Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella Ag.

spp.) Technologies.
Mushroom
Cultivation
Introduction
Area and Distribution
Method of cultivation
Pasteurization
Compost Preparation
Spawning
Crop management after
spawning
Harvesting

Introduction
Volvariella volvacea Sing., the straw mushroom, or paddy straw
mushroom is the most popular mushroom in Southeast Asia. . V.diplasia
is white while V.Volvacea is blackish. V.bombycina differs from the
cultivated V.volvacea in terms of habitat as well as colour.
Area and distribution
The cultivation started in China almost three hundred years ago. Several
species of Volvariella have been grown for food. V.bombycina Sing. And
V.diplasia (Berk & Br.) Sing, have been cultivated in India.
Method of cultivation
Volvariella volvacea thrives in a temperature range of 28 to 360 C and
relative humidity of 75-85% is required. In a modified method of
cultivation bundled substrates (rice straw, banana leaves or water
hyacinth), prepared in the same way as those used for beds, are soaked
in water, drained, then packed (layered) in the wooden frames. Spawn
is mixed in with each layer as the frame is packed or filled. The spawned
substrate in the boxes may be placed in a specially built incubation room
 with a high temperature (35 to 380 C) and high relative humidity (at
least 75%), or it may be covered with plastic sheets and placed under
shade outdoors.
Pasteurization
For pasteurization, live steam (pressurized and over 100 0 C) is
introduced into the mushroom house. Within 2 hours, the air
temperature e rises to about 60 to 62 0 C, which is maintained for
another 2 hours. The temperature is then gradually lowered to about to
about 520 C by a gentle stream of fresh air. The temperature during the
next 8 hours is maintained at 50 TO 52 0 C by a continuous fresh air
supply.
Compost preparation
It should contain the necessary nutrients, released from the raw
compost materials during fermentation. Through composting, a mixture
of rich organic materials is converted into a selective medium suitable
for the growth of the desired mushroom but less suitable for competing
organisms. After the Two stages of fermentation, the compost becomes
a selective substrate.
Spawning
For spawning, the air temperature is cooled to 35 0C and the bed
temperature to about 36 to 380 C The amount of spawn to be used is
calculated at 1.4% (dry weight) or (wet weight) of the compost.
Crop management after spawning
The optimum temperature for growth of Pleurotus spp. is 23 + - 20 C.
Relative humidity in growing room should range from 85-90% during
spawn-run.
Harvesting
On fifth day after spawning, mushroom primordia usually appear on
the surface of the beds. Four to five days later, the first flush of
mushroom is ready for harvest. The first crop of mushroom is usually
harvested 10 days after planting the spawn. Volvariella is best
harvested at the button (egg-shaped) stage when the volva or the
universal veil has not broken. In general, rice straw alone gives lower
yields than when it is used in combination with cotton waste. Rice
straw is also more prone to a mushroom contaminant called Coprinus,
which thrives at a slightly higher temperature (400 C) the Vovlariella.
Coprinus popularly called ink caps, also has a higher nitrogen
substances so that, when the substrate is supplemented with nitrogen
substances such as urea,coprinus out compete Vovlariella. A yield for
outdoor beds ranges form 10 to 20% B.E. while indoor beds of cotton
waste may yield as high as 50% B.E.
Technology for Mushroom Cultivation
02 July 2012
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How to grow mushroom

Mushroom cultivation is increasingly becoming popular because it not only meets the dietry
requirements but also adds to the income, especially of growers with insufficient land. It is
considered to be a very rewarding and fascinating hobby for the retired persons as well as house-
wives who can grow mushrooms in small boxes or other containers while attending to household
chores. Today, mushroom cultivation faces less difficulties provided the grower will follow
simple rules of growing.
It is really amazing that a small quantity of spawn when planted in suitable growing medium can,
within almost six weeks, grow into a highly profitable crop inside a room, where no other crop
would grow. Moreover, mushrooms have more uses in modern culinary cuisine than any other
food crop. Mushroom cultivation is carried out indoor in any room, shed, basement, garage, etc.
which should be well ventilated. However, paddy straw mushroom can be grown outside in
shady places also.

Of the many mushrooms only three kinds namely button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), straw
mushroom (Voluariella uoluacea) and oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju) are suitable for
cultivation in India.
Button mushroom is grown in winter. The most suitable temperature for the spread of the
mycelium is 24-25C, while 16-18C is essential for the formation of fruit bodies.Higher
temperature is harmful and low temperature retards the development of both mushroom
mycelium and fruit bodies.
Paddy straw mushroom can be grown around 35C. Temperature should not go below 30C or
above 40C for more than 4-8 hours during growing period. In northern India it can be grown
from April to September but the most suitable period is from middle of June to middle of
September.

Dhingri (oyster mushroom) grows best between 22-28c. It is grown in northern plains from
October to March.

The methods of cultivation of these three mushrooms are given separately.

BUTTON MUSHROOM
The cultivated mushroom is grown on special composts, which are of the following two types,
synthetic and natural.

Composting yard

The compost should be prepared on well cleaned concrete or pucca floor, which should be at a
higher level so that the run-off water does not collect near the heap.Composting is usually done
in the open, but it has to be protected from rain by covering it with polythene sheet. It can also be
done in a shed with open sides or a large room to shelter it from rain.

1. Synthetic compost

The following ingredients are required for 15-16 trays of size 100cmx50cmx15cm:-

Wheat straw (chopped 8-20cm long)-250kg, Wheat/rice bran-20kg, Ammonium

sulphate/calcium ammonium nitrate-3 kg, Urea-3kg, Gypsum-20kg

The straw is uniformly spread over the compo sting yard in a thin layer and wetted thoroughly by
sprinkling water. All ingredients such as wheat bran, fertilizers, etc. except gypsum, are mixed
thoroughly in the wetted straw, which is finally heaped into a pile. The pile, 1m high, 1m wide
and length adjustable, can be made with hand or stack mould. The straw should be firmly but not
compactly compressed into the mould.

It is essential to open the entire pile and remake it a number of times according to the following
schedule:

Mixing of material and making pile - 0 day

1st turning - 4th day

2nd turning - 8th day

3rd turning - 12th day, add 10 kg gypsum

4th turning - 16th day, add 10 kg gypsum

Final turning - 20th day, spray 10 ml Malathion in 5 litre water (any other available pesticide like
DOT, BHC, lindane can also be used)

At each turning water should be sprinkled to make up the loss of water due to evaporation. If it is
desired to add molasses, then 10 kg molasses diluted 20 times with water should be poured over
the straw mixture during the first turning. Sixty kg chicken manure, if available, can also be
added at the time of start of pile.

2. Natural compost

The following ingredients are required for 15-16 trays of size 100cmx50cmx15cm:-

Horse dung-1000kg, Chopped wheat straw-300 to 350kg, Gypsum-25kg Poultry manure-100 to

110kg (or 3kg urea).

It is prepared from pure horse dung (dung of other animals should not be admixed), which must
be freshly collected and should not have been exposed to rain. Chopped wheat straw is mixed
with horse dung, urea or poultry manure. The mixture is uniformly spread over the compo sting
yard and water is sprinkled over it so that the straw becomes sufficiently wet. The manure is then
heaped in a pile as for synthetic compost. After 3 days when the manure in the heap gets heated
up due to fermentation and gives off an odour of ammonia it is opened. The process is repeated 3
or 4 times after an interval of 3-4 days. Twenty five kg gypsum per tonne is added in two
instalments at the 3rd and 4th turning. At the final turning 10 ml malathion diluted in 5 litres of
water is sprayed into the manure.

Compost Filling in trays:

The compost when ready for fil1ing and spawning has a dark brown colour and no trace of
ammonia. There is no unpleasant odour but it smells like fresh hay. The pH is neutral or near
neutral. The compost should not be too dry or too wet at the time of filling in the trays, which
can be determined by the palm test. For this purpose a small quantity of compost is taken into the
hand and pressed lightly, if a few drops of water ooze out of the fingers then it is of right
consistency. If relatively dry then the water should be made up by sprinkling. If too wet, the
excess water should be allowed to evaporate. The prepared compost is now filled in trays, which
may be of any convenient size but depth should be 15-18 cm. A standard size of tray is 100 cm x
50 cm x 15 cm. The trays should be made of soft wood and provided with the pegs at the four
corners so that they can be stacked one over the other leaving sufficient space (15 cm) between
the two trays for various operations. The trays are completely filled with the compost, lightly
compressed and the surface levelled.

Spawning

Spawning means sowing the beds with the mycelium (spawn) of the mushroom. Spawn can be
obtained from Mushroom Laboratory, Y. S. Parmar University, Chambaghat, Solan; National
Mushroom Research and Training Centre, Chambaghat, Solan (H.P.) at a nominal cost. Small
quantity of spawn is also available from the Division of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Indian
Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

The grain spawn is scattered on the surface of the tray bed which is covered with a thin layer of
compost. Spawning can also be done by mixing the spawn with compost before filling it in trays.
Five hundred gram spawn is sufficient for five trays of standard size. After spawning, the
compost surface is covered with old newspaper sheets, which are wetted by sprinkling water to
provide humidity but no water is directly added to the compost during spawn running.

The trays after spawning are stacked vertically one over the other in 4-5 tiers. One metre clear
space may be left in between the top tray and ceiling. There should be about 15-20 cm space
between the two trays.

The room should be maintained around 25c. The humidity should be built up by frequently
watering the floor and walls. The room may be kept closed as no fresh air is needed during the
spawn run. White cottony mycelium spreads and permeates through the compost. Eventually the
compost surface gets covered with the mycelium. It takes 12-15 days for complete spawn run.
Low temperature prolongs the spread of the mycelium.

Casing

After the spawn run is complete as is evident by white cottony growth, the surface of the
compost is covered with 3 em layer of casing soil. A suitable casing soil can be prepared by
mixing equal parts of well rotten cowdung (finely crushed and coarsely sieved) and garden soil.
The casing material should possess high water holding capacity, good pore space and pH should
not be lower than 7.4. The casing material is sterilized to kill insects, nematodes and molds.
Sterilization can be accomplished either by steaming or by treating with formalin solution. For
one cubic metre of casing soil, hqlf litre for formalin (40%) diluted with 10 litre of water is
sufficient. The casing soil is spread over a plastic sheet and treated with formalin by sprinkling.
The treated soil is piled up in a heap and covered with another plastic sheet for 48 hours. The soil
is turned frequently for about a week to remove all traces of formalin which can be tested by
smelling. After casing, the temperature of the room is maintained at 25C for further three days,
after which it must be lowered to below 18C. At this stage lot of fresh air is needed and,
therefore, the growing room should be ventilated by opening windows etc.

Cropping and HalVesting

The first flush of the pin heads become visible 15-20 days after casing or 35-40 days after
spawning. Small white buttons develop 5-6 days after pin head stage. The right stage of harvest
is when the caps are still tight over the short stem. In case the buttons are allowed to mature
further, the membrane below the cap will rupture and the cap will open up in umbrella-like
shape. Such mushrooms are considered to be inferior. Harvesting is done by holding the cap with
forefingers slightly pressed against the soil and twisting it off. The soil particles and mycelial
threads clinging to the base of the stalk are chopped off. Mushroom can also be harvested by
cutting off with a sharp knife at soil level.
Yield

The average yield of 3-4 kg per tray is considered normal. However, if compost is carefully
prepared, spawn is reliable and temperature is favourable, then a yield of 5-6 kg per tray is
possible. Partial or complete failure may also happen due to negligence.

Storage

The mushrooms are best consumed fresh. Storage in refrigerator for a few days is possible if they
are placed between moist paper towel.

PADDY STRAW MUSHROOM

Paddy straw mushroom, also called Chinese Mushroom (Volvariella spp.) is grown in South-East
Asia. This mushroom is dark in colour and is very delicious. It is usually grown in raised beds,
which are laid in open, exposed or shady places over which temporary sheds are built to protect
the beds from direct sunlight and rain. If the beds are made indoors in a well ventilated room
which is not very dark, the production of mushrooms is more steady and reliable.

Spawn of Paddy straw mushroom

Spawn of this mushroom is made on grains of cereals or millets and is called grain spawn.
Sometimes it is also made on soaked chopped paddy straw. This spawn is called straw spawn.
Spawn may be available locally from the Division of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Indian
Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi-llOO12 at nominal price. Spawn is also available
from Plant Pathology or Microbiology Departments of the respective Agricultural Universities.
One bottle of spawn is sufficient for one bed.

Substrate or Bedding Material

This mushroom is usually grown in paddy straw. Thoroughly dried and long paddy straw is
preferred. The straw is tied in bundles of about 8-10 cm in diameter. The bundles are then cut to
a uniform length of about 70-80 cm, and are soaked by immersing them in a tank of water for
about 12-16 hours. Later, excess water is allowed to drain off.

Procedure for making the bed:-

Make a 15-20 cm h)gh foundation of soil or bricks. The size of the foundation is slightly larger
than that of bed. The foundation must be strong and firm to hold the weight of the bed.

- Make wooden bamboo frame of the size of the bed foundation and place it on top of the raised
bed foundation.

- Place four bundles of soaked straw side by side on the wooden/bamboo frame. Over these,
place another set of four bundles similarly but the loose ends on the opposite side. These 8
bundles constitute the first layer.

- Scatter grain spawn about 8-12 cm from the edges of the first layer. If straw spawn is used,
small pieces of the size of the thumb are planted about 4-6 cm deep and about 10-15 cm apart
along the edges. Dust the spawn with powdered gram/arhar dal powder or rice/wheat bran.

- Now place a second layer of eight bundles across the first layer and spawn it as before.

- Again place a third layer of straw bundles across the second layer and spawn it all over the
surface.

- Finally cover with a fourth layer of four straw bundles. Press it lightly.

- Completely cover the bed with a transparent plastic sheet, taking care that the plastic sheet is
not in contact with the bed.

Care of bed

Remove the transparent plastic sheet after the mycelium has thoroughly permeated the straw.
This would take about a week at 35c. If the surface of the bed gets dry then it should be watered
lightly by a sprayer at least once a day.

The Crop

Mushrooms begin to appear within 10-15 days after the beds are spawned and continue to do so
for about a week or 10 days. The total yield of the bed is about 2-2.5 kg. The mushrooms should
be picked when the volva (cup like veil) just breaks to expose the mushroom inside. The
mushrooms are very delicate and must be consumed fresh. If stored in fridge they can stand for
2-3 days. These mushrooms can easily be air dried in sun or shade.

OYSTER MUSHROOM
This mushroom is simple to grow and has excellent flavour and texture. It is very popular in
many countries particularly in South-East Asia, where cultivation of button mushroom (Agaricus
bisporus) is not possible under natural climatic conditions. Besides its delicious taste, it is known
to be very nutritious and is recommended to control obesity and is reported to be beneficial for
diabeties. Its low fat content makes it an ideal diet for the blood pressure patients.

Substrate or growing material

It can be cultivated on a wide ranging of cellulosic farm wastes or other materials. Cereal straws,
banana pseudostems, waste paper, cotton waste are particularly suitable.However, paddy straw is
the most commonly used material.

1. Oyster growing in polythene bags

Paddy straw is chopped into small pieces 3-5 cm long. It is soaked in water for . about 8 hours,
after which water is squeezed out.- About 200 g grain spawn (half litre bottle) is mixed
thoroughly with about 5-6 kg of wet chopped straw (= lY2 kg dry straw).- A polythene bag 45
cm long and 30 cm diam. is used. It is perforated with 2 mm diam. holes, about 4 cm apart, all
over the surface. Spawned straw is filled about 2/3rd of the capacity of the bag and mouth tied.-
The bags containing spawned straw are placed in shelves in the growing room (RH. 80-85% and
room temperature 24-26C).

2. Growing in rectangular blocks

A wooden tray mould (50 cm x 33 cm x 15 cm) without bottom is required. A one m2 piece of
transparent polythene sheet is spread so that it forms the bottom of the tray mould and also lines
the sides from inside. The loose edges hang out from the tray mould.- Fill in the wetted chopped
paddy straw (as described for bag method above) to make a 5 cm thick bottom layer. Scatter
spawn uniformly. Lay another 5 cm thick layer over the top of bottom layer and spawn it in the
same way. Finally, lay the third layer (final layer) over the second and repeat spawning. Spawn
is covered with more wetted straw to bring it in level with the top of the mould. Compress it
firmly by hands or a board. Two hundred grams (Yz litre bottle) spawn is sufficient for two
blocks.- Fold the loose hanging edges of plastic sheet over the straw block, fasten with a string.
Remove the rectangular block from the mold.

Spawn Run

The spawned bags/blocks are placed on shelves in the growing room where RH. is maintained at
80-85 per cent and room temperature is about 24-26C.- Spawn run is complete in about 10-12
days and is indicated by white cottony mycelium which permeates throughout the straw. As a
result the straw becomes compact and does not split when handled. At this stage, polythene
covering is removed by cutting it open in case of bags and by untying the polythene sheet in case
of blocks. In case of bags, the straw gets compacted in the form of a cylinder.- The
cylinder/blocks are neatly arranged on shelves and gently watered at least twice a day.

The Crop

First mushrooms appear about 18-20 days after spawning. Two or three flushes appear at an
,interval of about a week. Dhingri should be harvested when the cap starts becoming folded.
Harvesting can be done by cutting with a sharp knife or by twisting it off with fingers from the
substrate. Dhiilgri is best consumed fresh. It can be dried in sun or in a mechanical drier, and
stored in polythene bags.

Yield

About one kg mushroom can be obtained from 1Yz kg dry straw (=5-6 kg wet straw).
 Authors:

R. Verma

Tech. Officer, IARI

rakeshwar@gmail.com

Paddy straw mushroom is an edible mushroom of the tropics and subtropics. It was first
cultivated in China as early as in 1822. Around 1932-35, the straw mushroom was
introduced into Philippines, Malaysia, and other South-East Asian countries by overseas
Chinese. In India this mushroom was first cultivated in early 1940s. In India 19 edible
species of Volvariella have been recorded but cultivation methods have been devised
for three of them only viz; V. esculenta (Mass) Sing., V. diplasia (Berk and Br.) Sing.
and V.volvacea (Bull. ex Fr.) Sing. The optimum temperature and moisture for the
growth of this mushroom are 35Cand 57-60%, respectively. It can be cultivated in
North-Indian plains from July to September and in peninsular India from March to
November. However, in the hilly areas during the November to January months artificial
heating is necessary to raise the environmental and bed temperature but in the plains,
artificial heating can be minimized by the incorporation of Melia azadirachta indica and
Tamarindus indicus leaves in alternate layers.

A. Morphological Characteristics
Fig. 1. Different structure of V. Volvacea fruiting body Table
1. Proximate composition of paddy straw mushroom

This genus takes its name from Volvameans a wrapper; which completely envelops the
main fruit body during the young stage. The fruit body formation starts with distinct tiny
clusters of white hyphal aggregates called primordia and is followed by successive
stages named as button, egg, elongation and mature. Differentiation can be seen
first at the button stage. At maturity, the buttons enlarge and umbrella like fruiting
bodies emerge after the rupture of the volva. The mature fruiting body can be
distinguished into the following structures (Fig. 17.1).
Volva: The universal veil is known as volva and it remains more or less distinct in the
adult mushroom as a cup like structure at the base of the stipe.

Stipe: Off-white to dull brown in colour, long, round with a smooth surface and no
annulus. The stipe enlarges slightly to a bulbous base, which is encased with a distinct
membraneous volva.

Pileus: The umbrella like fleshy structure attached to the stipe. The size of the pileus is
affected by environmental factors, but generally it is around 5-15 cm broad. The
annulus or ring like structure on the stipe is conspicuously absent in this mushroom.

