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Abstract: Mushroom growers all over the world, with a few exceptions, buy their spawn from about 50 spawn factories. These factories have accomplished a considerable amount of good work, finding several very satisfactory strains and collecting much empirical knowledge. They still seek to improve their spawns. Nevertheless scientific research on mushroom strains is in its infancy. With a few exceptions, represented by old and established—as well as by very young spawn laboratories—most of the spawn factories merely multiply their own strains, or the strains, they obtain from somewhere else. For extensive research, knowledge, time and money are usually wanting. The knowledge about the strains is almost entirely empirical, that is collected in the practice of commercial growing. Fundamental scientific characterization of the strains does not exist. The average grower has little idea about the variety he is cultivating and knows nothing about the constancy of the strains. He has hardly any knowledge about its particular requirements (especially in the field of its nutrition) nor about its cropping abilities. The spawn makers' knowledge is only a little better—and as said, only empirical. Therefore he has to remain either vague or secretive about his spawn. Publications are scarce due to the lack of sufficient research. It is in the field of strains and varieties only, that secrecy in mushroom growing still holds out. Since the First International Congress on Mushroom Science, twelve years ago, cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. However, if we want to proceed at the same rate, it is of paramount importance to learn more about the characteristics of the strains. This applies for the best old strains, as well as for the new ones that are—or will be— selected or eventually acquired by crossing or induced mutations. Our knowledge about the strains ought to be of the same order as that about potatoes, tomatoes, apples etc.
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