Mushroom
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 everyday consumption. They have created a space in a
common man’s 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 Nepal 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 Nepal. 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.
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.
The project proposal should be
short-term result oriented in nature, normally upto 1 to 2 years.
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 Pleurotus mushroom 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.
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