Gills: The vertical, radial plates on the lower surface of the pileus are lamellae or gills.
All gills are with entire margin and fimbriate edges, but the size varies from one quarter
of the radius of the pileus to the full size. The top surface of the cap is soft and smooth
in texture. The colour of the fully-grown pileus is greyish white with a reddish tinge. The
grey being dominant in the centre of the cap. The stipe of the umbrella tapers from the
base to the apex and is solid, smooth and white in colour. The stipe is easily separable
from the pileus at its junction. The gills are also free from stipe. The pileus is initially well
shaped but later becomes convex to umbonate.

B. Nutritive Value

The excellent unique flavour and textural characteristics distinguish this mushroom from
other edible mushrooms. The nutritive value of paddy straw mushroom is affected by
the method of cropping and the stages of maturation. The proximate composition of
paddy straw mushroom is given in Table 17.1. Available data reveal that on fresh weight
basis it contains around 90% water, 30-43% crude protein, 1-6% fat, 12-48%
carbohydrates, 4-10% crude fibre and 5.13% ash. The fat content increases with the
maturation stage and the fully mature fruit body contains as high as 5% fat. The N-free
carbohydrates increases from button to the egg stage, remains constant at the
elongation and drops at

the mature stage. The crude fibre remains at almost same level in first three stages and
increases at mature stage. The egg stage contains highest level of protein, which
decreases at mature stage. Ash content remains almost similar at all the developmental
stages. The straw mushroom is known to be rich in minerals such as potassium, sodium
and phosphorus. Potassium constitutes the major fraction of the major elements,
followed by sodium and calcium. The levels of K, Ca and Mg remain almost same at
different developmental stages, except that of Na and P, which drops at elongation and
at mature stages. The contents of minor elements namely Cu, Zn and Fe did not vary
much at different stages of development.

The levels of thiamin and riboflavin in paddy straw mushroom are lower than Agaricus
bisporus and Lentinula edodes, while niacin is at par with these two mushrooms. At all
the stages lysine is the most abundant essential amino acid and glutamic acid and
aspartic acid are the most abundant non-essential amino acids (Table 17.2).
Tryptophan and methionine are lowest among essential amino acids. The level of
phenylalanine increases nearly one fold at elongation stage, while lysine decreases to
about half of its value at the button stage. The straw mushroom is comparable to that of
the other mushrooms both in terms of amino acid composition and the percentage of
essential amino acids in the total amino acids. In fact, paddy straw mushroom contains
high percentage of essential amino acids in comparison to other mushroom and the
abundance of lysine is very important. The other three amino acids namely leucine,
isoleucine and methionine are low in paddy straw mushrooms.

C. Cultivation

1. Conventional method

Different steps involved in this method are as follows (Fig. .2)

Preparation of paddy straw bundles of 0.75 1.0 kg (80-95 cm long & 12-15 cm wide)
preferably from hand threshed paddy.
Immersing the bundles in clean water for 12-18 hours in a cemented water tank.
Draining out of excess water by placing bundles on raised bamboo or cemented
platform.
Making bed by placing 4 bundles side by side and another four bundles similarly but
from the opposite side forming one layer of eight bundles.
Preparation of second, third and fourth layer by intermittent spawning between first and
second, second and third and third and fourth layers.
Spawning the entire surface of different layers of the beds leaving margin of 12-
15 cm from edges at a space of 5 cm apart.
Sprinkling red gram powder over the spawned surface.
Using 500 gm spawn and 150 g of red gram powder for a bed of 30-40 kg paddy straw.
Pressing the bed from the top and covering with clean polythene sheet for maintaining
required humidity (80-85%) and temperature (30-35C).
Removal of polythene sheet after 7-8 days and maintain a temperature of 28-32C with
80% humidity.
Mushroom will start appearing after 4-5 days after the sheet is removed and will
continue for next 20 days.
After crop harvest the left over substrate can be converted into manure for its use in the
fields.
Table 2. Amino acid contents of paddy straw mushroom Fig. 2. Conventional method of paddy straw mushroom
cultivation

Note

For hot regions the width of bed can be decreased by placing first layer of 4
bundles followed by another layer of 4 bundles from opposite side but directly on
the first layer. It is to be followed by 3rd, 4th and 5th layers. The 5th layer can be
of bundles or of loosened paddy straw.
The size of beds may vary from 100 x 100 x 100 cm; 60 x 60 x 30 cm; 60 x 60 x
120 cm.
Alternatively the beds can be prepared with the help of boxes of 80x80x10 cm
and 60x40x30 cm size. In this method the material is to be chopped to a uniform
 length of 20cm followed by filling in box parallel to length of the box. It is followed
by soaking of the material along with box in 2% CaCo3 solution for 2 hrs or until
the straw becomes dark brown. It is followed by draining of excess water and
spawning the substrate at a depth of 5 cm from the sides of the box, followed by
plugging the openings with previously water soaked newsprint. The boxes are to
be incubated at a temperature of 35 to 38C with RH of 75% for next 4-5 days,
followed by lowering of temperature to 28 to 30C with 75 to 85% RH along with
introduction of fresh air. Use of superfine mist is recommended for maintaining
humidity in the room. Spray fine mist of water if drying of beds is noticed,further
for good harvest maintain proper aeration, temperature and humidity. This can be
best achieved by controlling the ventilation/AHUs.

2. Improved cage cultivation (Fig. .3)

a. Material required

1. Paddy straw bundles 60/Cage

2. Spawn bottle 2/Cage

 Fig. 3. Cage cultivation

3. Wooden cage 1 No. (1 m x 50 cm x 25 cm)

4. Drum 1 No. (100 liters cap.)

5. Polythene sheet 4 meters

6. Binding thread 3 meters

7. Sprayer/Rose can 1 No.

8. Dithane Z-78/Bavistin 1 Pkt. (250 g)

9. Malathion 1 bottle (250 ml)

10. Dettol/Formalin 1 bottle (1/2 liter)

11. Dao (Hand chopper) 1 No.

12. Thermometer 1 No.

b. Methodology
Select dry, fresh and
hand-threshed paddy
straw free from moulds
and leafy portion (Fig.
4). Make 25 cm long
and 10 cm thick
bundles @ 60 bundles
for each cage (bed).

Soak the bundles in

boiling water for 20-30
minutes followed by
draining off excess
water.

Disinfect the cage and

polythene sheet with
2% formaline or dettol
solution.

Arrange ten straw bundles

uniformly in the cage as
the bottom layer and put
some spawn grains over
and inside the bundles.
Put second layer of ten
bundles over the first and
spawn as before

Repeat this till six layers

of bundles are achieved or
till the entire cage is
filled.

Spray 0.1% Malathion

and 0.2% Dithane Z-
 withtemperature around
Fig. .4. Stages of paddy straw mushroom cultivation
30C is helpful for
better spawn run.

Remove the polythene

sheet after the spawn
run is complete. Maintain
high humidity in the
bedand room till
pinheads appear.

Pinheads appear within

10-15 days
after spawning. Harvest
mushrooms at the egg
stage.

Continue water spray

for the next flush of
mushrooms to appear
within a week or so.

3. Outdoor method

The best place to

cultivate paddy straw
mushroom outdoor is
under shade created by
trees or creepers.

The steps involved are

as follows (Fig. 17.5).

Prepare a raised
platform either using
sand or

bamboo poles or
wooden planks or
bricks.

Prepare bundles of
45 cm length and 10 cm

width.
 Soak the bundles in
running water or in 2%

CaCO3 solution.

Prepare a layer of
bundles (5 bundles x
four

layers) followed by spot

spawning and covering

spawn with gram dal

powder.

Lay 4 layers of
bundles during summer
months

and 7 layers during

rainy season.

Topping of bed with

20 cm deep layer of rice
straw

followed by covering
with polythene sheet.

Remove polythene
sheet after 4 days and

sprinkle water carefully

on 6th day. Water spray

can be avoided during

rainy season.

Water should not be

sprayed after
appearance of
mushroom pinheads.
Select dry, fresh and hand-threshed paddy straw free from moulds and leafy
portion (Fig. 4). Make 25 cm long and 10 cm thick bundles @ 60 bundles for
each cage (bed).

Soak the bundles in boiling water for 20-30 minutes followed by draining off
excess water.

Disinfect the cage and polythene sheet with 2% formaline or dettol solution.

Arrange ten straw bundles uniformly in the cage as the bottom layer and put some
spawn grains over and inside the bundles. Put second layer of ten bundles over the
first and spawn as before

Repeat this till six layers of bundles are achieved or till the entire cage is filled.

Spray 0.1% Malathion and 0.2% Dithane Z-78 solutions all over the bed. Cover
with polythenesheet and bind securely with a binding thread.

Keep the spawned cages in a room or under a shed for spawn run. A warm
place withtemperature around 30C is helpful for better spawn run.

Remove the polythene sheet after the spawn run is complete. Maintain high
humidity in the bedand room till pinheads appear.

Pinheads appear within 10-15 days after spawning. Harvest mushrooms at

the egg stage.
Continue water spray for the next flush of mushrooms to appear within a week
or so.

3. Outdoor method

The best place to cultivate paddy straw mushroom outdoor is under shade
created by trees or creepers.

The steps involved are as follows (Fig. 17.5).

Prepare a raised platform either using sand or

bamboo poles or wooden planks or bricks.

Prepare bundles of 45 cm length and 10 cm

width.

Soak the bundles in running water or in 2%

CaCO3 solution.

Prepare a layer of bundles (5 bundles x four

layers) followed by spot spawning and covering

spawn with gram dal powder.

Lay 4 layers of bundles during summer months

and 7 layers during rainy season.

Topping of bed with 20 cm deep layer of rice straw

followed by covering with polythene sheet.

Remove polythene sheet after 4 days and

sprinkle water carefully on 6th day. Water spray

can be avoided during rainy season.

Water should not be sprayed after appearance of mushroom pinheads.

 BUTTON MUSHROOM

1. INTRODUCTION

Button Mushroom (Agaricus spp.) is the most popular mushroom variety grown and consumed
the world over. In India, its production earlier was limited to the winter season, but with technology
development, these are produced almost throughout the year in small, medium and large farms,
adopting different levels of technology. The species being grown in most farms is the white button
mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) belonging to Class Basidiomycetes and Family Agaricaceae.

2. OBJECTIVE

The main objective of the exercise is to present a small scale viable bankable model production
unit through adoption of appropriate technology, utilization of resources and suitable market
strategy.

3. BACKGROUND

3.1 Origin

Cultivation of button mushrooms (A.bisporus) started in the sixteenth century. However, on a

commercial scale, the cultivation was initiated in Europe around 17th Century. Many farms for
production of button mushrooms were established and this variety still dominates the world
production and consumption. India, with its diverse agroclimate conditions and abundance of
agricultural wastes, has been producing mushrooms, mainly for the domestic market, for more
than four decades. Commercial production picked up in the nineties and several hi-tech export
oriented farms were set up with foreign technology collaborations. But major share of mushroom
production is still on small farms.

3.2 Botanical Description

The vegetative mycelium is composed of many inter-woven sepatate hyphae. The reproductive
phase is initiated by the formation of small knob like swellings at different points of interwoven
mycelial strands. These swellings increase in size and break through the surface of the
substratum as small balls constituting the button stage. A matured basidiocarp (fruit body) is
whitish in colour and consists of thick short stipe with an annulus. The stipe supports the pileus
which appears as a hat like expansion. On the underside of the pileus, a number of radiating gills
or lamella are present which are pink when young but purple-brown when mature.

3.3 Production Status

Large scale white button mushroom production is centred in Europe (mainly western part), North
America (USA, Canada) and S.E. Asia (China, Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan and India). The national
annual production of mushrooms is estimated to be around 50,000 tonnes with 85 percent of this
production being of button mushrooms.

3.4 Economic Importance

Mushrooms are highly proteinaceous and are used as food. The white button mushroom is sold
as fresh mushroom or is canned and made into soups, sauces and other food products. Protein
in mushrooms have 60-70 % digestibility and contains all the essential amino acids. It has
medicinal properties also. A high amount of retene is present in the button mushroom which is
supposed to have an antagonistic effect on some forms of tumours.

4. MARKET ANALYSIS AND STRATEGY

4.1 Demand and Supply Patterns

White button mushrooms are grown all over the world and account for 35-45 % of the total
mushroom production. In India, large units with production capacities between 2000 3000
tonnes / annum, have been set up mainly as export oriented units in the southern, western and
northern regions. A large number of small units without climatic control equipment exist
throughout India and function during the autumn and winter months only.

A big gap exists between the demand and supply position of white button mushrooms in the
United States and European market. India exports the highest quantity of the mushroom produced
in the country to USA. Netherlands and China account for 60% of the export of mushrooms.
Germany is the largest importer and France and UK are large producers as well as consumers.

The demand for fresh mushroom is increasing in the international market while that of preserved
or canned mushrooms is decreasing. The trend in export of mushrooms (fresh and
dried/preserved form) from India during the period 1999-2000 to 2001-2002 is depicted in the
graphs below.
The possibilities of exporting fresh mushrooms to the markets in Middle East, Europe and USA
need to be explored. Europe is a very large producer of fresh button mushrooms as such only
some exotic varieties of mushrooms which are high priced can be exported to these countries.
However, some inhibiting factors are high cost of transportation and absence of proper pre-
cooling techniques and storage facilities.

Marketing problem is experienced in the winter months (December- February) when more than
75% of the annual production comes in market for sale in limited duration and market area.
Farmers face the consequences of over-saturated market and are forced to sell their produce at
a cheaper price. The commercial units need to establish mushroom processing unit so that during
peak periods when there is glut of mushrooms in the market, the growers can resort to
preservation of mushroom and as such fluctuation in prices will not affect the project economy.
The price of fresh mushrooms during May-June in different markets viz. Chandigarh, Delhi and
Mumbai varies between Rs.50 and Rs.100 /kg. Any mushroom unit located in and around the
main markets should be able to make sufficient profit as they can save on transportation of
produce.

4.2 Import / Export Trends

Netherlands is the leading exporter of button mushrooms (40% share) followed by China, France,
Spain, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Indonesia and South Korea. USA is the largest consumer accounting
for one third of World production. Other important consumers are Germany, UK, France, Italy and
Canada. The quantity of mushrooms exported by India in comparison to the world export is
almost negligible. The following tables 1& 2 gives the export status of fresh and dried mushrooms.

Table-1: Country-wise quantity and value of fresh mushrooms

exported from India during 2001 02.

(Qty: tonnes; Value: Rs lakhs)

Fresh Mushrooms
Country
Quantity Value
Ireland 40.80 14.55
Singapore 0.05 0.02
U.A.E 0.05 0.01
U.S.A 11756.73 5090.72
Total 11797.63 5105.30
Source: APEDA, New Delhi

Table-2: Country-wise quantity and value of preserved/dried

mushrooms exported from India during 2001 02

(Qty: tonnes; Value: Rs lakhs)

Preserved/dried mushrooms
Country
Quantity Value
France 40.00 41.64

Japan 1.00 10.36

Nigeria 6.58 5.59

Russia 11.00 16.33

Switzerland 1.00 6.38

U.A.E 10.01 4.08

U.S.A 4029.66 2057.16
 Total 4099.25 2142.25
Source: APEDA, New Delhi

The most important importers of white button mushroom are Germany, USA, France, U.K. and
Sweden. Canned button mushrooms are imported by UK, Germany, France, USA, Sweden etc.
Asian countries like China, Taiwan, Korea export their produce to the American and European
countries in the form of canned mushrooms.

4.3 Analysis and Future Strategy

Marketing of mushrooms in India is not yet organized. It is the simple system of producers selling
directly to retailer or even to the consumer. Wholesale distributor is mostly missing. However,
trade in the processed (canned and dried) is sizeable and organized. In other countries 10% of
the total cost is earmarked for marketing.

Production of mushrooms, especially of the white button mushrooms, in India has gone up during
recent years creating marketing problems. The market for processed foods has yet to develop in
the country and basically fresh fruits and vegetables are preferred. Per capita consumption of
mushrooms in India is hardly 5 g. as against over a kg. in developed countries. There has not
been any serious effort to promote the product and to strengthen and expand the market in order
to increase consumption. The marginal increase in demand is for fresh mushrooms instead of
dried/preserved mushrooms. Fresh mushrooms have very short shelf-life and therefore cannot
be transported to long distances without refrigerated transport facility. They are sold in the
markets in and around the production areas.

The cultivation of white button mushrooms throughout the year under controlled condition is
restricted to a few commercial units and much of the production is under natural conditions during
the winters. Majority of the growers in India do not have pasteurization facility and other
sophisticated machinery/infrastructure for round the year production of white button mushroom.
As such, button mushroom is cultivated seasonally when climatic conditions are favourable and
production expenses are minimum. Many growers in Haryana, especially in Sonepat, Ambala and
Hisar have revolutionized the cultivation of white button mushroom by adopting very simple and
cheap technology of construction of mushroom houses (mud houses with thathched roofs).
Seasonal growing of white button mushroom in Haryana and Punjab has many advantages like
nearness to market, easy and cheap availability of raw material coupled with utilization of family
labour. The growers in HP do not use compost prepared by long method because pasteurized
compost is readily available from mushroom projects located at Solan and Palampur.
5. PRODUCTION TECHNOLOGY

5.1 Agro-climatic Requirements

In India, button mushrooms are grown seasonally and in environment controlled cropping houses.
White button mushroom requires 20-280 C for vegetative growth (spawn run) and 12-180 C for
reproductive growth. Besides that it requires relative humidity of 80-90% and enough ventilation
during cropping. Seasonally, it is grown during the winter months in the north-west plains of India
and for 8-10 months in a year on the hills. However, with the advent of modern cultivation
technology it is now possible to cultivate this mushroom anywhere in India.

The growers can take on an average 3-4 crops of white button mushrooms in a year depending
upon the type and varieties cultivated. Factors affecting the yield of the crop both in terms of
quality and quantity are incidence of pests/pathogens and non-availability of pure quality of
spawn.

5.2 Growing and Potential Belts

The major producing states are Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana,
Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

5.3 Varieties / Strains

Ooty 1 and Ooty (BM) 2 (released in 2002) are the two strains of button mushrooms released for
commercial cultivation by the scientists of Horticulture Research Station of the Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University at Vijayanagaram, Ooty. The strains which are mostly cultivated in India
are S-11, TM-79 and Horst H3..

5.4 Cultivation Technology

The whole process of mushroom production can be divided into the following steps:

(i) Spawn production

(ii) Compost preparation
(iii) Spawning
(iv) Spawn running
(v) Casing
(vi) Fruiting

5.4.1 Spawn Production

Spawn is produced from fruiting culture / stocks of selected strains of mushrooms under sterile
conditions. Stock culture may be produced in the lab or may be obtained from other reputed
sources. Fruiting culture is mainly imported from various places including foreign sources which
give higher yield than Indian strains and the spawn is produced in the lab. The spawn should be
of good quality in terms of flavour, texture and size apart from having potential for high yield and
longer shelf life.

5.4.2 Compost Preparation

The substrate on which button mushroom grows is mainly prepared from a mixture of plant wastes
(cereal straw/ sugarcane bagasse etc.), salts (urea , superphosphate / gypsum etc), supplements
(rice bran/ wheat bran) and water. In order to produce 1 kg.of mushroom, 220 g. of dry substrate
materials are required. It is recommended that each ton of compost should contain 6.6 kg.
nitrogen, 2.0 kg. phosphate and 5.0 kg. of potassium (N:P:K- 33: 10:25) which would get
converted into 1.98% N, 0.62% P and 1.5% K on a dry weight basis. The ratio of C: N in a good
substrate should be 25-30 : 1 at the time of staking and 16-17 : 1 in the case of final compost.

