organicaccording to your needs and specifications.
• Consistent, controlled quality Our facilities in Callac (Brittany) are designed for large-scale production of incubated substrates, while guaranteeing artisanal quality in each block. We use mainly French raw materials, a computerised pasteurisation process, and we work with leading mycelium laboratories (Amycel, Sylvan, Mycelia...) to ensure we have vigorous seeds. Each batch of substrate leaving incubation is checked: colonisation rate, humidity, absence of contaminants, everything is checked before dispatch. So you can be sure of the consistency of our products.
• High performance for our customers Our B2B customers' feedback confirms the effectiveness of our incubated substrates. In particular, they appreciate the speed with which we can start production (first mushrooms in less than 10 days after receipt) and the high efficiency obtained on the first flock. For example, an incubated substrate of grey oyster mushroom EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC typically produces 3 kg of fresh mushrooms per block on the first harvest (variable depending on the size of the block and the strain, but this is a common order of magnitude observed). This performance, which is stable from one batch to the next, allows producers to plan their marketing calmly.
• Tailor-made delivery, anywhere in the world We're used to shipping half our production outside France, so we know how to manage the international logistics of incubated substrates. Whether you're in Europe or beyond, we'll make sure your substrates arrive in the best possible condition. Our blocks are packed on pallets (standard 80 blocks per pallet, size ~1×1.2 m) and travel under controlled temperatures. We work with you to define a delivery schedule that fits in with your growing schedule. Our flexibility means we can tailor production to meet your needs: do you need X tonnes of incubated substrate per month, delivered in 4 batches? We'll set up this rhythm. Would you like to test a small quantity first? We can also organise a pilot shipment, before scaling up.
• Support and advice included Choosing EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC also means you can be sure of technical partner available. Our team knows our substrates and the associated growing conditions inside out. If you have any questions, you'll always find a competent contact to answer them - whether it's to fine-tune the settings in your grow rooms, to understand a phenomenon observed on your blocks, or to plan together the introduction of a new variety into your production. We firmly believe that the success of our substrates is measured by the success of our customers, which is why we invest time in supporting them.

On the road to accelerated, controlled production

By choosing EUROSUBSTRAT CALLAC incubated substrates, you are making the choice of accelerated production without compromising on quality. Whether you're an established producer looking to increase your volume or a newcomer to professional myciculture, the incubated substrate will give you a definite advantage: the ability to harvest quickly, well and predictably.

All you have to do is tell us about your plans: volumes required, species you want to grow, special requirements (organic certification, specific block sizing, etc.). Contact our team to discuss the best incubated substrate solution for your operation. Together, let's make your mushroom farm grow!