Bundu Tek started actually with a mission to create grain spawn without PC [Pressure Canner/Autoclave], and actually engineered on making spawn. It ended up in cultivation method, without sterilization overheads, and 100% contamination free results for Oyster Mushroom Cultivation.
Intro to Bundu Tek
Unlike typical Hot or Cold Pasteurization where you cover your substrate with either hot water (typically above 60°C for two hours), or pH alkaline water [typically for 16-24 hours] and then drain it to ‘Field Capacity‘. In Bundu Tek you are using both methods, but more importantly you are only adding a specific quantity of water.
In Bundu Tek you are Super Pasteurizing your substrate to remove bad microbes and retain substrates natural selectivity. In Bundu Tek you also controlling the moisture content to prevent anaerobic conditions.
In Mushroom Cultivation we have now extensively tested and implemented Bundu Tek, and released BioACt – that contains Calcium, Sulphates and Starches in a self-sterilizing mixture. Consider this as hydroponic nutrients for mycelium…
Super Pasteurization
Credit goes to Milkwood for the original technique, which is a combination of hot and cold pasteurization, aka “Super Pasteurization”. The disadvantage of Hot Pasteurization (Pasteur), Cold Pasteurization (Aloha) or even the Super Pasteurization (Milkwood) Teks is that you are adding your substrate to an excess of water – and the draining the water till “Field Capacity”. This is a messy process with a lot of extra paraphernalia required, and space to do it, and dependent on substrate. Chopped straw and sawdust shavings is quite easy and drains well/quickly – but other substrates [Bran and Lucerne come to mind] become a soggy mess and don’t drain well. The result is excess water will pool at bottom of bag and give rise to anaerobic conditions and contamination will ensue as mycelium will not colonize this.
Enter Bundu Tek:
Originally Bundu TEK was initiated to try and make spawn without a pressure cooker, but working from the other end – Moisture content is crucial. From experience the following MC’s are applied for various substrates:
- Hardwood Fuel Pellets [HWFP] – 60%
- Straw Pellets – 69%
- Straw – 65%
- Grain, as used for spawn – 40 to 45%
- Coco Coir – 80%
- Vermiculite – 70% [depends on size grade]
- Feed Pellets – 60%
Bundu Tek eBook
We have made an eBook out of Bundu Tek with several topics:
- How to setup your mushroom farm
- Bundu Tek Mushroom Farm business Plan
- Several ‘Hacks’ than arose from Bundu Tek; including cold sterilization of plastic dishes, how to determine moisture content and applications, DIY Clean Space and Sterilizer instructions, etc.
- How to make BioACt.
Bundu Tek applications
Typically, Bundu Tek has been applied to Straw pellets and Oyster Mushrooms – but has been used on other substrates among others:
- Shiitake on straw – with supplemented spawn
- Pine Pellets with 15% Bran – HK-35
- 50% straw: 50% Eucalyptus – Reishii
- 50% Fermented Red Cypress : 50% Straw – White-, Grey Oyster & HK35
- Casing: 50% Coco Coir: 50% Vermiculite
- Casing/sub: 50% Straw: 50% Coco Coir
- CVB: Coco Coir, Vermiculite and BioACt. Use the same % BioACt as you used Gypsum in CVG.
Bundu Tek – Shiitake on straw
To grow Shiitake on straw is simple – once you know how. The secret is in the spawn, not necessarily culture, need to make supplemented spawn. Simplest recipe is to make your normal hydrated grain – can refer to Blog – and then add 10% by weight straw bran. If growing on wheat straw then use wheat bran, etc.
The straw substrate is prepared with Bundu Tek, in this case normal BOPP 3-pound long bags were used [Cellophane] and a Kenyan Filter. No extra aeration holes as per normal Oyster bags, due to length of colonization of substrate by Shiitake.
Bundu Notes:
As mentioned, I have been a bit of a cheat and could buy straw pellets, unfortunately the manufacturer/farmer closed down over Covid these operations. So I went back to the bales, then could only get oat straw… Which I prepared with normal hot/cold pasteurization methods. IE fill bucket with excess water and then afterwards drain… 100% failure. Well not trich, but bacterial contamination, this is due to excess water…
So inadvertently in Bundu Tek was working to a set methodology of a predetermined MC – typically 69% for the Straw Pellets. I made now bags again with Oat Straw and no contamination with a 65% MC. THIS is the main difference between Bundu Tek and the other Teks in that you adding a set mass [volume] of water determined by your original dry mass…
In unit terms:
- 1 kg of dry substrate material [anything from wood to straw]
- 2% [20g] of Calcium Hydroxide – or 4% BioACt.
- 1600 gram boiling water [up to 2000g for pellets]
- 3% spawn, on wet weight, or 7% based on dry weight.
If there is any residual moisture pooling at bottom of inoculated bags, then reduce the amount of water added until you find that ‘Sweet Spot’ of Field Capacity.
Mush Love… and Stay Safe!