(A) Short Method of composting

During the first phase of compost preparation, paddy straw is placed in layers and sufficient water
is added to the stack along with fertilizers, wheat bran, molasses etc. The whole thing is mixed
thoroughly with the straw and made into a stack (almost 5feet high,5 feet wide and of any length
can be made with the help of wooden boards). The stack is turned and again watered on the
second day. On the fourth day the stack is again turned for the second time by adding gypsum
and watered. The third and final turning is given on the twelveth day when the colour of the
compost changes into dark brown and it starts emitting a strong smell of ammonia.

The second phase is the pasteurization phase .The compost prepared as a result of microbe
mediated fermentation process needs to be pasteurized in order to kill undesirable microbes and
competitors and to convert ammonia into microbial protein.The whole process is carried out inside
a steaming room where an air temperature of 600 C is maintained for 4 hours. The compost finally
obtained should be granular in structure with 70% moisture content and pH 7.5. It should have a
dark brown colour, sweet unobnoxious smell and free from ammonia, insects and nematodes.
After the process is complete, the substrate is cooled down to 250 C.

(B) Long Method of composting

The long method of composting is usually practiced in areas where facilities for steam
pasteurization is not available. In this method, the first turning is given about six days after
preparation of the substrate for composting. The second turning is given on the tenth day followed
by third one on the thirteenth day when gypsum is added. The fourth, fifth and sixth turnings are
given on the sixteenth, nineteenth and twenty-second day. On the twenty-fifth day the seventh
turning is given by adding 10% BHC (125 g.) and the eighth turning is given on the twenty-eighth
day after which it is checked whether there is any smell of ammonia present in the compost. The
compost is ready for spawning only if it doesnt have any smell of ammonia; otherwise a few more
turnings are given at an interval of three days till there is no smell of ammonia.

5.4.3 Spawning

The process of mixing spawn with compost is called spawning. The different methods followed
for spawning are given below:

(i) Spot Spawning: Lumps of spawn are planted in 5 cm. deep holes made in the
compost at a distance of 20-25 cm. The holes are later covered with compost.
(ii) Surface Spawning: The spawn is evenly spread in the top layer of the compost
and then mixed to a depth of 3-5 cm. The top portion is covered with a thin layer
of compost.
(iii) Layer Spawning: About 3-4 layers of spawn mixed with compost are prepared
which is again covered with a thin layer of compost like in surface spawning.

The spawn is mixed through the whole mass of compost at the rate of 7.5 ml./ kg. compost or 500
to 750 g./ 100 kg. compost (0.5 to 0.75%).

5.4.4 Spawn Running

After the spawning process is over, the compost is filled in polythene bags(90x90 cm., 150 gauge
thick having a capacity of 20-25 kg. per bag)/ trays(mostly wooden trays 1x1/2 m. accommodating
20-30 kg. compost) / shelves which are either covered with a newspaper sheet or polythene. The
fungal bodies grow out from the spawn and take about two weeks (12-14 days) to colonise. The
temperature maintained in cropping room is 23 20 C. Higher temperature is detrimental for
growth of the spawn and any temperature below than that specified for the purpose would result
in slower spawn run. The relative humidity should be around 90% and a higher than normal
CO2 concentration would be beneficial.

5.4.5 Casing

The compost beds after complete spawn run should be covered with a layer of soil (casing) about
3-4 cm. thick to induce fruiting. The casing material should be having high porosity, water holding
capacity and the pH should range between 7-7.5. Peat moss which is considered to be the best
casing material is not available in India, as such the mixtures like garden loam soil and sand (4:1);
decomposed cowdung and loam soil (1:1) and spent compost (2-3 years old); sand and lime are
commonly used.
The casing soil before application should be either pasteurized (at 66-700 C for 7-8 hours), treated
with formaldehyde (2%), formaldehyde (2%) and bavistin (75 ppm.) or steam sterilized. The
treatment needs to be done at least 15 days before the material is used for casing. After casing
is done the temperature of the room is again maintained at 23-280 C and relative humidity of 85-
90% for another 8-10 days. Low CO2concentration is favourable for reproductive growth at this
stage.

5.4.6 Fruiting

Under favourable environmental conditions viz. temperature (initially 23 20 C for about a week
and then 16 20 C ), moisture (2-3 light sprays per day for moistening the casing layer), humidity(
above 85%), proper ventilation and CO2 concentration (0.08-0.15 %) the fruit body initials which
appear in the form of pin heads start growing and gradually develop into button stage.

5.5 Pest & Diseases

The insect pests mostly observed are nematodes, mites and springtails.

The crop is suspect to several diseases like Dry Bubble (brown spot), Wet Bubble (White Mould),
Cobweb, Green Mould, False truffle (Truffle disease), Olive green mould, Brown plaster mould
and Bacterial blotch.

Professional help and extension advice will have to sought by the entrepreneur to adopt
appropriate and timely control measures against pests & diseases.

5.6 Harvesting and Yield

Harvesting is done at button stage and caps measuring 2.5 to 4 cm. across and closed are ideal
for the purpose. The first crop appears about three weeks after casing. Mushrooms need to be
harvested by light twisting without disturbing the casing soil. Once the harvesting is complete,
the gaps in the beds should be filled with fresh sterilized casing material and then watered.

About 10-14 kg. fresh mushrooms per 100 kg. fresh compost can be obtained in two months crop.
Short method used for preparation of compost under natural conditions gives more yield (15-20
kg. per 100 kg. compost).

6. POST HARVEST MANAGEMENT

6.1 Packing and Storage

(A) Short Term Storage

Button mushrooms are highly perishable. Harvested mushrooms are cut at the soil line and
washed in a solution of 5g. KMS in 10L. of water for removing the soil particles as well as to
induce whiteness. After removing excess water these are packed in perforated poly bags each
containing around 250-500 g. of mushrooms. They can be stored in polythene bags at 4-50 C for
a short period of 3-4 days.

The mushrooms are usually packed in unlabelled simple polythene or polypropylene for retail
sale. Bulk packaging does not exist. In developed countries, modified atmosphere packaging
(MAP) and controlled atmosphere packaging (CAP) are in vogue.

(B) Long Term Storage

White button mushrooms are not usually dried by common procedures used in case of oyster,
paddy and shitake mushrooms. Canning is the most popular method of preserving the white
button mushrooms and sizeable quantity of canned produce are exported to international markets.
Besides that, freeze drying, IQF and pickling are also practiced by some units.

7. SOURCES OF TECHNOLOGY

(i) National Centre for Mushroom, Chambaghat, Solan, Himachal Pradesh-173213,

[Tel: (01792) 30451, 30767]

8. ECONOMICS OF A SMALL SCALE MODEL

8.1 The demand for Button mushroom is fast increasing in international markets and a big
gap exists between supply and demand. There is need to take advantage of this situation
by encouraging its production which is a highly viable venture as brought out below:

Costs & Returns

8.2 The minimum viable production unit will require a land site of 1.5 acres. The cost
components of this model along with the basis for costing are exhibited in Annexure I. A
summary is given in the figure below. Inclusive of contingencies, the project cost works
out to Rs.107 lakhs as below.

(Rs. In Lakhs)
Project cost Amount
Land & Site Development 5.15
Building 44.96
Plant & Machinery 47.00
Misc. Fixed Assets 0.75
Contingency 4.88
Pre-Operative Cost 4.25
Total 106.99
8.3 The major components of the model are:

Cost of acquiring land and its development (Rs.5.15 lakhs): The land would have
to be acquired in areas well connected to urban markets. On an average the cost
of land might be put at Rs.3 lakhs per acre.

Cost of levelling the site (including fencing etc.) would be Rs.0.15 lakhs and cost
of putting up guard rooms would be Rs.50 thousand.

Building (Rs.44.96 lakhs): The estimated cost of this component works out to
around Rs.45 lakhs, major item being growing room at the cost of Rs.25.92 lakhs.

Plant & Machinery (Rs.47.00 lakhs): The cost of equipping the production unit
works out to Rs.30 lakhs, that of compost and casing unit to Rs.7 lakhs and that of
installing canning facilities, spawn Lab and other equipments to Rs.10 lakhs.

Miscellaneous Fixed Assets (Rs.0.75 lakhs): This is the estimated cost of

building up a communication system and furnishing.

Pre-operative Expenses (Rs.4.25 lakhs): These include professional charges,

administrative expenses and other start up expenses.

There would be three sources of financing the project as below:

Source Rs. Lakhs

Farmers share 53.50

Capital subsidy 21.40
Term loan 32.10
Total 107.00

8.4
How to Grow Oyster Mushroom Spawn (Low Tech)
byrocketsurgery in homegardening

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9 Steps
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Once you have been growing your own oyster mushrooms successfully and
enjoying the fruits of your labour, you may like to complete the cycle and
become independent by producing your own oyster mushroom spawn.

This instructable describes how to propagate oyster mushroom spawn via grain
spawn transfer, agar tissue culture transfer and liquid inoculation methods.
These methods are all low tech (requiring only basic equipment), covering the
pleurotus ostreatus (winter) and pleurotus pulmonarius (summer) varieties.

See related instructable - How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms (Low Tech)

Step 1: Materials
 Show All Items

You will need...

Wide Mouthed Jars (1 litre)

Pressure Cooker with pressure gauge installed (22 litre to fit approximately 8
Jars)
Seed or Grain (birdseed or millet seemed to work well)
Cotton Wool (to filter out contaminants)
Bowls (to soak grain)
Sieve and Ladle (to rinse and drain grain)
Spoon, Knife and Fork (for working with spawn)
Aluminium Foil (for wrapping jar lids etc in pressure cooker)
Drill (to provide air hole in jar lids)

For Grain Spawn Transfer:Original Spawn Master (Pleurotus ostreatus (for

winter) or
Pleurotus pulmonarius (for summer) buy online and have it delivered
For Agar Tissue Culture: Scalpel, Alcohol Burner, Petri Dishes, Nutrient
Agar and Young Mushrooms
For spore-mass/liquid inoculation:Syringe (5ml), Mushroom Spores, Jar of
Sterilised Water

Clean Room:Wood, Plastic, Silicon Sealer, Nails, Staples, Bleach

How to Grow Oyster Mushrooms (Low Tech)

by rocketsurgery in homegardening

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9 Steps
Shar e

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We have been introducing mushroom cultivation as a nutritional supplement and
cash crop for the landless poor. Oyster mushrooms are a high yield, fast growing
crop. They are known to help lower cholesterol levels and are a great source of
potassium, iron and protein.

This instructable gives a low tech, step by step guide to growing both pleurotus
ostreatus (winter strain) and pleurotus pulmonarius (summer strain). Oyster
mushrooms are highly tolerant of variations in temperature, humidity, light levels
and carbon dioxide levels, making it a great choice for first time growers.
See related instructable - How to Grow Oyster Mushroom Spawn (Low Tech)

Step 1: Materials

You will need...

Straw (the medium for growing the mushrooms in)

Containers (for soaking straw)
Plastic bags (or reusable containers for holding straw)
Elastic bands or string (to constrict bag opening)
Cotton wool (to filter out contaminants)
Barrel or drum (for pasteurising the straw)
Material liner (for holding bags within barrel)
Gas burner (for heating barrel)
Bleach spray (to clean growing room)
Spoon, gloves, clean clothes, face mask (to look the part when inoculating
straw)
A growing area that can retain moisture in the air, shaded with some light
Possibly plastic sheeting (to help retain humidity & to reduce other unwanted
moulds)
Mushroom spawn (see How to Grow Mushroom Spawn)
A water or weed sprayer (to increase humidity within growing room)
A thermometer and hygrometer (to keep an eye on temperature and relative
humidity)
ADVERTISEMENT

Step 2: Soak Straw, Drain and Bag

The mushrooms require a medium to grow in, in this case we will be using straw.
The straw length should be approximately 5-10 cm (2-4 inches). Placing the
straw in water tight containers, submerge the straw in water for 24 hours. Wash,
rinse and drain thoroughly, then bag in 5 litre plastic bags ready for pasteurising.

Step 3: Pasteurise
Position your drum onto the heat source (we used a gas burner), pouring around
40 litres of water into the drum. Place a suitable platform at the bottom of the
drum, one that will keep the bags above the water yet allow steam to rise. Insert
a material bin liner and fill with the prepared bags of straw. Close off the bags
with the liner and cover the drum with a lid. Heat the drum, steaming the bags for
approximately 60 minutes. It should take around 30 minutes for the steam to
make its way to the top bags (the temperature should near 95C ~200F). Leave
to cool, removing the bags and transferring them to the growing area.
Step 4: Prepare Growing Room

The growing room should be clean and dimly lit (shaded with indirect sunlight),
able to retain moisture in the air yet also provide an airflow when ventilation is
needed. Plastic sheeting can be used to seal off an area to help retain humidity
and to reduce other unwanted moulds and insects.

To prepare the room for the inoculations, spray a 1:20 (5%) solution of bleach
along walls and corners (any area where mould might like to grow).

Temperatures of 10C to 24C (50F to 75F) for pleurotus ostreatus (winter) and
10C to 30C (50F to 85F) for pleurotus pulmonarius (summer) should be
available depending on stage of growth (initial spawn run, colonisation, pinning
and fruiting).

Step 5: Inoculate Bags

Before inoculating the bags of straw, make sure you have showered and are
wearing clean clothes. Clean your hands with antibacterial soap or wear sterile
gloves. A face mask and hair cap will also help reduce contamination (we are
very dirty creatures).
Open the bags of straw and the mushroom spawn. Taking a sterile spoon, place
a few spoonfuls into the straw, breaking it up and mixing lightly. As a general
rule, the more spawn you add, the faster the substrate will be colonised (with 1
litre of spawn, we inoculated about 10 bags - you could inoculate more).
Restrict the opening of the bag by placing a rubber band (or cord) around the
bag's neck. Taking a small piece of cotton wool, plug the bag's opening to reduce
the chances of contamination and insect infestation. Leave to incubate.

Step 6: Encourage Colonisation

Once inoculated, the bags should be left to incubate. During this time the spawn
"runs" (mycelium spreads) throughout the straw. The spawn run will be complete
when the mycelium has spread entirely throughout the bag (the straw is then fully
colonised).

Depending on the mushroom variety, humidity and temperature, this process

should take between 1 to 3 weeks.

Pleurotus ostreatus (winter), 24C (75F) 2 to 3 weeks

Pleurotus pulmonarius (summer), 24C to 30C (75 to 85F) 1 to 2 weeks

During incubation, light is not required, however, make sure the bags have plenty
of fresh air.

Step 7: Monitor Bags

It is important to monitor the bags for any sign of unwanted moulds and pests.
While the straw is still in the bags, you shouldn't have a problem with insects or
mice. However, the best policy for fighting both contamination and infestation, is
prevention. You may want to spray some surfaces to deter flies and other insects
from setting up home, mesh any windows and keep doors closed.

Regularly check bags for any mould contamination and remove any infected
bags from the growing area. Black mould found within the straw may indicate
ineffective sterilisation. You may also notice sprouting straw and the appearance
of unwanted mushrooms such as the ink cap (see pictures). Green moulds are
common and can be caused by contaminated spawn (ineffective
grain sterilisation), high moisture / low spawn levels and ineffective straw
sterilisation. At this early stage, it is better to simply remove infected bags, as you
want to prevent its spread. Up to a 10% loss due to contamination is generally
regarded as acceptable.
Finally, as the bags become fully colonised, the initial stages of fruiting (or
pinning) may be seen.

Step 8: Encourage Pinning

Once pinning has started, it is time to remove the substrate from the bags.
Pinning naturally occurs as humidity increases, low levels of light appear and
temperature levels fall. Increase the growing room humidity by regularly spraying
with a water sprayer (avoid spraying directly on the mushrooms). You can also
wet the floor and leave open containers of water in the room (95-100% humidity
is recommended). As our climate is very dry, we only managed 60% at best,
dropping down to 40%, by spraying 5 litres of water 2 - 3 times a day (even at
these humidity levels a good result can be achieved). To prevent excessive
CO2 levels, allow the growing area to flush with clean air before spraying. If you
can, regulate the temperature accordingly.
Pleurotus ostreatus (winter), 10-15C (50-60F)
Pleurotus pulmonarius (summer), 10-24C to 30C (50-75F)

You may notice an initial drying out of early stage pinning, as you remove the
plastic. As you maintain the humidity levels this will regenerate. Keep a close eye
on flies and spray when needed. If any mould is found, either remove the
infected straw or the entire mound from the growing area.

Step 9: Harvesting
As the mushrooms begin fruiting, it is important to keep the humidity high (85-
90% is recommended). As before, allow air to flush through the growing area
prior to spraying (oyster mushrooms require a consistent source of fresh air).
Temperatures can now be higher than for the initial pinning stage.

Pleurotus ostreatus (winter), 10C to 20C (~50F to 70F)

Pleurotus pulmonarius (summer), 16C to 28C (~60F to 80F)

Remember to constantly monitor for pests, such as flies and mice, as they can
quickly ruin a crop. You should expect three or more crops, each taking around a
week or so to mature. You may harvest the mushrooms at any size, however,
once a mushroom has reached its full size, you will notice it will begin to dry,
turning a yellowish colour (they taste great, even dry). When harvesting, remove
the mushroom completely, by twisting firmly at its base. After harvesting a few
crops, we found it helpful to stack the mounds of straw, which seemed to help
increase the yield. If you find your mushrooms with long stalks and small caps,
they may not be getting enough light, also high CO2 levels can also lead to small
deformities (allow for more fresh air). After the straw ceases to produce
mushrooms, it can be fed to livestock or composted.

Now, finally take your harvested mushrooms and create a delicious mushroom
meal. Enjoy.

See related instructable - How to Grow Oyster Mushroom Spawn (Low Tech)
image: wikipedia
Mushroom cultivation on paddy straw creates new income,
decreases air pollution
INDIA CIRCULAR ECONOMY COMMUNITY FEATURES

March 10, 2015 6:57 am by Tim Willmott : Be the first to leave a comment
Naresh Kumar of Puthar village in Haryanas Panipat district is among the many farmers who have
started farming mushrooms using paddy straw for preparing the compost needed to grow them. This
has nearly ended the practice of burning crop stubble in the block.

The problem of pollution caused by burning of straws in the agricultural states of Punjab and
Haryana was so severe that in 2012 the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration released
a satellite image showing fires across millions of hectares of agricultural fields in the region. The
smog and haze it caused even affected Delhi situated 100 km south.

There were local concerns as well. The burning of straw heated land and killed soil microorganisms,
harming its productivity, says Kavita, a farmer from Puthar, adding that now farmers not only use
paddy straw in mushroom farming, they also sell it to farmers in the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh.

Indravati, a 60-year-old farmer of Israne, says the smog would cause her breathing problems. But I
have been feeling better since the past two years, she adds.
Israne has 17,600 hectares of paddy fields and estimates show one hectare of paddy produces 2.6
tonnes of straw, says Rajendra Singh, agriculture officer of Israne. Mushroom farming has ensured
that Israne has stopped burning about 46,000 tonnes of paddy straw a year, Singh calculates.

Today more than 20 marginal farmers run over 100 mushroom farms in Israne. The total annual
turnover from mushroom farming in Puthar is over Rs 2 crore, says Rajendra Singh.

The main reason farmers were burning their field stubble was the lack of options to dispose of the
straw. The easiest way was to burn it. The government had recommended that farmers should take it
to the nearest biomass plant. But transporting it was costly, particularly in cases where biomass
plants were not close to the village.

