IP Library › Granted Patent US 6,907,691
Granted Patent B2
US 6,907,691 · App. 10/180,690 · Granted Jun 21, 2005

Cultivation of morchella

Assignee: Stewart C. Miller
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 6,907,691
App. No.
10/180,690
Granted
Jun 21, 2005
Kind
B2
Abstract

A process for cultivating Morchella ascocarps using mycelium and a tree seedling, the tree seedling having a root system and a shoot system. The process includes the steps of inoculating the root system with the mycelium to produce an inoculated tree seedling; stimulating the mycelium to form sclerotia by severing the shoot system from the root system; and inducing the sclerotia to produce ascocarps by providing conditions conducive to the formation of ascocarps. Also, the growth of trees may be accelerated by inoculating the root system with the mycelium.

Claims (64)

1. A process for cultivating Morchella ascocarps using mycelium and a tree seedling, the tree seedling having a root system and a shoot system, the process comprising the steps of:

inoculating the root system with the mycelium to produce an inoculated tree seedling;

stimulating the mycelium to form sclerotia by distressing the inoculated tree seedling; and

inducing said sclerotia to produce ascocarps.

2. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of cultivating the mycelium by the steps of:

introducing spores onto a culture medium; and

incubating said spores until said spores produce the mycelium.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises:

introducing the root system of said tree seedling into said culture medium; and

incubating said culture medium until the mycelium has infected the root system.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises:

adding a planting medium on top of said culture medium;

placing at least one tree seed on top of said planting medium;

germinating said tree seed into the tree seedling; and

growing the tree seedling until the root system is infected with the mycelium.

5. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of cultivating mycelium by the steps of:

introducing a plurality of spores into a container of culture medium;

placing said container of culture medium in a planting medium;

covering said culture medium and said planting medium with a germinating medium; and

incubating said spores until said spores produce the mycelium.

6. The process of claim 5 wherein the step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises:

placing at least one tree seed in said germinating medium;

germinating said tree seed into the tree seedling; and

growing the tree seedling until the root system is infected with the mycelium.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of inoculating the root system comprises:

introducing spores onto a culture medium;

introducing a tree seed into a planting medium;

simultaneously incubating the spores and the tree seed until said spores produce the mycelium and the tree seed germinates into the tree seedling;

placing the tree seedling on the culture medium; and

incubating the culture medium until the mycelium has infected the root system.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises injecting the mycelium into the tree seedling.

9. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises grafting a portion of an infected tree seedling onto the tree seedling.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium comprises growing the tree seedling in close proximity to an infected tree.

11. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is an elm tree seedling.

12. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is an ash tree seedling.

13. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is an apple tree seedling.

14. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is an oak tree seedling.

15. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is a cherry tree seedling.

16. The process of claim 1 wherein the tree seedling is a peach tree seedling.

17. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of planting the inoculated tree seedling into the ground.

18. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of planting the inoculated tree seedling into containers.

19. The process of claim 1 further comprising the step of growing the inoculated tree seedling for at least one growing season.

20. The process of claim 18 further comprising the step of growing the inoculated tree seedling in said containers in a climate controlled environment.

21. The process of claim 20 where in said climate controlled environment includes the simulation of at least one growing season.

22. The process of claim 1 wherein said distressing the tree seedling comprises severing the shoot system from the root system.

23. The process of claim 1 wherein said distressing the tree seedling comprises defoliating the tree.

24. The process of claim 1 wherein said shoot system of said tree seedling comprises leaves and said distressing the tree seedling comprises smothering the leaves.

25. The process of claim 22 where in said step of stimulating the mycelium to form sclerotia further comprises allowing sclerotia to develop for at least one growing season after the severing of said shoot system.

26. The process of claim 1 wherein said step of inducing said sclerotia to produce ascocarps comprises providing conditions conducive to the formation of ascocarps.

27. The process of claim 26 wherein one of said conditions comprises temperatures in the range of about 18.3° C. (65° F.) to about 29.4° C. (85° F.).

28. The process of claim 26 wherein one of said conditions comprises providing sufficient water.

29. A process for cultivating Morchella ascocarps comprising the steps of:

cultivating Morchella mycelium;

inoculating a root system of a tree seedling with the mycelium to produce a symbiotic relationship between the tree seedling and the mycelium;

terminating the symbiotic relationship between the tree seedling and the mycelium to produce sclerotia; and

inducing the sclerotia to produce ascocarps.

30. The process of claim 29 wherein the tree seedling includes a shoot system and wherein said step of terminating the symbiotic relationship includes severing the shoot system from the root system.

31. The process of claim 29 wherein said step of terminating the symbiotic relationship includes defoliating the tree.

32. The process of claim 29 wherein the tree seedling includes leaves and wherein said step of terminating the symbiotic relationship includes smothering the leaves.

33. The process of claim 29 wherein said step of cultivating the mycelium includes introducing Morchella spores onto a culture medium; and incubating the spores until the spores produce the mycelium.

34. The process of claim 33 wherein said step of inoculating the root system with the mycelium includes introducing the root system of the tree seedling into the culture medium; and incubating the culture medium until the mycelium has infected the root system.

35. The process of claim 29 wherein said step of inducing said sclerotia to produce ascocarps comprises providing temperatures in the range of about 18.3° C. (65° F.) to about 29.4° C. (85° F.).

36. The process of claim 33 wherein said step of inducing said sclerotia to produce ascocarps further comprises providing sufficient amounts of water.

37. The process of claim 29 further comprising the step of growing the tree seedling in symbiotic relationship with the mycelium for at least one growing season.

Continuity (1)
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