The Most Easy and Economical Mushroom Cultivation
Methodology
By
M. Mithal Jiskani
Sindh Agriculture University Tandojam
 The
higher, fleshy fungi bloom into a visible umbrella like
fruiting body, are called mushrooms. These are
considered as the source of Proteins, Vitamins, Fats,
Carbohydrates, Amino acids and Minerals. According to
Rambelli and Menini (1985), on an average, the protein
value of the mushrooms is twice as that of Asparagus and
potatoes, four times as that of tomatoes and carrots,
six times as that of oranges. The protein content
determined on the dry weight basis approximately varies
between 4 to 44%. The range of amino acids and other
similar nitrogen compounds is very large, generally
includes rare. The results show that 53 nitrogen
compounds are found in single strain of Agaricus
bisporus. The mushrooms contain thiamin; riboflavin,
niacin, biotin and ascorbic acid, all are essential for
human health. The most common fats, available in
different mushrooms are palmitic, steric, oleic and
linoleic acids. Many mushrooms have high sterol,
especially ergo-sterol content. The carbohydrate content
varies from 3 to 28 %, as xylose, ribose, rhamnose,
glucose, sucrose and mannitol etc. the later sugar seems
to be the most abundant. The mineral content is superior
to that of meat and fish, nearly twice as that of the
most commonly used vegetables. Minerals such as calcium,
phosphorus and potassium are supplied abundantly and
there is also a fair quantity of iron, potassium,
sodium, magnesium, manganese, chlorine, silicon, sulfur
and aluminum, which are also found in different
mushrooms. The energy value of mushrooms also varies
according to species, which is about equal to that of an
apple. The local KHUMBHI, desert mushroom, Podaxis
pistillaris is consumed by various ways, mostly as fresh
in breakfast, contains 21.06% crude protein, 1.71% ether
extract, 24.13% ash and 12.23% crude fibber (Khan,
1986).
The mixture of mushrooms has been used for healing
purposes for thousands of years. The mushrooms are
mainly recommended to diabetic and anemic persons, owing
to their high folic acid content. Some are demonstrated
as an antibiotic activity others are reputed to be
anti-allergic and some are used for soft and comfortable
surgical dressing while some are used for anesthesia.
Some mushrooms are used as a powder or tincture for
swollen glands, epilepsy and against various diseases.
Mushroom extract also inhibits the growth of some
viruses like influenza. Cardiotoxic proteins are present
in different edible mushrooms, which lower the blood
pressure, and are also active against tumor cells and
are anti cancer (Cochran, 1978). The desert mushroom is
used in different way, for treatment of different food
deficiencies, illness and is used with butter for
bandage of broken bones (Jiskani, 2004).
 Some
mushrooms are mycorrhizal, used for establishment of
forests, to improve the soil fertility, for reclamation
and for introduction of exotic plant species; others are
predatory and are used as bio control agent and others
as pesticide. Some mushrooms also known as condiment,
cleaning detergent, tinder, tun bridge ware, snuff,
dyeing, luminescent, painting and writing material (as
ink), ornamental (as show piece) depending upon use.
Mushrooms are objects of beauty for Artists. Architects
have constructed minarets, temples and cupola columns in
their shapes. Jewelers have made expensive pieces on
mushroom designs (Jiskani, 2003).
The mushrooms are sometimes termed as fungus flowers,
due to their lovely shapes and colors. These also
commonly known as gilled mushrooms, pore fungi, tooth
fungi, club fungi, smooth fungi, puff balls, stink
horns, jelly fungi, cup fungi, earth stars, bird’s nest
fungi, boletus (bolets), morels, truffles and toadstool.
Every mushroom is consists of small root like structure
(rhizoids) at the base of long stipe (stem), mostly bear
pileus (cap) of different colors. The upper surface of
cap is rough or smooth but its lower surface bears the
gills (partitions) or pores, which produces microscopic
spores that serve as a mean of reproduction and develop
mycelium on germination, which convert in to the
fruiting body called mushrooms, having a form of plant
life, without green coloring matter.
Naturally, the mushrooms observed on the manure heaps
and dump places like fields, woods, forests, water
channels, manure heaps, bunds and on grassy grounds or
in the plains, mountainous and coastal areas of
Pakistan, mostly during the rainy season or round an
year, when ever environment is favorable. The majority
of mushrooms are unattractive for eating because of poor
flavor, taste, texture or small size or sometimes due to
unattractive color and shape (commonly called inedible).
Many mushrooms are poisonous to some people and harmless
to other, but some mushrooms are edible; and a few are
not only edible, but delicious too, because people have
eaten them regularly in quantity with no ill effect; are
used by more than 200 different methods, may be cooked
alone as well as with vegetables, meat, fish etc., and
are used for making soups, pies and curries; mushroom
ketchup, sandwiches and sauce (Khan and Khatoon, 1982).