The problem worsened with mechanisation of agriculture. When paddy is harvested by machines,
only the rice grains get plucked and long stumps of the crop are left rooted. In our hurry to prepare
the field for the rabi crop, we would just burn the straw, says Jitendra Singh, a big landholder from
Puthar. But when harvesting is done manually, the crop is hacked almost from its base, removing the
need to burn the stumps.

panipat, hayana, india

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Mushrooms: The vegetable of the future

N.S.K. Harsh and Kirti Joshi

In India, mushroom is a unique non-traditional cash crop grown indoors, both as a
seasonal crop and round-the-year under the controlled environmental conditions.
About 2000 species of fungi are used as food by tribes and various communities,
however, only a few are cultivated. Climatic conditions in India are favourable for
natural occurrence of mushrooms and some of them are regularly collected and used
as food by the natives particularly those belonging to tribes. The common mushrooms
collected from nature are species of Astraeus, Auricularia, Calvatia, Cantharellus,
Lycoperdon, Morchella, Schizophyllum, Termitomyces, Tuber etc.

World Production

World production of mushroom is growing and now exceeds three million tonnes
worth a market value of US $ 10 billion and Agaricus bisporus accounts for most of
this production. Globally, mushrooms are traded mostly in processed form. However,
lately fresh mushrooms are being preferred over preserved ones in EU and American
countries. Major exporting countries of fresh mushrooms are Netherlands, Poland,
Ireland and Belgium. China is the largest exporter of preserved mushrooms with a
market share of 41.82%. Netherlands (25.11%) and Spain (7.37 %) are the other
major countries. India ranks sixth with a market share of 4.44 %. The major
importing countries of prepared and preserved mushrooms are Germany, USA and
France while of fresh mushrooms are U.K, Germany, USA and France.
 Fig 1: World production of fresh Mushrooms (2007)

Source: APEDA Reports

Though China (47 %) is the major producer of Mushrooms, nevertheless maximum

portion is consumed by USA (30 %) followed by Germany (17 %).
 Fig 2: World Mushroom consumption

Source: National Research Center of Mushroom (NRCM) Report 2007

Indian status

India is not a major producer of any of the mushroom varieties but it does cultivate
mushrooms and has a great potential as an important producer in the future.
Currently India stands 54 in the world ranking of producers. The per capita
consumption of mushroom in India is currently only about 25 g per year as compared
to USA which is around 3.8 kg. There has been a steady increase in the consumption
of exotic mushrooms in addition to use of regular button mushrooms.

Mushroom production in India has been estimated at 48000 tonnes per annum.
Punjab alone produces 20-25 % of total produce followed by Himachal Pradesh and
Haryana. Currently three varieties of mushrooms are being cultivated in India. These
are the white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), the paddy straw mushroom
(Volvariella vovacea) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor caju) Of
these A.bisporus is the most widely and economically cultivated variety throughout
the world.

Indias exports of preserved and prepared mushrooms showed a steady growth from
Rs. 47 Crores in 2005-06 to Rs. 108 Crores in 2006-07 thereby showing a growth of
39 % in 2006-07. However the export of fresh mushrooms declined from Rs. 7.5
crores in 2005-06 Crores to 4.2 Crores in 2006-07. USA continues to be the largest
market for Indian mushrooms, accounting for a share of 69.52% in 2006-07. Other
growing export markets include Mexico and Israel.

It can be seen that though Indias present share in the world production is meager
but still the potential for future growth is rated high. The natural advantages for
mushroom cultivation in India are the availability of cheap labor as this is a labor
intensive process, presence of seasonal variations enabling us to cultivate different
mushrooms under natural conditions in the form of crop rotation in different seasons
and regions and lastly the abundance & availability of variety of agrowastes at low
prices for mushroom cultivation.

Fig 3: Export Value of fresh, dried & preserved mushrooms/morels to different

countries 2007

Source: Apeda reports

Laboratories

Three institutes are currently involved in Mushroom studies namely Central Food
Technological Research Institute (CSIR), RRL Jammu (CSIR) and National Research
Center for Mushroom (ICAR). The major achievements till date are development of
single spore isolates (SSI) and hybrids ofAgaricus bisporus out of which five SSIs
NCS-100, NCS-101, CM-3, CM-5 & CM-9 and a hybrid NCH-102 have been released
and two superior strains viz. NCB-13 and NCB-6 have been identified which are
suitable for cultivation in plains and low hills. Cultivation and production technology
(dehydrated) of shiitake mushroom and oyster mushroom has also been
standardized, enhanced the quality and storage period, developed technologies for
production of many value- added products of mushrooms -dried, pickle , soup powder
etc.

All India Coordinated Mushroom Improvement Project

The All India Coordinated Mushroom Improvement

Project was launched in the year 1984 with its
headquarters at the National Research Centre for
Mushroom, Solan. Under this programme the
coordinating centres conduct multi-locational trials on the
technologies developed by the centre on all India bases.
The coordinating centres (state agricultural universities)
are located at Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand,
Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh,
Himachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Kerala and Bihar.

Government support

There is a central scheme on mushroom farming by Ministry of rural

development which can be availed through CAPART and other is through Min. of Food
Processing. The main focus of this scheme to train, information dissemination,
technical and financial assistance for preparation of cultures/spawn cultivation,
harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, marketing linkages with farmers to
employment opportunities and generating income with special emphasis on
women.Other than this different types of financial assistance and soft loans are also
available from National Co-operative Development Corporation (NCDC), National
Horticulture Board (N.H.B.),A.P.E.D.A., State Govt. Agencies responsible for
development of Agriculture and Agro-based ventures.
Medicinal properties

Antitumour, anti-cancer and many other therapeutic properties have been attributed
to mushrooms. Being rich in folic acid they counteract pernicious anemia. The
polysaccharides found in mushrooms have proven antitumour activity. Antimalarial,
antifungal and antiviral principles are attributed to many mushrooms. Cholesterol
(dreaded sterol for heart patients) is absent but ergosterol is present that is
converted to vitamin D by human body. High K:Na ratio is found in most mushrooms
which is desirable for patients with hypertension. Besides this the high fiber content
helps easier digestion.

Value addition

Value added products from mushroom are a promising enterprise. Mushroom being
highly perishable forces the producer to preserve and process it. Preservation is
essential to make it available throughout the year to retain maximum nutrients,
texture and flavour and to increase its per capita consumption in developing
countries. The value added products will not only cater to the protein and
micronutrient requirement but at the same time will enable the population to live a
healthy life. But food processing in India is not only far behind the developed
countries of the world but is much less than developing countries like Philippines and
China where value addition is 45 per cent and 23 per cent, respectively as compared
with 7 per cent in India. Presently the mushroom products available are bakery
products (biscuits, bread, cakes), pickles, chutneys, nuggets, papads & fast food
items like burgers, cutlets and pizza etc.

Sustenance

Sustenance from wild edible mushrooms: The variety which had been exported
in dried form i.e. Moral or Black mushrooms (Morchella Spp) commonly known as
Guchhi is collected as wild growth from coniferous forests of Himachal Pradesh,
Jammu and Kashmir and Uttar Pradesh. Morels (gucchhi) growing only in wild, are
the most valued wild mushroom in Western Europe particularly France, Germany,
Italy and Switzerland. The international trade in dried morels is estimated to 225 tons
annually. The suppliers are India, China, Turkey, Pakistan, North America and Eastern
Europe. Pakistan alone exports nearly 65 tons annually. It is claimed that 2,89,000
persons are engaged annually in Pakistan in morel mushroom hunting on part time
basis including 33% women, 27% men and 40% children from March to July months.
The price for one kilogram dried morels is US $ 50 for the collector, $ 166 for
wholesaler, $ 216 for exporter $ 330 for the importer. The global trade for yellow
chanterelle mushroom (Cantherellus spp.) is much more lucrative than for morels,
200000 metric tons are bought and sold annually worldwide ranging from 1.25 to 1.4
billion US dollars every year. Germany is largest importer, followed by France and
other Western Europe.

In Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir Morchella spp. are collected
systematically during the growing seasons (spring and sometimes after rainy season)
and sold to established markets both fresh and as dried mushrooms. In Madhya
Pradesh, Chattisgarh and north eastern states wild mushrooms are sold in the local
markets and provide sustenance to the tribal people and forest dwellers during the
lean period (rainy season) when other non-wood forest products are not available in
the forests. In the north-east of India some commonly wild mushrooms used in food
are Auricularia auricula, Schizophyllum commune, Lentinus spp., etc.

There is scope to tap the potential in and outside of our forests for providing sustained
livelihood and profit to the people through systematic collection and processing of
wild mushrooms, which is till today limited to the collection of morels only.

Guarding against non-edible, toxic substances in wild mushrooms: Mushroom

diversity is abundant in nature, especially in forests. Mushroom collectors flock the
areas during the growing season chiefly in rainy season to hunt for prized and
delicious ones. Unfortunately, there are always cases of mushroom poisoning
sometimes leading to death during such collections all over the world. However, it is
the experience and knowledge of the people about these mushrooms that comes
handy in choosing from the diverse types especially edible and poisonous ones. As
such there are no conclusive rules for distinguishing between edible and poisonous
mushrooms. Thumb rules like flesh of mushroom turning bluish on exposure, brightly
coloured fruiting bodies, unpleasant odour and fibrous flesh are followed in avoiding
mushrooms for edible purposes. But the time tested rule is to go for the known ones
and not to experiment with the new ones. Correct taxonomic identification and
established facts about edibility of mushrooms should be followed while collecting
mushrooms from the wild for food. For example, the
prized gucchi (morels,Morchella spp.) are easy to distinguish, however, there is
another mushroom Gyromitra spp. which resembles to Morchella to some extent and
can lead to mishap even if a single fruiting body is present in the collection. Similarly
some mushrooms like species of Amanita and Psilocybe are known for hallucinogenic
effects and addicted people are always in a look out for them, however, an overdose
is always fatal.

Sustenance through mushroom cultivation: Mushroom cultivation started

somewhere in late sixties and early seventies in the country and since then has come
a long way of self sufficiency in meeting demands of the users in the country as well
as of exports. We had fewer consumers in the eighties for cultivated mushrooms due
to biasness, lack of awareness and taste but now mushrooms form a special dish on
every occasion and demands and production has grown manifold.

Three mushrooms are commonly cultivated throughout India namely button

(Agaricus bisporus), Oyster (Pleurotus spp.) and paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella
volvacea). Their ability to grow on agricultural wastes in less area required for
cultivation makes an attractive proposition for income generation. The added
advantage is in improvement in dietary leading to solution to malnutrition, pollution
abatement and diversification of agriculture. Mushroom cultivation produces about
32 tons of dry protein per year in per acre of land while by fish farming only 3 quintals
of proteins can be produced. The agriculture wastes which are burnt and cause
environmental pollution, if can be used for mushroom cultivation will not only check
pollution but will also play an important role in carbon sequestration and proper
utilization of waste products.

Mushroom cultivation also provides employment generation. There is ample scope to

earn more from mushroom cultivation using some innovation like attractive
packaging for longer shelf-life, processing units for canned items, value addition and
new products such as mushroom nuggets (burries), biscuits, papads, pickles, soup
powder, etc.

Food security

Mushrooms are of excellent food value as they provide a full protein food containing
all the twenty one amino acids besides containing useful amount of fats, vitamins
and minerals. Mushroom protein being easily digestible (70-90%) is considered
superior to vegetable proteins. Two essential amino acids lysine and tryptophan are
enormously present in mushrooms which are not found in cereals. Being low in caloric
value (300 390 Kcal/100 g dry wt), low fat and high protein, they are considered
as delight of diabetic patients. Folic acid and Vitamin B-12 which are normally absent
in vegetarian foods are present in mushrooms (3 g fresh mushroom can supply 1
micro g vitamin B12, recommended for daily uptake).
At present we have the lowest rate of protein consumption and due to population
explosion the problem of protein hunger will become more acute. Under prevailing
circumstances all possible sources of protein products will have to be exploited to
save the country from hunger and malnutrition. Edible mushrooms can therefore be
used as a weapon against starvation because of its high protein and vitamin content.
And in a way contribute to food security by being easily available, affordable and
usable.

Major constraints

As aforementioned, mushrooms with its huge health benefits can solve many a
problems of undernutrition and malnutrition. Despite this fact mushroom cultivation
and its utilization is not catching up fast.

The major constraints and how this can be prevailed over are:

Mushrooms are not popular in India. Both produces and consumers are not
aware of its intrinsic worth. This can be overcome by organizing campaigns,
training programmes, workshops, propagating its virtues through media etc.
Being highly perishable, lack of immediate access to markets is a major
bottleneck in mushroom farming. The seasonality and wide fluctuation in
collection results into erratic procurement and supply. The collection therefore
may be organized by farming co-operatives or by NGOs/Traders.
As Mushrooms have to be immediately processed to increase its shelf life
period, lack of storage facilities like processing units, cold storage, refrigerated
transport etc are also one of the deterrents.

So it can be inferred that production of highly perishable commodities such as

mushroom need a lot more than interim infrastructural facilities. It needs a synergy
between various segments of cultivators, productions such as production centres,
pre-cooling units, cold storages and export processing units or export processing
zones and more so the ultimate consumers.

References

Shu-Ting Chang and Philip G. Miles, 2004. Mushrooms - Cultivation, Nutritional Value, Medicinal
Effect and Environmental Impact, Second Edition, CRC Press, 451 p.
Purkayastha, R. P. and Aindrila Chandra, 1976. Indian Edible Mushrooms, Firma K.L.M. Calcutta
 Chandra, Aindrila, 1985. Manual of Indian Edible Mushrooms, Today & Tomorrows Printers and
Publishers, New Delhi , 267 p.
Anna Del Conte, Thomas Laessoe and Susan Campbell, 2008. The Edible Mushroom Book, DK
Publishing (dorling Kindersley), 192 p.
Mamoni Das, Madurima C. Kalita. Value addition of Mushrooms. Sceince Tech Entrepreneur, May
2006. Websitehttp://www.techno-preneur.net/information-desk/sciencetech-
magazine/magazine-index.htm. Last accessed on 15.11.08
APEDA Reports. Website: http://www.apeda.com/TradeJunction/. Last accessed on 15.11.08
Post-Harvest Management of Mushrooms with Special Reference to Himachal Pradesh.
(Source:agmarknet.nic.in/phmmushroom_old.pdf)

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Jan 27, 2013Posted by Samuel Alexander on Jan 27, 2013 | 19 comments

Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms

on Straw

Ive been experimenting recently with growing my own oyster mushrooms, and as you can see from the photos, Ive
met with some success. I was motivated to explore mushroom cultivation partly because Im a vegetarian and want to
produce my own high-protein alternatives to meat; but I was also interested in using so-called dead space to grow
food (either inside or down the shady side of the house). Oyster mushrooms tick both these boxes, and they are also
ridiculously tasty.

Not only that, oyster mushrooms are extremely expensive when purchased from a supermarket, so it makes sense to
grow them yourself. Currently in Melbourne they are going for $34 per kilo.

Im no mushroom-growing expert, so do your own research, but below Ive outlined how Ive successfully grown my
own oyster mushrooms on straw. Its surprisingly easy, although you do need to take appropriate precautions to
make sure you are growing the right mushrooms and in a hygienically safe way. Apparently white oyster mushrooms
are the easiest variety to grow, which is why I started with them.

What you need:

Straw (I used pea-straw successfully but Im told wheat straw is better)

Robust plastic bags, medium or large size (which can be reused)

Oyster mushroom spawn (which I got from CERES in Melbourne and are also available here). You may need to find
your local supplier.

Spray bottle and water

My 10-Step Method:

(1) Before you begin, wash your hands and clean all your surfaces well. Its very important to be hygienic when
cultivating mushrooms, as you do not want to grow the wrong types of fungi! Good mushrooms are really good; bad
mushrooms are really bad. Fortunately, oysters mushrooms are very distinctive.
(2) Once youve got all the materials, the first thing you need to do is pasteurise the straw. From my research online, I
discovered that this essentially means heating the straw in water to around 70-75 degrees (Celsius) and holding it at
that temperature for around 45-60 minutes. I used a large Fowlers cooking pot. Pasteurisation kills the bad bacteria
but leaves the good bacteria. Before you put the straw in the pot, most websites recommend that the straw is cut it up
into small pieces around 1 to 3 inches in length. (To be honest, I didnt cut up my straw, and I still grew mushrooms,
but perhaps if I had cut it up my production might have been greater further experimenting required.)

(3) Once youve pasteurised the straw, take it out of the heating pot with tongs and let it sit in a clean tub while it
cools down. Be careful as youre dealing with a lot of hot water and the pot will be heavy. Its important you dont put
the mushroom spawn into the straw until the straw is at room temperature otherwise you will kill the spawn.

(4) When the straw has cooled down, pack your robust plastic bags with straw quite tightly, and then distribute some
of the mushroom spawn throughout the straw. I put about three or four pieces of spawn-covered dowel in each bag,
but perhaps one would have been fine (further experimenting required). The straw should not be dripping wet, but it
should still be damp from the pasteurisation.

(5) At this stage, sterilise a skewer or a nail (by pouring boiling water over it) and jab holes in the bags every 3 inches
or so. This lets some air in, but not too much.

(6) You now have to find a home for you mushrooms. Keep them out of direct sunlight. They like some indirect light
and I am told they like it best at around 15-20 degrees Celsius. (Its been considerably warmer than that in Melbourne
over the last two months, and mine have grown very well, but again perhaps the yields would have been greater had
the temperature been cooler). More experimenting required. I kept my bags inside to minimise the risk of
contamination.

(7) Now you wait while the mushrooms spawn develops into mycelium and beginning taking over the entire bag.
Mycelium looks a bit like white furry cobwebs, and you should start seeing it develop in the first couple of weeks. Its
important that your bags of straw stay moist, but not dripping wet. I found that the water from the pasteurisation was
sufficient to keep the straw suitably moist without needing to spray with water.

(8) After a number of weeks (depending on the size of your bags) the mycelium should have spread across the entire
bag of straw. It is at this stage (which for me was about 5 weeks later) your mushrooms should start forming. I cut
some slightly larger holes in the bag, although Im not sure this was necessary. The mushrooms will decide that they
want to grow out of one or more of the holes youve created, and theyll usually grow in one or two clusters.

(9) Now comes the fun part. The mushrooms essentially double in size every day, so within a week or so you should
have good-sized oyster mushrooms. Mist them with water two or three times a day over this period again, not so
they are dripping, just so they are moist. The mushrooms should be harvested while their rims are still curled over a
little and pointing downwards. If their rims seem to be turning upward, its probably time to harvest.

(10) Harvest and eat. To harvest the mushrooms give them a twist at the base. This ensures that you leave the very
bottom of the mushroom still in bag. You want to leave that part in the bag as it is needed for the subsequent flushes
of mushrooms. If you keep the mushrooms moist and in suitable conditions, you should get three or four flushes of
mushrooms, although Im told the first and second flushes are the most productive. Im currently harvesting my
second flush. When your bags stop producing, the straw can be used as mulch for the garden. (Alternatively, my
understanding is that you can distribute some of your straw into new bags of fresh straw and the growing process
begins again).
 If there are any mushroom experts out there, do let me know if you have any advice, and if any of you decide to begin
cultivating your own mushrooms, do let me know how you get on. Im going to keep experimenting in the hope of
developing the easiest and most productive methods.

Thats all for now. Ive got to go cook me some shrooms.

See Entropia: Life Beyond Industrial Civilisation, for one vision of a simple living utopia.

No related posts.

19 Responses to Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms on

Straw

1. Ted says:
JANUARY 28, 2013 AT 12:26 PM

Hello friends,

I live in Phnom Penh, Cambodoia and I just happened to visit my friends mushroom farm last month (although they
are extremely poor people and are growing on land that they do not own and they are growing on a small scale.

Here is what they do: first they burn the grass in whatever patch they want to grow mushrooms to prepare the
ground. Then they plant the mushrooms (I didnt watch that phase).

