Mushroom Cultivation in Lab.

Mushroom Cultivation In Laboratory 

In present national call for developing human health mushroom cultivation plays an important role for high percentage of our population which is strictly consumed by per capita consumption of mushroom is very low. 

Mushroom being a good vegetarian food provide sufficient quantity of proteins , minerals, carbohydrates and vitamins which are essential for maintenance of good health. Mushroom an edible fungi is the most priced community among vegetables not only because of its nutritional value but due to its characteristics  Aroma and Flavor .

As a member of basidiomycetes they have the ability to degrade cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin and in turn produce edible rooting organ which passes appreciable texture and better nutritive value.

The main phase of their life cycle is : 

1. Vegetative Phase : Presented by Mycelia Growth

2. Second Dominant Phase : It is constituting by fruiting body of great diversity . Some variety of Mushroom produce fruiting body underground. The Mushroom fruiting body divided into 5 parts:

Cultivation Method

The white Button Mushroom i.e  Agaricus bisporous is very popular throughout the world and most important on commercial scale. The Mushroom is extensively cultivated throughout the world and contributed about 60 % of total population production of  mushroom.

The optimum temperature for Mycelia growth is 20 - 25 C and also need a high percentage of relative humidity   85 - 95 %.

The whole process of Mushroom cultivation process can be divided into following steps.

• Spawn Production
• Compost Preparation
• Spawning 
• Spawn Running 
• Casting 
• Fruiting 

Spawn Production

Spawn is produced from fruiting culture / stocks of selected strains of mushroom under sterile condition . Stock culture may be produced in Lab or may be obtained .

Compost Preparation 

The substrate on which button mushroom grown is mainly prepared from  a mixture of plant waste Cereal straw, sugarcane, salts , urea, gypsum, supplements and water etc.

In order to produce mushroom It is recommended that each than of compost should contain 6.6 kg Nitrogen , 2.0 kg Phosphate and 5.0 kg Potassium .

During the first phase of compost preparation , Paddy straw is placed in layers and sufficient water is added to the stock along with fertilizers Wheat bran etc. The whole thing is mixed thoroughly with the straw and made into a stack . The stack is turned and again watered on second day.

On the 4th day stack is turned again for the 2nd time by adding Gypsum and watered.

The 3rd and final turning is given on 12th day when the color of compost changes into dark brown and it starts emitting a strong smell of Ammonia.

Spawning  

The Process of mixing spawn with compost is called Spawning.

In layer spawning about 3-4 layers of spawn mix with compost are prepared which is again covered with a thin layer of compost like in surface spawning.

Spawn Running

After  the spawning process is over then the compost is filled in polythene bags , trays which are either  covered with a newspaper or polythene . The Fungal bodies grow out from the spawn and takes about two weeks to colonies. The temp. maintained incropping room is 23+ - 2 C.

Casting

 The compost beds after complete spawn run should be covered with a layer of soil casting material should be having high porosity water holding capacity and pit should ranges between 7 - 7.5 . Low CO2 concentration is favorable  for reproductive growth at this stage.

Fruiting

Under favorable environmental conditions i.e  Temperature, Moisture, Humidity , Proper Ventilation and CO2 Conc. the fruit body initials which appears in the form of pin head short growing and gradually develop into Button stage.