The poisonous mushrooms, commonly termed as toadstool
are known to be poisonous because someone ate them and
become ill or died. Hence, the wild mushrooms must not
be eaten unless these are identified by experts
completely.
The mushrooms absorb oxygen and exhales carbon dioxide,
do not need direct sun light and open field; but this
does not mean that these grow only in dark. Different
artificially cultivated mushrooms need different range
of temperature, humidity, light and ventilation. The
nature has gifted most suitable environmental conditions
from sea level to high mountains, where various kinds of
mushrooms grow naturally; but can not be grown year
after year with full commercial excess, unless proper
growing conditions are provided and adequate facilities
are available. Simple, economical and commercial
methodology for cultivation of some known edible
mushrooms has been evolved (Jiskani, 1999 and 2001). The
mushrooms can be cultivated in green houses, growth
chambers, ditches, caves, huts, hovels, cottages,
cellars, garages, sheds or shelters, bee hive shaped
huts, thatched or meted roofs, thick tree groves and
gardens, kitchens, bathrooms or other extra rooms of a
house or any other vacant building.
Model mushroom house must have: store room,
pasteurization room, spawn preparation and spawning
room, spawn running room, cropping room as well as
packing and preservation room. The size of house/growth
room is dependent on the purpose, i.e. commercial or
domestic. The room can be a small plastic tent, even on
tables or on floor/roof or a large independent building
with its own environmental control system.
BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR A MUSHROOM GROWTH
Temperature: The heating and cooling system can regulate
the temperature as per requirement.
Humidity: Near about all types of mushrooms grow well
with in range of 80-95% humidity that could be arranged
with the help of desert room cooler and or sprinkling
water near the mushroom beds.
Light: Most of the mushrooms grow well at normal natural
light but oyster mushroom needs regular light that could
be arranged through tube lights.
Walls, ceiling, benches and flooring: Concrete flooring
with good drainage would be the best, otherwise, must be
made with such type of a material that can be washed and
withstand high humidity.
MUSHROOM CULTURE AND SPAWN
The propagating material used for mushroom cultivation
is called spawn. It is equivalent to the seedlings
developed from seeds of higher plants as in case of
vegetables. Actually, the spores (serve as a mean of
seed) of the mushrooms are so small and could not be
seen with necked eye; therefore, the mushroom grower
cannot handle them. Technical laboratory person could
inoculate sterile cereal grains with the spores or pure
mycelial culture of the mushroom and incubate that until
a viable product is developed. The grains become "spawn"
and can be sown like seed. The entire operation
(preparation of pure culture and spawn to spawning)
begins in a laboratory under sterile/ aseptic
conditions. The best spawn can be prepared on sorghum
grain but other cereal grains as well as all
agricultural and industrial wastes can also be used
(Jiskani, 1999 and 2001).
SUBSTRATE/GROWING MEDIUM
Different agricultural and or industrial straw wastes
can be used for cultivation of mushrooms. Mostly, the
wheat, paddy, barley, oat and gram straw, banana,
sugarcane and maize leaves, empty millet heads and corn
cobs, cotton waste, thin sticks and boll locules,
sugarcane baggage, banana pseudostems, saw dust, logs,
straw papers, manure etc. can be used as substrate
(medium) for cultivation. The Pakistan is an
agricultural country; therefore a huge quantity of the
crop wastes is easily available at low cost, which could
be converted in to edible mushrooms, by using separately
or in combination.
CULTIVATION OF OYSTER MUSHROOM
The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) is amongst most
important commercially grown mushrooms, now a day in
competition with button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus
(Rao, 1991). This mushroom resembles the shape of
shellfish, therefore mostly known as oyster mushroom in
English, Sipi Khumbhi in Sindhi and Sadafnuma Khumbhi in
Urdu; also called as wood mushroom, dhingri, henda,
kharari, shooto, meat of the forest etc, It is consumed
as a fresh as well as dried.
Most of the Pleurotus spp. are easy to cultivate, need
less expenses and care than all other artificially
cultivated mushrooms. Best spawn can be prepared on
sorghum (jowar) and other cereal grains. Mostly the
wheat, paddy, barley, oat and gram straw, banana,
sugarcane and maize leaves, empty millet heads and corn
cobs, cotton waste, small and thin sticks and boll
locules, sugarcane baggage, banana pseudostems, saw
dust, logs, waste news papers, manure etc. are used
separately or in combination as substrate (medium) for
cultivation.
The paddy straw, leaves of different crops and empty
corn cobs needs chopping in to small pieces of about 3-5
cm. Threshed wheat straw, cotton waste, saw dust, cotton
boll locules and empty millet heads or so, may directly
be used. All substrates needs soaking in water for 24
hours. After soaking, boil the same in water for about
half an hour, so that substrate become moist and insect
pests and other microbes present in the substrate may be
killed. After this, take out the straw from water and
spread on the inclined cemented floor, for cooling as
well as removing of excess water from the substrate.