Then they stack handfuls of hay or straw to provide shade for their mushrooms in a tent fashion with the straw being
about 2 feet long or 1 meter (think of stacking wood for a teepee style fire.

They water the mushrooms as needed to have the right amount of moisture.

They are growing mushrooms in an open field without any natural shade and have been doing it for several decades.
The soil isnt anything special either. They sell there mushrooms at the market.
2. Alex says:
JUNE 4, 2013 AT 4:48 PM

Just attended a seminar on growing oyster mushrooms. Pretty much agreed with what youre doing. Recommended
barley straw as the best. Isnt the easiest to find though.

3. Pat says:
JULY 6, 2013 AT 6:40 AM

Thank you for this interesting post. It makes me want to grow them.
I am curious about your statement that pasteurising does not kill good bacteria. We are looking at eating raw and/or
fermented foods which must be unpasteurized, right? I thought I was getting probiotics from sauerkraut only to read
that it is pasteurised and dead. Most of the research I see says that pasteurisation does kill beneficial bacteria. Id
love to find out that it doesnt. Thanks for your help.

4. rhys dean says:

JULY 21, 2013 AT 4:24 AM

found this very helpfull to start myself i also travelled to ceres to get the grow kit. And was shattered to find that when
i was doing shopping at the footscray market i found 3 species of fresh oyster mushroom along with a few other fresh
mushrooms i had never seen before all under $5 for at least 150 grams more than enough to start a mycelium run so
if ur looking for the cheapest freshest mushrooms its a little european supermarket in the main market across the
road from footscray station i saw white,king,pearl oyster,shimeji and a couple others i cant remember the name of.
Exciting and dissapointing as i spent $23 and a couple hrs transport to ceres when i could of whent 15 min down the
road and spent $2.50. Thank u for posting these instructions found them the most straight forward in my research and
recently started myself waiting for the mycelium to take over i got about 6 different containers due to impatience.

5. Ratha Kong says:

AUGUST 10, 2013 AT 5:47 PM

Hi Samuel,
I am Ratha, from Cambodia. I am growing oyster mushroom,I have 20000 25000bags of oyster mushroom in a
mushroom shelter I made in my own land. I do it the same process as you do, but I use haystack or debris of rubber
plant.

Thank you Samuel for having posted what you have learned from your oyster mushroom growing. It is a nice
recording and useful for learning.

Cheers,
Ratha

6. Lungten Jaamtsho says:

 AUGUST 21, 2013 AT 5:34 PM

Thank you for the resource full post.I have tried two times with different straw. firstly with the rice straw, and in the
second I cultivated in the lemon grass, in which the production was deteriorated by many fold.
Thank you for your share.

Lungten Jamtsho

Country :
Bhutan

7. Mboozi Savoy says:

AUGUST 23, 2013 AT 5:21 PM

I have been growing oyster mushrooms in Zambia for three years for home consumption.for any enquiry my mobile
number is +260 0965342004. If any club wants to be helped practically they can write to me : Mboozi
Savoy,Chikankata High School p/bag s-2.Mazabuka Zambia

8. Mushroom seed says:

OCTOBER 18, 2013 AT 10:34 PM

[] Visit Grow Your Own Oyster Mushrooms on Straw | The Simplicity Collective Company Name: MASI
PRODUCTS Exporter and supplier of Oyster Mushroom Address NO 60, METTU STREET, []

9. Ellen says:
FEBRUARY 1, 2014 AT 4:12 PM

I bought my first bag today and have been doing some research, hence Im going to try adding coffee grounds along
the way to see if it is possible to keep them growing for a longer period of time.

10. Ayele says:

FEBRUARY 11, 2014 AT 7:11 PM

It is interesting I have decided to start growing because of your advice.

Thank you!

11. maury sheets says:

MARCH 10, 2014 AT 12:44 PM

No bacteria will survive a correct pasteurization procedure.

12. Jose Zacharia says:
APRIL 4, 2014 AT 6:53 PM

Thanks for this informative article. In India people grow milky mushrooms (another variety) using coco peat
(compressed coconut fiber) as the substrate.Can anyone clarify wheather cocopeat is a good substrate for oyster
mushrooms also?

13. Verotte says:

MAY 18, 2014 AT 7:33 PM

Hi, regarding step 10, re-using the spent straw which has finished producing mushroom, can this be re-used in
conjunction with new straw alone or does it need some new spawn? If so, what would be the use of adding the old
straw to the new straw apart from providing more straw?

Thanks in advance. Love this article.

14. Ben says:

JUNE 1, 2014 AT 4:07 AM

Great article. I also use the bagged technique,and experiment with different growing media. You mentioned
pasteurization kills bad bacteria and leaves good bacteria Thats not necessarily true. Pasteurization is meant to kill
ALL bacteria, good or bad, for a sterile media. Mushroom media is not like soil where you want a healthy amount of
beneficial bacteria. You are basically clearing the slate for Oyster mycellium to out compete anything else, and avoid

contaminants. Still an excellent article.

15. themby says:

OCTOBER 20, 2014 AT 1:43 AM

hie there.I am from Zimbabwe. I started on my first exciting journey of oyster shrooms production in september, after
perforating my bags to allow for pinning a few weeks later, they started to have orange, green, red and black moulds.
I had followed exactly the same procedure as yours. For sterilisation, i used a detergent with sodium hypochlorite. Of
the 36 bags i had, i was only left with 14. They are only a few that are fruiting well, the others produce shrivelled fruit
with brown edges. If you may have some advice please do share. Thank you for the article by the way.

16. Peter says:

FEBRUARY 28, 2015 AT 7:24 AM
 Great job on the grow! Im growing blue oyster mushrooms right now.

17. Tony says:

APRIL 3, 2015 AT 2:21 AM

Pasteurization does not kill the thermophile bacteria. The trick is to ensure the temperature of the water never
exceeds 160 degrees. Sterilization at high pressure, on the other hand, kills everything. The previous poster that said
no bacteria can survive proper pasteurization is incorrect and confused. Look up thermophiles, and also look up the
definition of pasteurization and sterilization. Mushroom grain spawn is typically prepared with sterilization and
injecting spores into the grain jar under sterile conditions, while the substrate is pasteurized and the grain spawn is
mixed in. The idea is that healthy mycelium can take over the substrate quickly when it is pasteurized because it
doesnt have to fight with other molds and bacteria for resources. The thermophiles help keep the nasty bacteria and
molds at bay long enough for the mycellium to fully colonize and then be strong enough to fight its own battles. The
green trichoderma is a common enemy for mushroom growing, and will quickly overtake unpasteurized substrate.
Oysters can be strong enough to overtake trichoderma at times but it can quickly become a losing battle. The reason
we dont sterilize the substrate is because it would require sterile growing conditions that are hard to maintain when
mixing grain spawn with substrate, and contaminants will not have any thermophile bacteria to fight so they will be
able to take over more quickly than the mycellium.

18. George Simikowski says:

APRIL 21, 2016 AT 12:38 AM

Good day. Im attempting my first oyster grow and need some help.
Four bags have been incubating for 4 weeks nice mycelium growth thruout the bags. Temp in bags range from 72
to 80F with nice moisture inside but Im using space heater to heat the room. I have no aggragations around the
holes in bag. Do I need to get room humidity up. Can I force fruit by dropping temp, high humidity, increase air flow
and add light.
Any advice is appreciated.
Geo.

19. IT2AGRI says:

APRIL 27, 2016 AT 3:26 AM

Great write-up: Trying out my first batch, Question about STEP 6, They like some indirect light and I am told they like
it best at around 15-20 degrees Celsius

But some say it should be complete dark during this stage. Which one should I follow? any recommendations?

Thanks

20. Psuedonym says:

JUNE 17, 2016 AT 6:21 PM
 Growing oyster mushrooms has been very rewarding and exciting especially when some bundles of substrate and
mycelium stashed away and forgotten had fruited pushing containers like yogurt lids right off. ( my family on the other
hand have gotten kind of creeped out by these strange happenings ) hahaha

I LOVE creating batches of spawn in used ziplock bags. I suck most of the air out and seal it good. I like take out
tubs when trying something new so I can see through them but yogurt and smaller are good too, like KFC mashed
potato and coleslaw containers. I even use the chicken tub, and ice cream tubs, 7/11 domed Slurpee cups have been
great too. Aseptic drink boxes like rice milk can be cleaned and used immediately. They can be folded back closed.
Blocking light But almost anything that didnt have a cover like those black microwave trays frozen entree come in, or
glass jars I cover with plastic wrap. Keep dark in old shipping boxes or I save chip bags , aluminum foil, dark fabrics
that little or no light pass through, then placed on the top shelf near the ceiling because heat rises.

Can you tell yet I like to repurpose things?

Some of the materials I found work well are small twigs to 1 inch diameter pieces of oak, birch, rose. ( I figure
anything that isnt known like pine/conifer to be ??antimicrobial?? it should be tried !!!

Cardboard usually the center corrugated portion of pizza boxes ( it absorbs water best and mycelium can grow
through it fast ). Ive gone collecting seed heads from weeds, and now that the summer has dried them to straw I try
to catch people weed wacking for the largest quantities. Oh and the local elementary school serves lunch on some
kind of paper mch trays. Stacked and punch holes in them hammering with nails or stabbing through will let
mycelium pass much faster through.

I dont like coffee grinds much but in quantities almost like dusting directly on healthy fluffy mycelium. And like it only
because it is great for crumbling as spawn into fresh substrate.

Something I thought I would describe is that point where the mycelium is ready to fruit. Since not everybody would be
starting from colonized kit or seed, only knowing what fluffy mycelium looks like you can tell when it is gotten denser.
Parts can still be fluffy but if enough of an area starts to dry somewhat it get these little pimple like bumps and then a
tiny little cluster/s like cauliflower bits. Image searches are fun.

Ph levels , I havent played with those yet but I am wondering since I do have a cheap digital soil (probe) meter if the
Ph is different after some little fungus/soil gnat larvae have pooped on some of the cardboard which theyve eaten the
mycelium and it DOESNT seem to want to grow back over the cardboard.

Misc info, I cut a hole in the lid of some cold cut meat container and then hot glued part of a face mask from the
hospital but that dried out the mycelium to fast and I put some Saran Wrap under the lid to block any air flow.

These are some of the more unusual containers I tried fruiting in.
*Keuerig coffee pod
*Frozen juice concentrate can. With an exacto blade, scratched the inside plastic so it could work through to the
cardboard
*plastic gum dispenser
*orange plastic medicine bottles
*slurpee and Starbucks cups
*wide bubble tea straws ( havent tried the tapioca pearls as substrate though )

I better quit writing, falling asleep

How to Grow Mushrooms Indoors

Two Parts:Basic Growing MethodAlternative Growing MethodsCommunity Q&A
 Growing mushrooms at home is a task that any gardener interested in growing their
own food should attempt. Mushrooms are a healthy addition to any diet, as they are low
in calories and fat, high in fiber, and contain high amounts of potassium.[1] In addition,
they are very easy to grow at home. Mushrooms are best grown indoors where the
temperature and light conditions can be more readily managed. Learning how to grow
mushrooms indoors is a matter of managing their growing conditions carefully.

Part1
Basic Growing Method

1.

1
 Decide what type of mushroom you want to grow. The 3 types of mushrooms that
are easiest to grow at home are oyster, white button, and Shiitake. The method for
growing each mushroom is similar, but the ideal growing medium differs.
Oyster mushrooms grow best in straw; Shiitakes grow best on hardwood sawdust;
button mushrooms grow best in composted manure. These different growing media
reflect the different nutritional needs of each species. However, each of these 3 species
can be grown readily enough in sawdust or straw.
Choosing a type of mushroom to grow is a matter of taste. You should grow the type
you most want to eat.

2.

2
 Purchase mushroom spawn. Mushroom spawn is sawdust permeated with mushroom
mycelia - essentially the root structure of the fungus. It is used much like plant seedlings
to facilitate growth.
You can purchase high-quality mushroom spawn from several online retailers, some
gardening supply stores, or some specialty organic living stores.
Make sure to buy spawn rather than spores. Some retailers will also sell spores, which
are more akin to the seeds of plants (rather than seedlings). Growing mushrooms from
spores takes more time and practice, and is best suited for a seasoned mushroom
grower.

3.

3
 Sterilize the growing medium. If you are growing mushrooms in straw or sawdust, it
will necessary to sterilize these growing mediums before inoculating with the spawn.
This is done to kill off any micro-organisms that could compete with the mycelia.
To sterilize the growing medium, place it in a microwave safe bowl and add enough
water to make the straw or sawdust damp. Place the bowl in the microwave and heat on
high for two minutes, or until the water has boiled off.
This kills off any microorganisms, leaving the growing medium safe to receive the
mushroom mycelia. You may need to work in batches in order to sterilize all of the straw
or sawdust.

4.

4
 Heat the growing medium so that the mycelia will spread. The mycelia in your
mushroom spawn need to spread into the growing medium thoroughly before producing
mushrooms. A warm temperature encourages this growth.
After choosing the growing medium suited for your mushroom species, place a few
handfuls of it into a baking pan. A shallow pan with a large surface area will provide the
most room for your mushrooms to grow.
Mix the spawn into the growing medium with your fingers. Place the baking pan on a
heating pad set to 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius). This is the ideal
temperature to encourage growth.
Leave the setup in a dark environment, such as a cabinet, for about 3 weeks. This will
allow the mushroom mycelia to permeate the growing medium.[2]

5.
 5
Place the growing medium into the proper environment. After 3 weeks, you need to
place the pan into an environment that is dark and cool (about 55 degrees Fahrenheit /
13 degrees Celsius). A basement usually works well for this, but a cabinet or drawer in
an unheated room will work in winter.
Cover the growing medium with a handful of potting soil and spray the entire mixture
with enough water to dampen it thoroughly. You can place a damp towel over the pan to
prevent moisture loss if desired.
The mix should be kept moist and cool as the mushrooms grow. Check it periodically
and spray it with water as necessary.

6.
 6
Harvest your mushrooms when they are fully grown. In about 3 weeks, you should
see small mushrooms appearing. Continue to keep their environment moist, cool, and
dark to encourage their growth.
When the mushroom caps separate fully from their stems, they are ready to harvest.
You can pluck the mushrooms out with your fingers, but this risks damaging the newly
developing fungi beneath the surface. Instead, use a sharp knife to cut the mushrooms
at the base of the stem.
It is best to rinse the mushrooms before cooking or eating. You can store harvested
mushrooms in a paper bag in the refrigerator for up to a week.

2
Part

Alternative Growing Methods

1.

1
Grow mushrooms from a kit. For first-time growers, growing mushrooms from a
ready-made kit can be a fun, easy option for producing your own mushrooms. These
kits usually consist of plastic bags filled with sterilized, inoculated straw or soil. All you
need to do keep the bag in the correct conditions and in seven to ten days you'll have
homegrown mushrooms.
Kits will usually cost between $20 and $30 and can be used to grow most of the
common mushroom varieties such as white button, crimini, portobello, lion's mane,
shiitake, and oyster mushrooms.
To begin the growing process, simply open the bag and place it in a bright location, out
of direct sunlight such as a shade windowsill. The kit can be kept at room
 temperature, but it will need to be misted with water daily to keep humidity high. Some
kits will provide plastic tents to cover the bag and maintain humidity levels.
The mushrooms will start to sprout after seven to ten days, but you can expect to see
two or three flushes of growth over a three month period.
The great thing about these kits is that after they have finished producing mushrooms,
you can bury them outdoors under bark mulch or in your compost pile. Then, depending
on weather conditions, mushrooms may start to pop up in that spot.[3]

2.

2
Grow mushrooms from coffee grinds. Growing mushrooms from coffee grounds is a
fun project which helps to use up coffee grounds that would otherwise go to waste.
Coffee grounds are a fantastic growing medium for mushrooms (oyster mushrooms in
 particular) as they are already sterilized thanks to the coffee brewing process and are
full of nutrients.
For 500 g (17.6 oz) of mushroom spawn, you will need 2.5 kg (88 oz) of fresh coffee
grounds. The best way to get this amount of fresh coffee grounds (brewed that day) is
to go to a cafe and ask nicely. They're usually more than happy to give it away.
Next you'll need a container for growing your mushrooms the best thing to use is a
filter patch grow bag, which can usually be purchased along with the mushroom spawn.
If not, you can use a large, sealable freezer bag or a well-cleaned milk carton or ice
cream tub, with 4 small holes poked into the sides.
Wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial soap, then mix the mushroom spawn
into the coffee grounds, breaking them up with your hands to ensure that they are
evenly distributed. Place the inoculated coffee grinds into the plastic bag or container
and seal tightly.
Place the bag or container in a warm, dark location, somewhere between 64 and 77
degrees F (18 to 25 degrees C), like in an airing cupboard or under the sink. Leave it
here for approximately three weeks, until it turns entirely white -- this due to the mycelia
colonizing the coffee grinds.
Once the bag or container's contents have turned completely white, move it to a bright
but shaded area and cut a 2" by 2" hole at the top. Mist the contents of the container
with water twice daily to prevent it from drying out the mushrooms won't grow in too-
dry conditions.
Over the next five to seven days, tiny mushrooms will begin to sprout. Continue to mist
them with water and they should double in size each day. When the cups of the
mushrooms have started to turn slightly upwards, they are ready to harvest. [4]
When the mushrooms have stopped sprouting, plant the coffee grinds outdoors under
bark mulch or compost and new mushrooms may develop, depending on the weather.
3.

3
Grow mushrooms on a log. Another interesting way to grow certain species of
mushrooms such as Reishi, Maitake, Lion's Mane, Shiitake, Pearl and Phoenix
Oyster is from a log. This is done by inoculating hardwood logs with birch plugs that
have been fully colonized by mushroom mycelium. These plugs are available online and
from specialist mushroom spore suppliers.
The first thing you need to do is find an appropriate log for mushroom growing. The logs
should be cut from non-aromatic hardwood trees, such as maple, poplar, oak and elm.
They should be 3 or 4 feet (0.9 or 1.2 m) in length and no more than 14" in diameter.
The logs should be cut at least two weeks before plugging, to allow the tree's naturally-
formed anti-fungal properties to degrade.
 To colonize a 3 to 4 foot (0.9 to 1.2 m) log, you will need approximately 50 plugs. To
insert the plugs, use a 5/16" drill bit to make 2" deep holes in a diamond pattern over
the entire log. The holes should be spaced about 4" apart. Place the birch plugs into the
holes and tap with a hammer to insert fully.
If you plan on leaving the logs outdoors you may need to seal the holes with cheese
wax or beeswax to protect the plugs from insects and harsh weather. If you plan on
keeping the log indoors, in a garage or basement, this usually isn't necessary.
Over time, the mushroom mycelium will spread from the birch plugs throughout the log,
until the entire piece of wood has been colonized. Once fully colonized, mushrooms will
begin to sprout from cracks in the log. This typically takes between 9 to 12 months, but
depending on temperature and humidity conditions, the mushrooms should return year
after year.[5]

Community Q&A
Help a fellow gardener! Share your knowledge by answering questions. Yes I'll help!

