Question

Define Mushroom culture. Explain the mushroom cultivation methods.

Answer 1

Mushroom is a fungi belonging to basidiomycetes. It is rich in proteins, fibres, vitamins and minerals. Mushroom culture is the process of producing food, medicine, and other products by the cultivation of mushrooms.
Mushroom can be cultivated either on paddy straw or on wood log.
Major stages of mushroom cultivation are;

1. Composting:
   Compost is prepared by mixing paddy straw with number of organic materials like cow dung and inorganic fertilizers. It is kept at about 50°C for one week.
2. Spawning:
   Spawn is the mushroom seed. It is prepared by growing fungal mycelium in grains under sterile conditions. Spawn is sown on compost.
3. Casing:
   Compost is covered with a thin layer of soil. It gives support to the growing mushroom, provides humidity and helps regulate the temperature.
4. Pinning:
   Mycelium starts to form little bud, which will develop into mushroom. Those little white buds are called pins.
5. Harvesting:
   Mushroom grow better in 15°C – 23°C. They grow 3 cm in a week which is the normal size for harvesting. In the third week the first flush mushroom can be harvested.