When the temperature drops down to about normal and
moisture content becomes about 80%, the spawn be mixed
at 10-20% of the substrate dry weight (which will be
100-200 g /kg of dry substrate). The spawned substrate
may be filled in polythene bags and be placed in spawn
running room under controlled temperature, humidity and
light. This mushroom requires 80 to 95% humidity, 15 to
30OC temperature and white florescent light for growth
and development. When pinheads (initial growth of
fruiting bodies) of the mushrooms appear, open the mouth
of the bags or cut at place, to facilitate the growth of
fruiting bodies. Sort out the contaminated bags and
destroy them away from the growing space, burning of
such bags is safe for remaining crop.
CULTIVATION OF STRAW MUSHROOM
The straw mushrooms belong to genus Volvariella, grow
best on paddy straw, therefore are called straw or paddy
straw mushrooms. Perhaps it was first time identified as
edible, greatly consumed by Chinese and its cultivation
was started in China, therefore is also known as Chinese
mushroom, tributary mushroom or nanhua mushroom. This
mushroom stood third popular mushroom, can be consumed
as fresh as well as dried. Different agricultural and
industrial straw waste, recommended for the cultivation
of oyster mushroom, can be used for spawn preparation
and cultivation, but remember that the paddy straw
proved the best.
The straw mushrooms are mostly cultivated on beds,
prepared by two ways. The beds from chopped, soaked and
boiled straw are prepared of about squire meter size, by
placing the moist straw in such a way that first layer
be of about 4 inches. In this case, place the spawn 3-4
inches inside the margin of layer at 4-5 inch distance
from each other. Sprinkle small quantity (1/2 teaspoon)
of gram floor, over the spawn. The second and third
layer should be prepared and spawned in the same way.
The last layer should be covered with a thin layer and
polythene sheet.
In case of cultivation on beds of un-chopped paddy
straw, banana leaves etc; the bundles should be prepared
of the size of available straw or leaves. If the bundles
are prepared from banana leaves than the soaking may be
done for 4 hours otherwise for 24 hours. The soaked
bundles may be arranged on inclined cement, till the
discharge of excess water, before preparation of beds.
The bundles are placed length wise, close to each other,
on cemented floor, in a cross fashion, with the opposite
but ends on one side. Each bed may not be more than five
layers. All layers spawned and finally be covered as
that of discussed above. In case of cultivation in bags,
the same procedure is adopted as described for
cultivation of oyster mushroom; only temperature, water
and light requirements need change. When the pinheads or
small buttons of the mushroom appear, the polythene bags
be chalked with blade and sheets should be removed, to
facilitate the pinheads for further growth. The straw
mushroom requires 80 to 95% humidity, 30 to 35OC
temperature and at least two times watering.
CULTIVATION OF BUTTON MUSHROOM
The white mushrooms, resembling with the shape of button
are mostly known as button mushroom, but as these are
naturally grown in meadow, therefore are called meadow
mushrooms, also known as European mushroom, town or
street mushroom in Europe. These are largely grown and
greatly consumed throughout the world with almost 80
percent share among growing mushrooms (Raven and
Johnson, 1992).
The button mushroom is difficult to cultivate, need many
more expenses and long time than other artificially
cultivated mushrooms. Rice husks or wheat grains found
to be the best for spawn preparation, but needs
different types of composts with different compositions
for cultivation. The process of compost making is termed
as composting. The biochemical activity of a number of
microorganisms for making the substrate selective for
growth of mushroom is called compost. The term
composting is also defined as indefinite microbial
degradation of organic wastes. The wastes includes
vegetable and animal material, forest litter, remains of
stubbles and roots in the soil, sludge, animal manure
etc. However, this mushroom can be grown successfully in
cellars, garages and in any abandoned room. The
cultivation in mushroom growing houses by mean of tray
system proved to be best. Casing is another exercise,
which is also compulsory during cultivation process.
Casing means the covering of compost with a thin layer
of soil or soil like composted material after the spawn
has spread in the compost (till the completion of spawn
running). 4-6 air changes or introducing 10 cubic foot
fresh air (ventilation) per squire foot bed area per
hour is also necessary for good crop, but this is the
very risky due to opening entries of growth rooms and
helping insect pests and pathogen to attack on crop.
Meanwhile, 80 to 95% humidity, 15 to 25OC temperature
and time to time watering is also its basic requirement
for normal growth and development.
CULTIVATION OF DESERT MUSHROOM
Most of the illiterate people are of opinion that desert
mushroom is gifted from almighty Allah; rain is a seed
of it. Actually, the dark brown to black powdery mass,
developed in mature mushrooms, is a huge quantity of
spores, which are not seeds, but serve as a mean of
seed. Only Arora (1986), claimed that “I have personally
worked with this mushroom and have had no problem” (?!).