Unanswered Questions

Assuming I use method number one, how long will the mushrooms continue to
grow for further harvests? What additional steps would need to be taken to keep
them coming back?
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I can grow mushrooms it is possible

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Tips
For more information on growing mushrooms, indoors and outdoors, see this article.
 Things You'll Need

Mushroom spawn

Sawdust, straw, or manure

Baking pan

Heating pad

Potting soil

Spray bottle

Water

Towel

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Sources and Citations

1. http://www.vegetarian-nutrition.info/updates/mighty-mushrooms.php
2. http://www.gardeningknowhow.com/edible/vegetables/mushrooms/grow-
mushrooms.htm
3. http://www.garden.org/ediblelandscaping/?page=december_shroom
4. Low Cost / Low Tech Methods to Grow Mushrooms

7. Search any text field, scientific or common names

8.
9. Mushroom growing is both a science and an art form, and many people have developed their own
unique methods for growing mushrooms. Some of these methods are good, some are labor
intensive, other methods yield high volume or special quality fruitbodies. Over the many years we
have been working and consulting in this field we have seen many methods, everything from in-
ground growing in Mexico and Africa, to the highest tech autoclave based method used by the
multinational agribusiness giants. Most of the books published today start out with the assumption
that you have plenty of money to go out and buy the most expensive of boilers and baggers and
autoclaves. In our experience this is not usually the case, especially when you are just starting
out. So we would like to offer the benefit of our experience here, and show you some low tech
methods that work well and can be accomplished for a low cost.
10.
11. The goal of any mushroom farmer should be: The Production of High Volume of
Mushrooms at a Low Cost, in a reasonable amount of time without too much waste,
contamination or expense in new equipment. Further goals should be to have a system simple
 enough that you can easily train common farm laborers to perform every step of the process.
Since most agricultural workers are not college educated microbiologists, it is more practical to
simplify the system as much as possible so anyone can be trained to do the work, rather than
depending on the availability of trained personnel that already know all the concepts involved.
12.
13. Lets define the goals a bit further.
14.
15. High Yield: Every common strain of mushroom can be grown at 100% Biological efficiency or
more, and in fact has to be if the project is to be successful. Often in Oyster cultivation 200% BE
can be accomplished. Even with Shiitake, Lions Mane, or Maitake, 100% BE is quite possible to
achieve with even minimal attention to your process. So what is this BE and how is it measured?
16.
17. Biological Efficiency, abbreviated BE, is the most important and the most basic of all
measurements in mushroom cultivation. BE is the comparison of the dry weight substrate to the
fresh harvested mushrooms. In other words, we all buy our substrate in the dry form, like sawdust
as an example. If you buy 1000 pounds of dry weight sawdust, and you are able to harvest 1000
pounds of fresh mushrooms, that is a 100% BE. If you start with 1000 pounds dry straw, and
harvest 1500 pounds of fresh Oyster Mushrooms, that is a BE of 150%. Keep it always in mind
that 100% BE is the minimum acceptable yield of mushrooms for your farm to be commercially
successful. How can we start with 1000 pounds substrate and end up with 1500 pounds of
mushrooms? Keep in mind, mushrooms are mostly water, and this is being added to the
substrate. So what you harvest is anywhere from 50% to 90% water. Make sure you measure the
weight of your bags, and measure the weight of your harvested mushrooms, because without the
BE figures for your process, it is impossible to optimize your production and accurately predict
the yield ahead of time.
18.
19. Examples of changes in BE would be the comparisons of two different strains of Oyster
mushrooms: They are bothPleurotus ostreatus, but maybe one came from a high altitude, and
one came from a tropical forest. These are definitely going to perform differently on your farm,
and they will absolutely and without question have a different BE when you grow them side by
side. So how do you know which is the best strain for your operation? There is only one way to
know and that is to run trials and see which one performs better. A strain that works GREAT for
another grower might work terribly for you. You have different climate, different sterilization
methods, different substrate, different spawn, and most importantly you have different competitor
organisms on your farm. These things cannot be factored in ahead of time, only trials on your
farm will give you realistic BE figures. However, ALL commonly cultivated mushrooms will give
you AT LEAST 100% BE, so if you are not getting that from your operation, then something is
wrong.
20.
21. The question comes up What mushroom should I grow? Most people who get into this
trade want to start off growing Shiitake. Just like most kids learning to drive want a new Ferrari.
 Maybe it is more practical for them to learn to drive on the old family Ford, and move up to the
race car as their skill level (and income!) increases. The same holds true of mushroom growing.
It is a lot easier (and cheaper!) to start out growing Oyster mushrooms, then graduate to other
species as both your skill level and available equipment grows. So the remainder of this
discussion will focus on Oyster mushrooms for the most part, although the general concepts hold
true for other species as well.
22.
23. Based on the teachings of some of the common books available today, many people start growing
mushrooms by soaking straw in hot water for a pasteurization step. This system works, although
it is our least favorite of all the pasteurization methods for many reasons, all going back to the
basic goals of The Production of High Volume of Mushrooms at a Low Cost. The hot water
method is difficult, costly and all too often does not produce 100%+ BE. We prefer the cold
pasteurization methods because we are lazy, cheap, and do not like wrestling large bundles of
hot wet straw. And oh yeah, did I mention it always yields a higher BE?
24.
25. Cold Pasteurization Methods:
26.
27. It is necessary to pasteurize or sterilize your substrate prior to inoculating it with spawn. The
decision of pasteurizing verses sterilizing depends on both your substrate and your species
grown. In general, if you have a low nutrient value substrate like paper, cardboard, or straw, then
pasteurization is sufficient and far cheaper than true sterilization. Sawdust varies in nutrient value,
and can sometimes work well with a simple pasteurization step, and sometimes needs to be
sterilized. For those that say Shiitake cannot be grown on pasteurized straw, I encourage you to
look at this short Write-Up from a grower in San Diego who grows Shiitake quite successfully on
straw. Since Straw works the best for Oyster Mushrooms, I will describe the process on straw:
28.
29. To do a cold pasteurization step, you will need to soak your straw in a solution that will hydrate
the straw and kill off the majority of single celled organisms present. There are a number of things
you can use for this, but by far the best is hydrated lime. The exact concentration is not critical,
just a big double handful in a 55 gallon drum of water. Then submerge your straw, weight it down
so it does not float, and wait 12 to 24 hrs. No longer, as you do not want to develop a bunch of
lime resistant organisms, between 16 and 18 hrs is perfect. After soaking, drain the excess water,
bag the straw and inoculate it with your spawn. Works great, the typical BE is 150% to 175%, and
the quality of the fruit bodies are better than with the hot water method.
30.
31. Here are the tips on what lime to use:
32.
33. Lime Types and Usage in Mushroom Farming
34.
35. The term "Lime" is widely used in English, and the same term often refers to different materials.
So an explanation of different types of lime and their usage is in order:
36.
37. 1) Calcium Carbonate lime - this is limestone, marble, chalk, eggshell, coral or oyster shell. This
material is used as a pH buffer in substrate and media. This type of lime does not cause a major
change in pH, but acts as a buffer, that is it holds the pH steady as the mushrooms grow. This is
the preferred amendment for substrate to ensure the substrate does not go too acid during the
growth cycle. THIS TYPE LIME WILL NOT WORK FOR PASTURIZING!
38.
39. 2) Calcium Hydroxide or Hydrated Lime, also known as Quicklime. This is used for pH increase
and is used primarily for pasteurizing or sterilizing substrate. Many mushrooms do not grow well
if this type of lime is added to the substrate, and is therefore NOT used for amending the substrate,
it is used only for pasteurization, through the mechanism of rapid pH change. Adding about 3
pounds of hydrated lime (a big double handful) to a barrel of water will yield a high pH, around pH
12-13, which is sufficient to pasteurize straw in about 4-6 hrs.
40.
41. Hydrated Lime is made by burning limestone (calcium carbonate) which converts it to Calcium
Hydroxide. The starting material can be any of the calcium carbonate sources, or the raw material
source can by Dolomite Lime, which has a high magnesium content. When Hydrated Lime is
made from Dolomite, it is often called "Builders Lime" and is used in the concrete industry. High
Magnesium Lime or Builders Lime WILL NOT WORK for growing mushrooms. When you
purchase Hydrated Lime for pasteurization of your substrate, make sure it is the High Calcium
Lime (90% or more calcium - usually about 95-96% calcium). If the bag says high magnesium, or
states a percentage of magnesium anything over 10%, do not use it. The high magnesium will
stunt the mushroom growth.
42.
43. A correct type of lime for pasteurizing straw
44.

45.
46.
47. There is another material often called Agricultural Lime, Dolomite Lime or just Dolomite. This has
high Magnesium and WILL NOT WORK for growing mushrooms.
48.
49. Gypsum is not lime, it is Calcium Sulfate, and is used for other purposes. It does not change pH
significantly or act as a buffer. It is used to modify the physical properties of the substrate. It also
adds some metabolic sulfur to the substrate.
50.
51. Soap is also a good pasteurizing agent. What kind of soap? Almost any will work, we like the
cheapest dish detergent on sale at the store, or a washing powder like Tide, or pretty much any
soap. Make up a good strong soap solution, soak 12 to 24 hrs, and drain the excess water and
inoculate. The Oyster Mushrooms use the straw and the soap both as a food source, and there
is no residue soap left in the mushrooms, it is all bio-converted into mushroom tissue.
52.
53. Another good pasteurizing agent is wood ashes. Works just the same as lime or soap, and the
BEs are a bit higher than either. For a PDF presentation on the ash pasteurization method, Click
Here [PDF]
54.
55. I hope this little write up helps understand some of your options. Take a look at these photos of
an Oyster farm below that we consulted for. This farm uses only lime pasteurization, they
consistently have 150% BE, They have zero contamination, and have a production capacity of
5000 lbs a month. All this with no heat at all just a lime soak. Cheap and Effective and Profitable
fulfilling all the goals set out above.
56.
57. For more info on this subject, read the paper at http://www.alohaecowas.com/diversified-
agriculture-part1.html
58.
59. We are pleased to offer consultation service to help you get your farm started or back on track,
either by telephone or on site. If you are interested in this service, please call John at (775) 886-
6300 or emailjohn@alohamedicinals.com.
60.
61. Lime Pasteurized Straw Farm:
62. Look at the Elmalini miniature oyster strain developed through a unique method, a very
marketable mushroom! This is the Elm A strain of Pleurotus ulmarius.
63.
64.
65.
66. For more information and to contact this farm, see http://simplymanna.com
67.
68. For all of you formulators - Aloha Medicinals also offers bulk powder ingredients for use
in your formulations, which are 100% USDA and EU Certified Organic. Call our customer
service representative at (775) 886-6300 for more information and to place your order
today!
69.
70.
71. 2.1K

72. Bookmark this page into your favorite bookmark manager. Or press (CTRL-D)
73.
74. NOTE: Regardless of how our products may be used in other countries, or anything that
you may have heard or read about Aloha Medicinals products, under FDA law in the United
States it is illegal for a manufacturer to make any medical claims for health supplements.
None of the products offered for sale on our website or direct to retail consumers are
intended to be used in the treatment or mitigation of any disease state. All statements made
by Aloha Medicinals Inc. are intended for informational purposes only. The statements made
here have not been evaluated by the FDA, and our products are not intended to diagnose,
treat, cure or prevent any disease. Health decisions are much too important to be made
without the advice of a health care practitioner. As with any dietary or herbal supplement,
you should advise your health care practitioner of the use of this product. If you are nursing,
 pregnant, or considering pregnancy, you should consult your health care practitioner prior
to using any health supplement product.

GUIDELINES FOR FORMULATION OF PROJECT PROPOSAL FOR MUSHROOM FARMING

Introduction
Mushrooms have been valued throughout the world as both food and medicine for thousands of years. They
are a rich source of nutrition and form a major chunk of health foods. Fats occur in mushrooms in minor amounts,
especially compared with protein and carbohydrates, and the fatty fraction consists predominantly of unsaturated
fatty acids such as linoleic acid, they may be the perfect food for maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular
system. Earlier Mushroom eating was restricted to specific regions and areas of the world but due to globalization,
interaction between different cultures, growing consumerism has ensured the accessibility of Mushrooms in all
areas. Mushrooms are increasingly gaining acceptance in different Cusines and in everday consumption. They have
created a space in a common mans kitchen. Also, current trend of consumption conveys the opportunity that lies
in the area of mushroom exports.
The two most commonly grown species of mushroom in India are white Button mushroom and Oyster mushroom.
Most of the production of white button mushroom in our country is seasonal. The cultivation is done using
conventional methods. Usually, unpasteurized compost is used, hence yields are very low. However, in recent
years, yield of mushroom has increased as a result of introduction of improved agronomic practices. Cultivation of
the common white button mushroom requires technical skill. Apart from other factors, the system requires
humidity, two different temperatures i.e. Temperature for spawn or vegetative growth (Spawn Run): 22-280C, for
reproductive Phase (fruit body formation): 15-180, Humidity: 85-95% and enough ventilation during substrates
that are sterilized are easily contaminated unless spawned under very aseptic conditions. Therefore steaming at
1000 C (pasteurization) is more acceptable.
Pleurotus is the scientific name for Oyster mushroom. In many parts of India, it is known as Dhingri. This
mushroom includes many species e.g. Pleurotus ostreatus, P. sajor-caju, P. florida, P. sapidus, P. flabellatus,
P. eryngii and many other edible species. Mushroom growing is an occupation requiring perseverance, patience,
intelligent observation and a skill that can be developed only through intelligent experience.
Pleurotus mushroom requires a temperature of 20oC to 30oC, both for its vegetative growth (spawn run) and
reproductive phase, i.e. for formation of fruit bodies. The suitable cultivation period at high altitude - 1100-1500
meters above mean sea level is March to October, mid altitude - 600-1100 meters above mean sea level is
February to May & September to November and at Low altitude - Below 600 meters above mean sea level is
October to March.

Materials Required
1. Paddy Straw Fresh golden yellow paddy straw free from moulds and properly stored in a dry place not
exposed to rain.
2. Plastic Sheet of 400 gauge thickness 1 sq. m. of plastic sheet is required for making one block.
3. Wooden Mould Wooden Mould of 45X30X15 cms size each having no top or bottom but having a separate
wooden cover 44X29 cms dimension.
4. Hand Chopper or Chaff cutter for cutting the straw.
5. Drum for boiling straw (minimum two).
6. Jute rope, coconut rope or plastic ropes
7. Gunny bags.
8. Spawn or mushroom culture which can be obtained from the Office of the Assistant
Pathologist, Mushroom Development Center for each block.
9. One sprayer.
10. Straw Storage Shed -10X8m size.

Process:
Compost Preparation
Agricultural by products like cereal straw (wheat, barley, paddy, oat and rice), maize stalks, hay,
sugarcane bagasse or any other cellulose wastes can be used for compost preparation. Wheat straw should be
freshly harvested, shining yellow in colour and should not have been exposed to rains. The straw should be in about
5-8cm long pieces, otherwise heap prepared by long straw would be less compact which may lead to improper
fermentation. Conversely; too short straw makes heap too compact to allow enough oxygen to enter the centre of
the heap and lead to anaerobic fermentation. Wheat straw or any of the above materials provide
cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin, which are utilized by the mushroom mycelium as the carbon source. These
materials also provide physical structure to the substrate needed to ensure proper aeration during composting for
the build up of microflora, which is essential for the fermentation. Rice and barley straw are very soft, degrade
very quickly during composting and also absorb more water as compared to wheat straw. While using these
substrates, care should, therefore, be taken on the quantity of water to be used, schedule of turnings and
adjustment to the rate and type of supplements. Since the byproducts used in composting do not have adequate
nitrogen and other components required for the fermentation process, compounding mixture is supplemented with
the nitrogen and carbohydrates, to start this process.

Spawning
Spawning is mixing of spawn infor optimum and timely yields. Optimum dose for spawn ranges between 0.5 and
0.75% of fresh weight of compost. Lower rates result in slow spread of mycelium and chances for diseases and
competitors may increase. Higher rates may increase cost of spawning and very high rate of spawn sometimes
results in unusual heating of compost.
The optimum temperature for growth of A. bisporus is 230 (+) () 20 C. Relative humidity in growing room should
range from 85-90% during spawn-run.

Harvesting
Usually 3 to 4 days after opening the bags, mushroom primordia begin to form. Mature mushrooms become ready
for harvesting in another 2 to 3 days. An average biological efficiency (fresh weight of mushrooms harvested divided
by air-dry substrate weight x 100) can range between 80 to 150% and sometimes even more. To harvest the
mushrooms, they are grasped by the stalk and gently twisted and pulled. A knife should not be used. The
mushrooms remain fresh for up to 3 to 6 days in a refrigerator/cool place.

Mushroom house / rooms.

Cube preparing Room
An ideal room should have an R.C.C. floor, well ventilated and dried. An R.C.C. platform of 2 cms. height should
be constructed inside the room for placing the wooden frame, for making cube and another R.C.C. platform,
according to necessity for draining of pasteurized bags of straw. Only those materials needed for cube making are
to be kept inside the room. Care should be taken to allow inside the room, only persons preparing the cubes.

Incubation Room
A room for spawn running. This room can be either an R.C.C. building or an Assam type room (i.e., any
separate room in the house) and should be installed with shelves made of clean whole bamboo in three tiers for
keeping the block. The first tier should be 100cms above the ground and the other tiers should be at least 60cms
apart.

Cropping Room
An ideal house/room would be an R.C.C. building installed with proper insulation and provisions for heating and
cooling the rooms. However, an indigenous low cost house has been recommended using locally available materials
like bamboo, thatch and mud plaster. Walls of split bamboo plastered evenly with a mixture of mud and cow dung
may be made.
In order to provide a crude insulation system, a second wall is made all around the house keeping about 15cms
space between the first wall and the second. Mud plastering should be done on the outside of the outside wall. The
air space in between the two walls will act as an insulator, since air is a bad conductor of heat. An even better
insulation could be provided if the space between the walls is filled with well dried thatch. The floor of the house
should preferably be of cement but where it is not possible, a well-beaten and plastered mud floor will suffice.
However, more care will have to be taken in case of a mud floor. The roof should be made of thick thatch layers or
preferably asbestos sheets. A false ceiling is essential to avoid contamination of unwanted materials from the thatch
roof. Besides the front door, ventilators should also be provided from both the upper and lower sides of the front
and the rear side of the room for proper exchange of air inside the room. The house/room should be installed
/framed with horizontal and vertical bamboo poles required for hanging the block after the incubation period. The
vertical poles can also be arranged in a 3 (three)-tier system as the incubation shelves. Poles should be preferably
60cms away from the walls and in between each row of three tiers, a minimum space of 1m should be maintained.
A cropping room of 3.0 X 2.5 X 2.0 m will accommodate about 35 to 40 cubes.

Method
Chop the straw either manually or mechanically into bits of 3-5cms in length and pack in gunny bags. Boil water
in a drum. When the water start boiling, place the gunny bag along with the straw in the boiling water and boil as
such for 15 to 20 minutes. Then remove the gunny bag from the drum and leave as such for 8 to 10 hrs. to drain
the excess waters and also allow the straw to cool. Care should be taken that the bag is not open till the time of
block making, as this will contaminate the boiled straw. The desirable moisture content of the straw can be tested
by squeezing the straw in between the palms, and see that droplets of water do not trickle out from the straw.
Another method of pasteurization of the straw is by steaming. This method requires little modification of the
drum. (Punch a small hole in the lid of the drum, and while boiling the straw, seal the surrounding of the lid with a
rubber tube). The chopped straw should be previously wetted and excess water drained off. Place a few stones in
the drum and pour water only at the level of the stones. Boiled the wetted straw by keeping it in a bamboo basket
and place the basket over the stones inside the drum. Close the lid of the drum and seal the rim of the lid by means
of a rubber tube. The steam generated from the boiled water will pass through the straw and pasteurize it. After
boiling, transfer the straw into a previously sterilized gunny bag and leave it as such for 8-10 hrs. for cooling.
Take a wooden frame and place on a smooth floor. Place jute ropes, two vertically and one horizontally. Line the
frame with a plastic sheet, previously sterilized by dipping in boiled water.

