Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

In the 21^st century world is gradually going to face food crisis. Day by day, we are reducing cultivable land due to expansion of residential area. In this situation mushroom can be a good food source. We can produce mushroom without utilizing cultivable land and can be home based small farming by investing small amount of capital. Mushroom is the only vegetable that can be commercially cultivate in the home based farming. To produce edible mushroom no need to use high technology but can be produce with waste materials like paddy straw, wheat straw, tree sawdust, cottonseed hulls, sugar cane bagasse, wild grasses and various categories of environment friendly refuse wastes. Oyster mushroom cultivation is easiest then others and nutrient value is very high.

Nutrient Value of Mushroom: (Per 100 gm dried mushroom)

The moisture contents of mushroom 70 to 95 %. This variation depends on harvesting time, environment and other factors. After properly drying average dry matter can be 12-15%.

Name of Mushroom	Carbohydrate (gm)	Fiber (gm)	Protein (gm)	Fat (gm)	Ash (gm)	Energy (kcel)
Agaricus bisporus	46.17	20.90	33.48	3.10	5.70	499
Pleurotus sajor-caju	63.40	48.60	19.23	2.70	6.32	412
Lentinula edodes	47.60	28.80	32.93	3.73	5.20	387
Pleurotus ostreatus	57.60	8.70	30.40	2.20	9.80	265
Vovarella volvaceae	54.80	5.50	37.50	2.60	1.10	305
Calocybe indica	64.26	3.40	17.69	4.10	7.43	391
Flammulina velutips	73.10	3.70	17.60	1.90	7.40	378
Auricularia auricula	82.80	19.80	4.20	8.30	4.70	351

Source: Stamets-2005, FAO-1972, Doshi and Sharma-1995, Crison and Sand- 1978.

Protein fat and mineral salt in 100 gm dried foods.

Name of Food	Protein (gm)	Fat (gm)	Mineral Salt (gm)
Milk	28	32	4
Egg	42	41	3
Meat	40	40	3
Mushroom	35	4	10

Medicinal Value of mushroom:

Mushroom recognized as a medicinal vegetable in Japan, China, Korea and many other countries. They uses mushroom as a treatment for various type of diseases. Research finds that, mushrooms have potential anticancer, antiviral, antibacterial, antiparasitic, antihyperglycemic, hepatoprotective and cardioprotective properties.

Spawn Production of Oyster Mushroom:

Spawn making and growing of mushroom should be separate business. Spawn making required to maintain more bio-security then mushroom cultivation. There are two ways to produce of spawn, one of that is tissue cultures and another is spore cultures. I will discuss on that in another post, I would like to discuss just growing management of oyster mushroom in this post.

Required Environment:

Temperature:

Ambient air temperature has to fit from 20⁰ to 30⁰ C in the growing room of oyster mushroom. If the temperature is too high or low then it will bad affect in production.

Humidity:

Humidity should maintained 70-80% to minimize drying of the surface. During the cropping period very important to control humidity, by spray water specific interval.

Light:

Different light (color and intensity) suitable for cultivate in different strains of mushroom. In the culture room of oyster mushroom minimum artificial light required, that is 80-210 lux. In the other hand, milky white mushroom required 1600 lux and to cultivate button mushroom no need artificial light. Light ensure to germinate mushroom in the growing room.

Oxygen Availability:

In the period of growing fruiting body of mushroom, they need a lot of food. Oxygen helps to grow food with enzymes that takes mycelium.

Remove Carbon dioxide:

Mushroom use oxygen to produce food and emits carbon dioxide in the growing stage. Emitted carbon dioxide create a layer surrounding area of begs that is the cause of oxygen deficiency. To solve this problem mushroom growing room should crossed ventilated or required to use exhaust fan.

Oyster Mushroom in 500 gm Small Bags:

Collect best quality spawn from reliable sources after preparing the growing room. Bags filled with whitish mycelium (threadlike filaments) that indicates of best quality. If mycelium looks like color yellowish, reddish or blackish that indication of bad quality spawn. Transport spawn bags very carefully without direct sunlight and rain fall. Transporting vehicle and boxes should be sufficient facilities for air circulation. Mycelium filled small bags immediately placed on the culture room shelves. Bag to bag distance should be two inchs.

Cut partially away the plastic top of the bags before placing on shelves. Surrounding area of the growing house should be very clean. Mushroom will be ready harvesting in five to seven days. After ten to fifteen days interval it will be once again prepared for second harvest. Stop water spraying before 12 to 15 hours from harvesting time. From 500 gm bags mushroom can be collect 250 to 300 gm.

Oyster Mushroom in 2 kg straw Bags:

Very famous and cost effective to using paddy or wheat straw as a substrate in the winter, or cool weather countries. You have to collect dry, fresh and disease free straw and cut size in 1.5 to 2 inch. Fill water 65% in a drum and heat temperature up to 60⁰ C. Submerge straw in the drum after filling in a cloth or net bag then stop heating and close the cover of drum. Stay for an hour to kill microorganisms in the straw, remove straw bag from the drum, and then let it cool on a clean plastic sheet or inside floor. When substrate temperature cooled down to 30⁰ C then bring it to sun light and prepare to spawning and filling bags. Use plastic bag size in 12 inch × 24 inch for 2 kg substrate. Mix 5 % mother spawn and fill bags with straw 2 kg per begs. Spawn can also use as a layer topped of the substrate filled bags. Now close the substrate bags with rubber band, cotton wool plug and paper cover.

To grow mycelium shift bags in a dark room at temperature 22⁰ C to 28⁰ C for 15 to 20 days. When become whitish with mycelium placed in growing room. It can place in shelves or hang with roof. Cut partially 5 to 6 places of per substrate bags size in 1 inch. After five to seven days mushroom will be ready for harvest. Mushroom can produce 3 to 4 kg from 2 kg bag.

Diseases and Pasts:

If substrate poorly sterilized then bacterial and fungal dieses can grow in the growing period. Infected mushrooms become discolored and reduced shelf life, include reduced yield. To overcome the problem use properly sterilized substrate, ensure sufficient air movement, control over heating of substrate (above 35⁰ C), and control excessive moisture content.

Flies:

Dirty and unclean grower room can grow and damage mushroom by flies. Old bags also cause of flies. Flies lay eggs on the mycelium and hatched larvae can spoil the crop. Flies are cause of carrier of another disease.

Mites:

Mites can attack in the growing mushroom. They can damage by absorbing the extraction of mushroom. To protect mushroom from mite’s substrate bags should be sufficient protected against insects. Temperature controlling is another way to control mites.

Mushroom farmers should be very careful against attack from rats, ants and cockroaches.