MUSHROOM CULTURE AS AN IMPORTANT COMPONENT OF THE DIVERSIFIED ORGANIC AGRICULTURAL SYSTEM

Mushroom culture must be an integral part of the diversified organic farming system in the rural areas for the following significant reasons: 1. It will provide the farmers with delicious high quality foods rich in crude fibre, protein, minerals, vitamins and other extractable bioactive compounds that are known to strengthen the immune system and cure and prevent ailments such as diabetes, high blood pressure and cancer. 2. Mushroom crops are fast growing. Given the right conditions and requirements, harvests of paddy straw mushrooms (Volvariella species) are expected within 10 to 14 days from the time of spawning the substrate. Thus, the farmers will have sources of nutritious and delicious foods on their tables in a matter of days. 3. It will be an additional source of income for our farmers and has the potential to develop into a large industry due to its huge local and foreign market potential as a deliciously nutritious exotic food and as dietary supplement/nutriceutical. Large scale development can lead to the establishment of commercial mushroom farms and international marketing ventures and thereby create employment opportunities for the farmers and landless farm workers in rural areas.

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There is a whole year round availability of abundant waste materials in the countryside that can be utilized in mushroom growing such as rice straws, banana stalks, corn leaves, water hyacinth, sugar cane bagasse, coffee wastes, wild grasses, sawdusts, logs, and other lignocellulosic wastes which can usually be availed for free in rural areas. Composting of these wastes without producing mushrooms is a lost opportunity for food production and other valuable products and services. Mushroom growing is labour intensive. It can create new jobs and generate other complementary employment opportunities for women, youth and the huge landless labour force in the rural areas. The spent substrates which are biochemically modified by the mushroom enzymes into simpler and more digestible forms can be used as livestock feed supplements, as earthworm feeds in vermiculture, and as mulches and organic fertilizers. It can also be still reused as substrate for the other types of mushrooms. Mushrooms and other fungi play important roles in bioconversion and bioremediation of environmental adulterants and maintenance of balanced ecosystems. Mushroom mycelia are capable of filtering agricultural and industrial water runoff, decomposing hydrocarbon based contaminants such as petroleum products and pesticides, and removing heavy metals from soils and other substrates. They can even destroy biological and chemical warfare agents such as the VX, the potent nerve gas agent.

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Despite the economic and environmental importance and significance of the mushroom crops, the venture is not given due attention and priority in implementation by the appropriate government agencies even with the issuance of Memorandum Order No. 136 approving the 2004 Investment Priorities Plan wherein mushroom culture and processing are included in the priority lists to be encouraged. Up to now there is no comprehensive program for research and intensive skill training for mushroom growers to fast track its development despite the available researches and breakthroughs available from other countries that can be applied, replicated and tested locally. The promotion and expansion of markets to ensure the sustainability of the industry is likewise neglected. With the passing of Memorandum Order No. 299 approving the 2009 Investment Priorities Plan wherein the mushroom crop is again in the priority list, it is very important and imperative that we formulate a comprehensive program for the development of the mushroom industry. Until now, local fresh mushrooms are rare and scarce in Philippine markets whereas imported canned and dried mushrooms are common items in local supermarkets. Up to now, despite the abundance of raw materials and available large rural labour force for mushroom culture, our country is lagging behind and overtaken by many countries in mushroom production. In the Philippines, there are at present three types of fungal mushrooms that are viable for culturing and currently being cultivated in small scale. They are the paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella species), the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus species), and the Jews ear or taingang daga (Auricularia species). These three types of mushroom crops are included in the top 5 commercially cultivated

mushrooms in the world. Each of these fungal mushrooms has its own particular growing requirements though they are all tropical mushrooms that will grow well in the Philippines. Mushroom farming is a venture that requires accuracy. It is not a simple undertaking but on the contrary an elaborate one necessitating observance of precise procedures and requirements. An error in one step could translate into a crop failure. Temperature, humidity and light intensity are critical factors in mushroom production. The pH and composition of the substrate are aspects that need utmost attention. The quality of spawn is another critical factor that must be researched and developed. Although there are recognized general concepts and procedures in mushroom culture, the cultivation methods must be modified and adapted according to the prevailing climate, available resources, and socio-economic conditions of each locality. The various species of mushrooms have their own specific and unique attributes and different sets of requirements for growth. The tropical mushrooms such as the various species of straw and oyster mushrooms have different growing requirements from each other and from other mushrooms such as the champignon or species of Agaricus mushrooms which grow in temperate countries. Thus, there will be variations in growing methods due to diverse biological nature of the various types of mushrooms and the specific conditions of the farming community. Due to these considerations, comprehensive research and intensive training programs must be formulated and implemented with the support and funding from the government, educational research institutions, private mushroom business sectors and non-government organizations. A critical mass of mushroom culture scientists and growers must undergo training courses and workshops and then train others to promote and disseminate the necessary skills in mushroom growing. A detailed feasibility study of mushroom culture must be done to provide in-depth details of the venture and to determine if and how it can succeed. Potential problems must be identified and a cost-effective way to market the mushrooms must be conceived. Current market, potential buyers, competition, and future market potential must be considered in the study. The technical aspect of the study must be thoroughly scrutinized and its appropriateness must be ascertained. The study must be modified and adjusted in accordance with the particularities of the farming community. Through continuous painstaking research and with valuable lessons that will be gained in actual mushroom growing by the farmers themselves, knowledge in mushroom culture will incrementally be developed. This integration of the farmers knowledge and the introduced knowledge and breakthroughs made in research here and in other countries will facilitate and fast track the development of the mushroom industry in the Philippines.

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