- Fill approximately 5cms of boiled straw and compress it with the help of a wooden lid and sprinkle spawn over
the whole surface.
- After the first layer of spawning, put another 5cms of straw and again sprinkle spawn over the surface,
compress it as in the first layer. In this way, continue to sprinkle spawn over the layer of straw for 4 to 6 layers
till the straw is in level with the top of the frame. Only (1) one packet of spawn should be used for one cube
or block.
- The plastic sheet is now folded over the top of the frame and tied down with help of jute ropes previously
placed below the plastic.
- After tying, the frame can be removed and what is left behind is a rectangular block of straw.
- Punch holes (2mm diameter) on all sides of the block for aeration.
- Place the block in an incubation room, side by side in shelves in single layer only taking care that they are not
place directly on the floor or on the top of each other as this will generate excess heat.
- The temperature of the block should be maintained at 250 C. This can be noted by inserting a thermometer
into the holes of the block. If the temperature rises above 250 C, it is advisable to aerate the room, and if
the temperature falls, the room should be slowly heated up.
- It takes 12 to15 days for the spawn to spread throughout the straw and when the entire block has been
completely white, it is a sign that spawn running is over.
- After spawn running, remove the ropes as well as the plastic sheet from the block. Tie the block vertically with
coconut rope and hang it in a cropping room. From this stage onwards, the relative humidity of the room
should not be less than 85%. This can be maintained by periodically spraying water on the walls and floor of
the room. If it is a cemented floor, it is advisable to pour water on the floor so that water always remains on
the floor. If the block shows signs of drying light, spraying can be done with the help of sprayer.
- Within a week to 10 days, tiny pinheads will be seen on the surface of the block and these will grow into full-
size mushrooms within a day or two.
- When fruits bodies start forming, the requirement of air is increased. Therefore, once fruit bodies start forming,
it is essential that there is an exchange of fresh air every 6 to 12 hrs, by opening the ventilator provided at
the front and backside of the room.
- The fruits bodies (mushrooms) are ready for picking just when the periphery of the caps starts turning upward.
This will be evident as small crinkles appear on the side of the piles (cap). To harvest the mushrooms, take
hold of the stripe (stalk) at the base with thumb and forefinger and with a gentle anti-clockwise twist, detach
the mushroom from the straw without disturbing the straw or any small mushroom growing alongside. Do not
use knife or scissors for harvesting. The block will again come to fruiting after about a week.

Yield
Mushrooms appear in flushes. About 2 to 3 flushes may be harvested from a single cube. The yield of the first
flush is more and then gradually decreases, giving a total yield of 1.5 kg to 2 kg of fresh mushroom from one cube.
Then the cube is discarded and dump in a pit situated far from the cropping room or can be used as manure in a
garden or field.

Preservation
Mushroom can be consumed fresh or may be dried. Since they are highly perishable in nature, it is necessary to
preserve the product for further use or for distant marketing. The oldest and cheapest method of preserving oyster
mushroom is by sun drying.
Hot air drying is effectively used, whereby mushrooms are dried in the equipment called "Dehydrator" (a
locally designed equipment). Mushrooms are placed in wire netted racks fitted in a closed chamber and hot air
(500 C 550 C) is passed through the rack for about 7 to 8 hrs. After drying the mushroom, it can be stored in air-
tight containers or sealed in poly bags for 6 to 8 months. After complete drying, the mushroom are reduce to about
1/13th of their fresh weight which may vary depending upon the variety. The dried mushroom can be easily re-
hydrated when soaked in warm water.

Diseases and Pests

A number of diseases and pests may attack the mushroom crop if left un-cared.
Disease
1. Green mould (Trichoderma viridae): It is the most common disease in oyster mushroom where
green coloured patches are observed on cubes.
 Control : Dip a cotton swab in formalin solution (4%) and scrapped off the affected area. If the fungus attacks
more than half of the cube then the entire cube should be discarded. Care should be taken that the
contaminated cube is burnt or buried in a place far from the cropping room to avoid re-infection.
Insects
2. Flies: Scarid flies, Phorid flies, Cecid flies are found to be attracted to mushroom and odour of spawn. They
lay eggs on the straw or mushrooms, and the larva emerging from them damage the crop. Larva feed on the
mycelium, mushroom and penetrate inside the fruiting bodies making it unfit for consumption.
Control: To check entry of adult flies during the cropping period, screen the doors, windows or ventilators, if
any with 30mesh nylon or wire net. Use fly-trap or repellent in mushroom house.
3. Mites: These are very thin, small crawling insects that appear on the mushroom body. They are not damaging,
but annoyed the grower when present in large numbers.
Control: Maintain a hygienic condition of the house as well as its surroundings.
4. Slugs, Snails: These pests chew up portion of the mushroom which may later get infected with bacteria and
affect the quality of the crop.
Control: Remove the pests from the cubes and kill them. Maintain hygienic conditions.
Other Pests
5. Rodents: The attack by rodents is found mostly in low cost mushroom house (mud house). They eat the grain
spawn and make holes inside the cubes.
Control: Use rat poison bait in the mushroom house. Burrow of rats should be close down with glass pieces
and plaster.
6. Ink caps (Coprinus spp.): It is a weed of mushroom that develop on the cubes before cropping begins. They
subsequently disintegrate into a black sliming mass at maturity.
Control: Physical removal of Coprinus from the cube is the only control measure recommended.

Precautions
"Prevention is better than cure" is the fundamental motto of mushroom growing since it is a very delicate crop
and curative measures are often difficult. The mushroom itself being a fungus, when fungal diseases appear, it is
often very difficult to control as the chemicals used against the disease may affect the mushroom itself. Thus,
infinite care has to be exercised from the very start to discourage the entry of any foreign "germs" or contamination.
The following precautions should not be over-looked :

The very first requirement in mushroom growing is sanitation and hygienic conditions. Most of the problems
in mushroom growing arise due to improper hygiene:
1. The room where mushrooms are to be grown should be thoroughly washed and then whitewashed with lime.
The floor should also be limed.
2. The surrounding of the house should be devoid of stagnant drains, shrubs and other weeds as
these harbour harmful diseases and insect pests.
3. At the entry of every room, there should be a trough filled with 2% formalin solution, wherein the shoes or feet
must be dipped before entering the room.
4. The workers should be clean and preferably wear clean overalls.
5. No trash or surplus straw etc. should be left around the house.
6. In case of contamination, the contaminated block should be remove to a spot well away from the house and
buried in a pit or burnt.
7. At the end of every cropping process, the room should be washed again and white- washed and fumigated with
formalin.
8. The plastic sheets should be washed thoroughly and then soaked in 2% formalin as a final wash and then dried
out, after every lot is removed.
9. Any fallen bits of straw or mushroom should not be left on the floor of the room. Cleaning and cutting off of the
base of the mushroom stalk should be done outside the growing room and properly disposed off.
10. Broken pieces of the mushroom stalk, while harvesting, should not be left on the blocks. If the stalk breaks, it
should be removed entirely from the bed.
11. Clean straw is important for mushroom growing. While preparing the block, care should be taken that it is
properly compressed. The more the compression, the better will be the spawn running.
12. Excessive moisture at any stage of growth is harmful. The environment should be damp but not wet. For this
reason a sprayer with a very fine nozzle is advisable to avoid large droplets. Excessive moisture will invite
unwanted contaminants, which will be a hindrance, and in many cases will be serious competitors to the
mushroom spawn.
13. While raising the temperature of the room, when required, care should be taken that there is no sudden rise in
temperature. The temperature should be raised gradually till it attains the required level.
14. When placing the block for spawn running do not place them on top of each other, otherwise this will generate
excess heat. Place the blocks side by side in single layers only.
15. The block should not be left un-opened in the plastic for more than 24 hours after the spawn has completely
impregnated the straw.
16. There should be gentle exchange of air in the room with fresh air. Wind current cause drying and formation of
malformed mushroom.

Objectives
The main focus of the project should be motivation, Training, Information dissemination, Technical and Financial
assistance for preparation of culture/spawn cultivation, harvesting, storage, processing, packaging, marketing
linkages with farmers to increase employment opportunities and generating income.

The project should include one or all of the following activities

1. Awareness generation, motivation and involvement of farmers in cultivation of Mushrooms.

2. The Project should target at providing technical training to women, small, marginal and landless
farmers, rural youth etc.
3. Providing technical and financial assistance to the farmers for developing Spawn/culture centers.
4. Information dissemination to the farmers, tribals about the market available for different varieties of Mushrooms.
Identification and arrangement of suitable market for the collected produce.
5. Conducting meetings/ seminars/ workshops for providing common platform for farmers and marketers.
6. Documentation and publication of useful information concerning preparation of Spawn/culture, techniques of
cultivation of various types of mushroom, their semi-processing and preservation, quality control packaging
and marketing.
7. Networking and collaboration among the various stakeholders dealing with Mushroom Cultivation and
marketing.

Eligibility
Voluntary Organisation working in rural areas with a legal status of a society registered for 3 years under Societies
Registration Act XXI, 1860 or any corresponding state Act or a Trust registered under Indian Trust Act, 1882 or the
Charitable and Religious Trusts Act, 1920 will be eligible for financial assistance subject to the condition that:-
The VO should have a nationalised Bank or Post Office A/c for last three years.
The VO should be working in rural areas, even if the Hqrs. are in urban area.
The VO should possess Permanent Account Number (PAN) of Income Tax Department.
The VO should not be under funding restriction.

Criteria for project assistance:-

1) The mushroom farming activities will be extended to the farmers in general and small and marginal
farmers in particular by eligible and competent voluntary organizations, who will provide technical and
supervisory support to the farmers.
2) The project proposal should be short-term result oriented in nature, normally upto 1 to 2 years.

Preparation and submission of project proposal

The project proposal should be prepared on the lines of the format prescribed by CAPART. The objectives of the
proposal should be precise and well defined indicating the likely benefits to be derived and specified the category
of beneficiaries. The action programmes and methodology of implementation of the activities should be as detailed
as possible and clear outlining the work allocation and time schedule of each activity. Two copies of the project
proposal complete in all respects with organizational profile, Registration Certificate, certified photocopy of
Memorandum and Bye-laws and, Audited Statement of Accounts, Annual Report, Bank/Post Office Accounts of last
three years and Permanent Account Number of the Organization should be forwarded to CAPARTs Regional
Committee for project costing upto 20 lakhs, and Budget above Rs. 20 Lakhs to the CAPART head Quarters New
Delhi.

Economics:
An average yield of 2 kgs per cube (45 X 30 X 15 cms ) are expected from a well maintained mushroom
house, although in some cases, an average yield of 3 kgs per cube are obtained. The prevailing market rate of
fresh Pleurotusmushroom range from Rs. 50/- to Rs. 60/- per kg and the present estimated overall cost of
production is approximately at Rs. 25/-per kg. Hence the farmer obtains a 100% profit from Pleurotus mushroom
cultivation
a) Infrastructure/equipment/materials:
300 sq.ft. thatched shed and erection of 6 tier : Rs. 10,000-00
bamboo racks- material support.
Cost of trays for mushroom beds and other : Rs. 5,000-00
Covering
materials. : Rs. 15,000-00
Operational Costs
Cost of substrates (straws etc) per year :7,000-00
Cost of plastic bags for packing products/year:1,500-00
Cost of Spawns/year :6,000-00
Miscellaneous costs (Chemical etc.) : 1,500-00

_________

16,000-00

The Spawn Unit will prepare spawns and distribute to the 20 cultivators and collect/purchase their products
for collective local marketing. The expenses in this regard would be:

1. Infrastructure/equipment/materials:
i) 40 x 10 floor area shed @ Rs. 150/- per sq.ft: 60,000-00
ii) A 22 liter pressure cooker : 40,000-00
iii) LPG Gas cylinder & stove : 9,000-00
iv) Miscellaneous utensils/accessories : 2,000-00

___________

75,000-00
2. Operational Costs:
i) first Generation Spawns in glass glucose bottles:
FGS x 25 Cycles = 200 FGS @ Rs. 70/- : 14,000-00
ii) Tissue Culture in Glass Test Tubes 3 Beds X 20 cultivators
= 60 Beds x 14 days per cycles
308 second generation spawns in polypropylene
pouches ( 104 Tissue Culture yearly x Rs. 100/- : 10,400-00
iii Polypropylene bags @ Rs. 250 x 26 cycles : : 6,500-00
Cost of 2800 Kg. Jowar/Wheat grains
required for culturing 26 cycles @ Rs. 10/- per Kg.
iv) Cost of other chemical components &
miscellaneous expenses

1. THE PROPOSED BUDGET:

A. Capital Investment Credit Support:

1. The Beneficiaries:
Credit Investment Support to 20 identified
Beneficiaries @ Rs. 20,000/- per beneficiary Rs. 4,00,000-00
(Rs. 20000/- x 20) vide illustration 4.3 above

2. The Spawn Center:

Infrastructure costs, operational costs
and purchase credit capital as detailed Rs. 2,10,900-00
under 4.3 above. Rs.
6,10,900-00

B. Operational Grants:
1. Training for the identical 20 beneficiaries Rs. 10,000-00
in scientific Topical Mushroom Cultivation
2. Salary for a Coordinator of the project @
Rs. 5000/- per month Rs. 60,000-00
(Rs. 5000 x 12 months)
3. Technical & /Resource support from expert Rs: 10,000-00
4. Administrative expenses 10% of the
total budget ( Communications, stationers Rs. 87,600-00
and contributory establishment costs)
Grand Total Rs.
7,78,500-00

Project Proposal Components: -

 The project proposal is prepared as per the ARTS guidelines.

The proposed activities and methodologies should be specified such as:

1. Awareness Generation and Motivation
2. Training
3. Cultivation
Compost preparation
Preparation Of mushroom House / Rooms-Cube Preparing Room /Incubation room/
Cropping Room
Spawn /Culture

4. Semi-processing/ Packaging
5. Marketing
6. Documentation and Publication
7. Staff Salaries
8. Travel/TA/DA
9. Equipment
10. Contingencies/Unforeseen Expenses

9. Budget

(i) Infrastructure (shed etc.)
(ii) Equipment(trays,polythene bags ,cylinders,Drums etc)
(iii) Raw Materials and Supplies (Straw Chemicals etc).
(iv)Awareness and Training
(v) Salaries(Technical support/consultancy/supervisor/extension worker)
(vi) Processing and Packaging
(vii)Marketing Linkage
(viii)Unforseen/Miscellaneous
(ix) Administrative Expenses

Resource Institutions
1. Peermade Development Society
Peermade, Idukki,
Kerala

2. Himalaya Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization (HESCO)

Ghisarpadi, PO Mehuwala via Majra,
District Dehradun 248001
Uttaranchal.

3. Mitra Niketan
PO-Mitraniketan
Vallanad 695543
Kerala

4. Indian Agriculture Research Institute

New Delhi.

om Production / Button mushroom production

 Share
Views

Button mushroom production

Agro-climatic Requirements
In India, button mushrooms are grown seasonally and in environment controlled cropping houses. White button
mushroom requires 20-280 C for vegetative growth (spawn run) and 12-180 C for reproductive growth. Besides
that it requires relative humidity of 80-90% and enough ventilation during cropping. Seasonally, it is grown
during the winter months in the north-west plains of India and for 8-10 months in a year on the hills. However,
with the advent of modern cultivation technology it is now possible to cultivate this mushroom anywhere in
India.

The growers can take on average 3-4 crops of white button mushrooms in a year depending upon the type and
varieties cultivated. Factors affecting the yield of the crop both in terms of quality and quantity are incidence of
pests/pathogens and non-availability of pure quality of spawn.

Growing and Potential Belts

The major producing states are Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Maharashtra, Andhra
Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Varieties / Strains
Ooty 1 and Ooty (BM) 2 (released in 2002) are the two strains of button mushrooms released for commercial
cultivation by the scientists of Horticulture Research Station of the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University at
Vijayanagaram, Ooty. The strains which are mostly cultivated in India are S-11, TM-79 and Horst H3.

Cultivation Technology
The whole process of mushroom production can be divided into the following steps: Spawn production
Compost preparation Spawning Spawn running Casing Fruiting

Spawn Production
Spawn is produced from fruiting culture / stocks of selected strains of mushrooms under sterile conditions.
Stock culture may be produced in the lab or may be obtained from other reputed sources. Fruiting culture is
mainly imported from various places including foreign sources which give higher yield than Indian strains and
the spawn is produced in the lab. The spawn should be of good quality in terms of flavour, texture and size
apart from having potential for high yield and longer shelf life.
Compost Preparation
The substrate on which button mushroom grows is mainly prepared from a mixture of plant wastes (cereal
straw/ sugarcane bagasse etc.), salts (urea , superphosphate / gypsum etc), supplements (rice bran/ wheat
bran) and water. In order to produce 1 kg.of mushroom, 220 g. of dry substrate materials are required. It is
recommended that each ton of compost should contain 6.6 kg. nitrogen, 2.0 kg. phosphate and 5.0 kg. of
potassium (N:P:K- 33: 10:25) which would get converted into 1.98% N, 0.62% P and 1.5% K on a dry weight
basis. The ratio of C: N in a good substrate should be 25-30 : 1 at the time of staking and 16-17 : 1 in the case
of final compost.
a. Short Method of composting
During the first phase of compost preparation, paddy straw is placed in layers and sufficient water is added to
the stack along with fertilizers, wheat bran, molasses etc. The whole thing is mixed thoroughly with the straw
and made into a stack (almost 5feet high,5 feet wide and of any length can be made with the help of wooden
boards). The stack is turned and again watered on the second day. On the fourth day the stack is again turned
for the second time by adding gypsum and watered. The third and final turning is given on the twelveth day
when the colour of the compost changes into dark brown and it starts emitting a strong smell of ammonia. The
second phase is the pasteurization phase .The compost prepared as a result of microbe mediated fermentation
process needs to be pasteurized in order to kill undesirable microbes and competitors and to convert ammonia
into microbial protein.The whole process is carried out inside a steaming room where an air temperature of 600
C is maintained for 4 hours. The compost finally obtained should be granular in structure with 70% moisture
content and pH 7.5. It should have a dark brown colour, sweet unobnoxious smell and free from ammonia,
insects and nematodes. After the process is complete, the substrate is cooled down to 250 C.
b. Long Method of composting
The long method of composting is usually practiced in areas where facilities for steam pasteurization is not
available. In this method, the first turning is given about six days after preparation of the substrate for
composting. The second turning is given on the tenth day followed by third one on the thirteenth day when
gypsum is added. The fourth, fifth and sixth turnings are given on the sixteenth, nineteenth and twenty-second
day. On the twenty-fifth day the seventh turning is given by adding 10% BHC (125 g.) and the eighth turning is
given on the twenty-eighth day after which it is checked whether there is any smell of ammonia present in the
compost. The compost is ready for spawning only if it doesnt have any smell of ammonia; otherwise a few
more turnings are given at an interval of three days till there is no smell of ammonia.

Spawning
The process of mixing spawn with compost is called spawning. The different methods followed for spawning
are given below:
(i) Spot Spawning: Lumps of spawn are planted in 5 cm. deep holes made in the compost at a distance of 20-
25 cm. The holes are later covered with compost.
(ii) Surface Spawning: The spawn is evenly spread in the top layer of the compost and then mixed to a depth
of 3-5 cm. The top portion is covered with a thin layer of compost.
(iii) Layer Spawning: About 3-4 layers of spawn mixed with compost are prepared which is again covered with
a thin layer of compost like in surface spawning. The spawn is mixed through the whole mass of compost at the
rate of 7.5 ml./ kg. Compost or 500 to 750 g./ 100 kg. compost (0.5 to 0.75%).

