Flammulina filiformis is a significant edible and medicinal fungus; however, its industrial expansion has been limited by traditional cultivation practices, highlighting an urgent need for resource-efficient and environmentally friendly alternative substrates. This study investigated the partial replacement of traditional substrates with Cenchrus fungigraminus. Utilizing the simplex-lattice method for optimization, we identified an optimal cultivation formulation, composed primarily of 20% C. fungigraminus and 28% corncobs. This formulation achieved a biological efficiency of 131.92% and enhanced the nutritional content of the fruiting bodies. Monitoring dynamic enzyme activity revealed that the yield was positively correlated with post-primordium cellulase activity, whereas mycelial growth was negatively correlated with cellulase activity during the vegetative stage. Transcriptomic analysis further indicated that key genes involved in carbohydrate metabolism and cellular processes were significantly upregulated in the optimized formulation. These results suggest that the addition of C. fungigraminus enhances nutrient conversion efficiency by regulating the expression of genes associated with carbon and nitrogen metabolism, ultimately leading to an approximately 15% increase in the biological efficiency of fruiting bodies, and a profit increase of 379.37 Chinese Yuan (CNY) per ton of cultivation substrate, demonstrating substantial economic benefits. In summary, this study provides a theoretical and technical foundation for cultivating F. filiformis using C. fungigraminus, contributing to the advancement of the industry toward resource conservation and environmental sustainability.
Huang et al. (2026) studied this question.