The desert mushroom can also be cultivated artificially,
as easily as that of other cultivated mushrooms with a
little difference. It does not need tissue culture or
artificially prepared spawn, but only matured mushroom
spores can directly be used for sowing purpose. The
results show that there is no need of agricultural or
industrial waste, nor a process of soaking, boiling or
sterilizing of such material is required. On the other
hand, it can be simply cultivated on flat bed of soil.
Only the need is that select sandy to sandy loam soil in
the surrounding of thick grove of trees and or gardens,
or ordinary shed be prepared, because direct sun rays
are dangerous for this mushroom too. However, small 4x5
feet sized beds may be prepared with about 9 to 12
inches layer of soil and than one soaking dose of
irrigation water may be applied. After a day, the
mushroom powder (spores of matured mushroom), not old
than one year, may be broadcasted on the prepared bed.
The spores may be mixed with the help of log stick,
spade or so, on 2 to 3 inches upper surface of the bed.
It must be kept in mind that the beds should be under
shade (of trees or artificially prepared thatches etc.).
The water must be sprinkled/ sprayed just after mixing
of the spores and twice a day on the following days, so
that the beds remain moist. Normally the crop may appear
within 30 days. Initially, the root like threads (or
well-developed hypha) develop from the spores, in orders
to search for food, which are actually microscopic, but
some times are visible. These threads transmit into
mushroom, which initially appears very small and milky
in color, vary in shape and size but become normal in
shape and size, within one or two-three days, depending
upon the environmental conditions.
HARVESTING, YIELD AND MARKETING OF MUSHROOMS
Most of the mushrooms are harvested through picking by
hand. The harvesting of oyster mushroom could be done
with the help of sharp knife or blade, at the base of
the stipe. If there are many pinheads around the
mushrooms, cut that mushroom very carefully, so that the
near by pins do not be disturbed. Any mature mushroom
(harvested or diseased), their stalks and refuse or
solid portions left in the bed should be removed and
destroyed, to minimize risk of diseases and pests.
The mushrooms yield the crop in cycle and subsequent
flushes can be harvested till the conversion of waste in
to mushroom or up to contamination or till attack of
insect pests or diseases. Approximately, the mushrooms
yield equal to 100% of substrate dry weight.
Only some types of wild edible mushrooms e.g. black
morels, desert mushroom and button mushroom are being
collected, gifted, marketed and eaten by the rural
population. These, as well as other artificially
cultivated mushrooms could be marketed in local and
foreign markets. The marketing or import and export
value of mushrooms could be realized from the reports of
Export Promotion Bureau.
REFERENCES
• Arora, D. 1986. Mushrooms demystified. 2nd Ed.,
Berkeley: Ten Speed Press: 725-26.
http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0898151694/002-5088736-8940217.
In: The pages maintained for the Arizona Mushroom Club
by Scott Bates. This page was last modified on December
10, 1998.
• Cochran, K. W. 1978. Medical effects. In: ‘The biology
and cultivation of Edible Mushrooms’ by Chang, S. T. and
Hayes, W. A. Academic press Ed.
• Jiskani, M. M. 1999. A brief outline “The fungi”
Cultivation of mushrooms. Izhar Pub. Tandojam. p.94.
• Jiskani, M. M. 2001. Growing mushrooms (step ahead to
boost up the economy of Pakistan). Pak. J. Economic &
Management, July-Sept., 2001 p. 15-17.
• Jiskani, M. M. 2003. Uses of Mushrooms. International
J. Sci. Technol. Development, Islamabad. 22(2): 57-58
and Sarang Student Magazine, SAU Tandojam, 1999-2001,
Vol. XIII.
• Jiskani, M. M. 2004. Different to all others:
Cultivation of Desert Mushroom, Podaxis pistillaris (L.)
Morse.
http://www.apnahyderabad.com/articles/Cultivation-of-Desert-Mushroom.asp
• Khan, S. M. and A. Khatoon. 1982. Dishes of mushrooms
(Book in Urdu). Department of Plant Pathology,
University of Agriculture, Faisalabad.
• Khan, S. M. 1986. Mushrooms, in ‘Plant disease’ by A.
Hafiz. PARC, Islamabad. 552pp.
• Rambelli, A. and U.G. Menini, 1985. Manual on mushroom
cultivation. FAO Plant Production and Protection paper.
43 pp. 65.
• Rao, K. M. 1991. Text Book of Horticulture. Macmillan
India Ltd. 2/10, Ansari Road, Daryaganj, New Dehli, 11
002
The wild mushroom must not be
eaten unless it is identified by experts because some
mushrooms are edible while others are poisonous.
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