Spawn Running
After the spawning process is over, the compost is filled in polythene bags(90x90 cm., 150 gauge thick having
a capacity of 20-25 kg. per bag)/ trays(mostly wooden trays 1x1/2 m. accommodating 20-30 kg. compost) /
shelves which are either covered with a newspaper sheet or polythene. The fungal bodies grow out from the
spawn and take about two weeks (12-14 days) to colonise. The temperature maintained in cropping room is 23
20 C. Higher temperature is detrimental for growth of the spawn and any temperature below than that
specified for the purpose would result in slower spawn run. The relative humidity should be around 90% and a
higher than normal CO2 concentration would be beneficial.

Casing
The compost beds after complete spawn run should be covered with a layer of soil (casing) about 3-4 cm. thick
to induce fruiting. The casing material should be having high porosity, water holding capacity and the pH should
range between 7-7.5. Peat moss which is considered to be the best casing material is not available in India, as
such the mixtures like garden loam soil and sand (4:1); decomposed cowdung and loam soil (1:1) and spent
compost (2-3 years old); sand and lime are commonly used. The casing soil before application should be either
pasteurized (at 66-700 C for 7-8 hours), treated with formaldehyde (2%), formaldehyde (2%) and bavistin (75
ppm.) or steam sterilized. The treatment needs to be done at least 15 days before the material is used for
casing. After casing is done the temperature of the room is again maintained at 23-280 C and relative humidity
of 85-90% for another 8-10 days. Low CO2 concentration is favourable for reproductive growth at this stage.

Fruiting
Under favourable environmental conditions viz. temperature (initially 23 20 C for about a week and then 16
20 C ), moisture (2-3 light sprays per day for moistening the casing layer), humidity( above 85%), proper
ventilation and CO2 concentration (0.08-0.15 %) the fruit body initials which appear in the form of pin heads
start growing and gradually develop into button stage.

Pest & Diseases

The insect pests mostly observed are nematodes, mites and springtails. The crop is suspect to several
diseases like Dry Bubble (brown spot), Wet Bubble (White Mould), Cobweb, Green Mould, False truffle (Truffle
disease), Olive green mould, Brown plaster mould and Bacterial blotch. Professional help and extension advice
will have to sought by the entrepreneur to adopt appropriate and timely control measures against pests &
diseases.

Harvesting and Yield

Harvesting is done at button stage and caps measuring 2.5 to 4 cm. across and closed are ideal for the
purpose. The first crop appears about three weeks after casing. Mushrooms need to be harvested by light
twisting without disturbing the casing soil. Once the harvesting is complete, the gaps in the beds should be
filled with fresh sterilized casing material and then watered. About 10-14 kg. fresh mushrooms per 100 kg. fresh
compost can be obtained in two months crop. Short method used for preparation of compost under natural
conditions gives more yield (15-20 kg. per 100 kg. compost). Post harvest management

Post harvest management

Short Term Storage

Button mushrooms are highly perishable. Harvested mushrooms are cut at the soil line and washed in a
solution of 5g. KMS in 10L. of water for removing the soil particles as well as to induce whiteness. After
removing excess water these are packed in perforated poly bags each containing around 250-500 g. of
mushrooms. They can be stored in polythene bags at 4-50 C for a short period of 3-4 days. The mushrooms
are usually packed in unlabelled simple polythene or polypropylene for retail sale. Bulk packaging does not
exist. In developed countries, modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) and controlled atmosphere packaging
(CAP) are in vogue.

Long Term Storage

White button mushrooms are not usually dried by common procedures used in case of oyster, paddy and
shitake mushrooms. Canning is the most popular method of preserving the white button mushrooms and
sizeable quantity of canned produce are exported to international markets. Besides that, freeze drying, IQF and
pickling are also practiced by some units.
Source: Directorate of Mushroom Research, Indian Council of Agriculture Research , Chambaghat- 173213,
Solan, Himachal Pradesh
 MAJOR EDIBLE MUSHROOMS OF INDIAN SUBCONTINENT
1. PADDY STRAW MUSHROOM (Volvariella volvacea)

2. GREY OYSTER (Pleurotus Sajor caju)

3. TREE OR PEARL OYSTER (Pleurotus ostreatus)

4. BUTTON MUSHROOM (Agaricus bisporus)
5. Milky Mushroom (Calocybe indica)

6. SHIITAKE MUSHROOM (Lentinula edodes)

7. WINTER MUSHROOM (Flammulina velutipes)
8. BLACK EAR (Auricularia auricular)

NUTRITIVE VALUES OF DIFFERENT EDIBLE MUSHROOM

 IMPORTANCE OF MUSHROOM CULTIVATION
Mushroom as a Source of Protein and other Food Nutrient
Unique Flavour and Exotic Taste
Medicinal Properties
Easy and Simple Production Procedure
Labour Intensive Method of Cultivation
Absence of Crop Competition
Suitable Enterprise for Farm Ladies
Utilization of Agro-Wastes in Mushroom Cultivation
Export Potential

Required Ingredients :
1) Paddy Straw : Straw of local paddy is usually good for paddy straw mushroom
cultivation. Specially straw from paddy variety with white primodia, narrow, stiff and un-
threshed(by bullock or tractor) is required. Paddy straw when trodden by bullocks or tractor,
loose stiffness and easily rots when it comes in contact with water, gets compressed which is
not good for mushroom mycelia growth. As such straw obtained through harvesting by beating
the straw bundles with hand are always good for mushroom cultivation. Only the top and
panicle portion is removed. Paddy straw should be harvested leaving only 4 to 6 from the
ground level. This is because on fungal species is found at the base portion which caused
rotting and contamination of the straw subsequently. Paddy straw from variety C.R.1014,
1242, 141, T90, is good for preparing mushroom beds.A mushroom bed of 2 feet length, 2 ft
wide and 2 ft height is prepared from 10 to 20 bundles of straw as per the thickness of the
straw bundles. First hold on the top of straw bundle and loosen the binding of the straw bundle
by doing so the leaves come out. If leaves will remain, it will hold more water for long time
and cause rotting of the straw soon.

2) Mushroom Spawn: For one bed of mushroom 250 to 350 gm of mushroom spawn (seed)
required. The culture should be free from infection.

3) Nutrition : For cultivation of paddy straw mushroom, powder of bengalgram, lentil,

horsegram, red gram, blackgram or green gram and wheat bran and paddy husk is used.
Powder obtained from bengalgram with its seed coat gives more yield form powder of
bengalgram with seed coat.

Material required to prepare one bed of

Mushroom :
Straw bundle :- 15-20 bundles of straw OR 15 kg (as per thickness of bundle)

Mushroom Spawn(Seed) :- One bottle Or 350 gm

Nutrition :- 250 gm of Bengal gram or red gram

Bed Size :- 2 ft x 2 ft OR 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft

Space :- 3ft x 3ft OR 4ft x 4ft ( 10 sq ft to 16 sq. ft)

Cultivation Method :
1) Remove leaves of the straw bundle and cut to 2ft size with a straw cutter. The required number
of straw bundles are soaked in a tank of clean water for 12 to 16 hours. Water from ditches,
ponds etc which are dirty should not be used. At the time of soaking use 100 ml of formalin
 and 8 grams of bavistin per 100 liters of water. Where electric heaters are available hot water
should be used for treating the straw bundles.
2) Remove the straw bundles from water and keep in standing positions for 5 to 6 hours so
as to drain out the excess water from the outside and inside the straw bundles and only 75
% moisture will remain in the straw bundles.
3) Spawn of 2 to 3 weeks should be used. Break the bottle and remove the glasses. Use cotton to
remove small glass piece if stick to the spawn. Divide the spawn to 4 equal parts and make
small pieces of spawn having size of thumb finger.
4) Use 250 gms of Dal powder grinded from whole grain of bengalgram. Else use paddy husk or
rice bran to reduce the cost of cultivation. It should also be divided to 4 equal parts.
5) After arranging straw, spawn and nutrition, prepare the beds. First put a layer of straw of 6
inches height. See that the bases of straw are towards outer side and top portion are inside.
Let the direction of the first layer be east-west or north-south. Take one part of the spawn
out of the 4 parts and put the spawn pieces on the bed leaving 2 inches from outer side and
at 3 inches distance. Sprinkle the dal powder of Bengalgram or redgram over the
spawn blocks and nearby area.
6) Over the first layer, put again 6 inches height of straw. Arrange the straw on the opposite
direction of the first layer (East-west of North-south). Take of another part of spawn and put
the spawn piece at a distance of 3 to 4 inches as in the first layer. Also sprinkle the dal powder
over it as done previously.
7) Put the third layer of 6 inches of straw in parallel direction to the 1 st layer and put rest 2
parts of spawn all over the third layer and sprinkle 2 parts of Dal powder
too.
8) Cover the third layer with the final 4th layer of straw of 1 to 2 inches width, parallel
to the 2nd layer. Now press the layer at the top so that the mycelium can grow
well. Cut the spilled straw all around the bed with the help of a seizure.
9) After the bed is ready, cover it with white polythene or stitched sheet of cement/fertilizer
bags. First 4-5 days keep the beds as such. After 4-5 days the polythene sheet may be
removed for 30 minutes daily for aeration and spray water only on portion of bed where straw
is dried.
10) After 10 to 11 days when mycelium growth is observed, the polythene cover may be removed
exposing the bed to open air.
11) Harvesting : First flush of mushroom comes out after 13-15 days of sowing. The mushroom
should be harvested at bud stage whose demand is more in the market and also tasty on
cooking.

After 14-15 days first phase of harvesting is done giving 90 % of the yield. The beds may be
retained for another after 5-10 days for the second phase of harvest of 10 % or can be taken
outside for second phase harvest so that fresh bed can be laid out to save time of harvest
cycle.

PADDY STRAW MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

 Paddy Straw Mushroom Cultivation Method Video

Required Ingredients :

1) Paddy Straw : Straw of local paddy is usually good for paddy straw mushroom
cultivation. Specially straw from paddy variety with white primodia, narrow, stiff and un-
threshed(by bullock or tractor) is required. Paddy straw when trodden by bullocks or tractor,
loose stiffness and easily rots when it comes in contact with water, gets compressed which is
not good for mushroom mycelia growth. As such straw obtained through harvesting by beating
the straw bundles with hand are always good for mushroom cultivation. Only the top and
panicle portion is removed. Paddy straw should be harvested leaving only 4 to 6 from the
ground level. This is because on fungal species is found at the base portion which caused
rotting and contamination of the straw subsequently. Paddy straw from variety C.R.1014,
1242, 141, T90, is good for preparing mushroom beds.A mushroom bed of 2 feet length, 2 ft
wide and 2 ft height is prepared from 10 to 20 bundles of straw as per the thickness of the
straw bundles. First hold on the top of straw bundle and loosen the binding of the straw bundle
by doing so the leaves come out. If leaves will remain, it will hold more water for long time
and cause rotting of the straw soon.

2) Mushroom Spawn: For one bed of mushroom 250 to 350 gm of mushroom spawn (seed)
required. The culture should be free from infection.

3) Nutrition : For cultivation of paddy straw mushroom, powder of bengalgram, lentil,

horsegram, red gram, blackgram or green gram and wheat bran and paddy husk is used.
Powder obtained from bengalgram with its seed coat gives more yield form powder of
bengalgram with seed coat.

Material required to prepare one bed of

Mushroom :
Straw bundle :- 15-20 bundles of straw OR 15 kg (as per thickness of bundle)

Mushroom Spawn(Seed) :- One bottle Or 350 gm

Nutrition :- 250 gm of Bengal gram or red gram
 Bed Size :- 2 ft x 2 ft OR 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft

Space :- 3ft x 3ft OR 4ft x 4ft ( 10 sq ft to 16 sq. ft)

Cultivation Method :
1) Remove leaves of the straw bundle and cut to 2ft size with a straw cutter. The required number
of straw bundles are soaked in a tank of clean water for 12 to 16 hours. Water from ditches,
ponds etc which are dirty should not be used. At the time of soaking use 100 ml of formalin
and 8 grams of bavistin per 100 liters of water. Where electric heaters are available hot water
should be used for treating the straw bundles.
2) Remove the straw bundles from water and keep in standing positions for 5 to 6 hours so
as to drain out the excess water from the outside and inside the straw bundles and only 75
% moisture will remain in the straw bundles.
3) Spawn of 2 to 3 weeks should be used. Break the bottle and remove the glasses. Use cotton to
remove small glass piece if stick to the spawn. Divide the spawn to 4 equal parts and make
small pieces of spawn having size of thumb finger.
4) Use 250 gms of Dal powder grinded from whole grain of bengalgram. Else use paddy husk or
rice bran to reduce the cost of cultivation. It should also be divided to 4 equal parts.
5) After arranging straw, spawn and nutrition, prepare the beds. First put a layer of straw of 6
inches height. See that the bases of straw are towards outer side and top portion are inside.
Let the direction of the first layer be east-west or north-south. Take one part of the spawn
out of the 4 parts and put the spawn pieces on the bed leaving 2 inches from outer side and
at 3 inches distance. Sprinkle the dal powder of Bengalgram or redgram over the
spawn blocks and nearby area.
6) Over the first layer, put again 6 inches height of straw. Arrange the straw on the opposite
direction of the first layer (East-west of North-south). Take of another part of spawn and put
the spawn piece at a distance of 3 to 4 inches as in the first layer. Also sprinkle the dal powder
over it as done previously.
7) Put the third layer of 6 inches of straw in parallel direction to the 1 st layer and put rest 2
parts of spawn all over the third layer and sprinkle 2 parts of Dal powder
too.
8) Cover the third layer with the final 4th layer of straw of 1 to 2 inches width, parallel
to the 2nd layer. Now press the layer at the top so that the mycelium can grow
well. Cut the spilled straw all around the bed with the help of a seizure.
9) After the bed is ready, cover it with white polythene or stitched sheet of cement/fertilizer
bags. First 4-5 days keep the beds as such. After 4-5 days the polythene sheet may be
removed for 30 minutes daily for aeration and spray water only on portion of bed where straw
is dried.
10) After 10 to 11 days when mycelium growth is observed, the polythene cover may be removed
exposing the bed to open air.
11) Harvesting : First flush of mushroom comes out after 13-15 days of sowing. The mushroom
should be harvested at bud stage whose demand is more in the market and also tasty on
cooking.
After 14-15 days first phase of harvesting is done giving 90 % of the yield. The beds may be
retained for another after 5-10 days for the second phase of harvest of 10 % or can be taken
outside for second phase harvest so that fresh bed can be laid out to save time of harvest
cycle.

Mushroom Spawn Production

Unlike agriculture, mushroom seed (Spawn) production involves sophisticated technology
with high investment requiring laboratory and equipments with accessories. The major
constraint in mushroom production is nonavailability of spawn. The technology of spawn
production is given by Eco-care and Aware. Three roomed house with some equipments,
furniture, glasswares, chemicals and some other accessories are required to start spawn lab.
Keeping in view of demand for mushroom, it is urgently needed to have one spawn lab in
each block. If 50 to 100 mushroom growers will be developed in a cluster of villages to grow
minimum one quintal to two quintals of mushroom per day, one spawn unit can be set up
there to feed the spawn to these mushroom growers. Each spawn producer should have its
own mushroom production farm to know the efficacy of his own spawn as well as demonstrate
the mushroom production technology to others which will promote the sale of spawn. By this
both spawn unit and mushroom farm will be economically viable.

Objectives :

(1) To produce 200 spawn bottles from two shift i.e. 5,000 bottles of spawn assuming 25
working days per month.

(2) To create income of Rs. 30,000/- per month from spawn & mushroom farm.

REQUIREMENT FOR SPAWN UNIT

A. Land and building

Four roomed building will be essential to state spawn lab. one room will be used to multiply
fungus which is called inoculation chamber with another room will be devoted to prepare
media for culture tube an spawn bottle or which it is called media room. It can be used as
media for culture tube an spawn bottle or which it is called media room. It can be used as
media cum office room. Fourth room will be kept as store room. The incubation chamber will
be air tight fitted with light and U.V. Light. The maintenance of aseptic condition in inoculation
chamber is must for production of quality spawn. Initially incubation chamber can be made in
ordinary room keeping some iron rocks to accommodate spawn bottles. After wards air
conditioning machine can be fitted to maintain desired temperature.
1. Total Plinth area of spawn Lab 25' 12' = 300sq. ft.
2. Inoculation chamber - 8' 7' = 56 sq. ft.
3. Ante room - 4' 7' = 28 sq. ft.
4. Incubation Chamber - 12' 8' = 96 sq. ft.
5. Office cum Media room - 10' 8' = 80 sq. ft.
6. Store room - 10' 4' = 40 sq. ft.

B. Equipment and Machineries

(a) Auto clave :

One autoclaves are required to sterilize the media in culture tube and wheat medium in spawn
bottles.(operated by both electricity and gas)

(b) Furniture : To keep spawn bottle or pouches, some iron racks are needed in incubation
chamber. One table, with two stools are to be kept in inoculation chamber. One long table
will be kept in media room along with some stools.

(c) Accessories :

(i) Weighing balance will be useful for weighing the chemicals required for preparing media
and for spawn production.

(ii) Chula with cylinder : To boil wheat and to prepare media for culturing. Chula with Cylinder
are necessary.

(d) Glass wares, chemicals and raw materials : culture tube, innoculation needle, measuring
cylinder, dextrose, plastic busket, Agar agar, Formaldehyde, Cotton, Wheat.

MUSHROOM SEEDS
0 COMMENTS
ECO-MUSHROOM SEEDS
Quality mushroom seeds are necessary for successful in Mushroom cultivation. Eco-care &
Aware has taken initiative in providing quality seeds to interested farmers in the name
of Eco-Mushroom. Basically we provide two types of mushroom seeds namely Paddy Straw
and Oyster(Prepared in Bottles, see Picture). Paddy straw Mushroom are grown throughout
the year in Odisha. But Oyster mushroom are generally grown in winter season only. These
two types of mushroom can also be grown throughout the Indian Subcontinent.

We can deliver quality Mushroom Seeds at the following Locations :

Odisha : Throughout the state Odisha (All district head quarters)

Chhatisgarh : At Raipur & Bhilai
Jhadakhand : At Ranchi, Jamsedpur (Tata)
Andhra Pradesh : At Visakhapatanam(Vizak / Waltior), Vizianagaram, Vijayawada &
Rajamundry
Telengana : At Hyderbad
West Bengal : At Kolkata, Durgapur & Asansol

Contact for Buying Mushroom Seeds/ Spawn :

Abhishek Kumar Sadhu

Programme Manager, ECO-MUSHROOM
M- 07873580870 / 09438298830

PADDY STRAW MUSHROOM CULTIVATION PROFIT ANALYSIS :

Unlike other agriculture practices, mushroom farming(Paddy Straw) has a production cycle of
only 15 days. ie farmers can get their return from mushroom farming within 15 days, that
too 3-4 times of their initial input cost. Cost per bed is about 60-70 rupees(INR) and Yield
from one bed is appx. 1 kg to 1.5 kg ie about Rs. 200/- (INR) return as per market price of
mushroom. So farmers can get net profit of of 130/- or atleast Rs. 100/- profit per bed
(deducting all the risk factors) within 15 days.
Farmers/Entrepreneurs having 3-4 decimal (1200 sq. ft) of land can earn monthly profit of
Rs. 20,000/-per month through paddy straw mushroom cultivation. Paddy straw cultivation
beds are laid out under well ventilated shed(shed of any material) having its four sides
covered by Jute bags, bamboo mats or vertiver root mats (Bena Chera) or any other net for
good ventilation of air. A shed of 1000 sq ft. can support 100 beds(Paddy straw) per 15
days(production cycle) or 200 beds per month.

So the Profit per month from 1000 sq. ft bed

=Rs 100 profit per bed x 200 beds per month)
= Rs. 20,000/-

(as one bed can produce 1 kg of paddy straw mushroom giving profit return of Rs.100.)