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How To Grow Oyster Mushrooms

Oyster mushrooms are one of the most popular edible mushrooms, and have an interesting history, starting in Germany as a subsistence measure in the Great War.
Today you’ll find this mushroom grown all over the world. This mushroom received its name Oyster because of its appearance – it looks just like an oyster. The only difference is that you won’t find an oyster mushroom in the water. They grow on trees.
What do you need to grow them?
 You’ll find a variety of methods to growing oyster mushrooms; some will require a large drum, concrete blocks, and other commonly found items around you home.
Here is a method that will keep the cost down and grow mushrooms abundantly.
Here’s what you’ll need,
·    Oyster Mushroom spawn
·    Straw
·    Large pan
·    Water spray bottle
·    Rich potting soil for fungi plants
·    A large cloth to cover the entire pan
·    Preferably a basement or a dark, cool and damp area in home
·    Thermometer
How to begin cultivation.
Growing oyster mushrooms is fairly simple. The most important thing to remember is that you’ll need to keep the soil moist and the temperature optimal to promote good growth.
Step 1: Location is important. If you do not have a basement some other area’s include a cabinet or closet.
Step 2: Take your large pan and generously place straw covering the bottom of the pan. The temperature of your location must be no warmer than 70 degrees. Optimal conditions will be 68 – 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3: Now evenly scatter the oyster mushroom spawn on top of the straw.
Step 4: After about 3 or 4 weeks the spawn should have attached to the straw. You’ll then need to lower the temperature and maintain it between 54 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 5: Now sprinkle spawn with quality potting soil. This should be an inch thick and cover the pan with a damp cloth. The cloth must remain damp at all times. You can use the spray bottle to moisten the cloth as well as the soil.
That’s all there is too it.
In about 4 weeks you should see small mushrooms appear.
Once the oyster mushroom caps are completely opened and separated from the stem you can enjoy a delicious meal

Cultivation of Mushroom

Types Suitable for cultivation

At present 3 mushrooms are being cultivated in India . These are : the white mushroom (Agaricus bisporus), the paddy-straw mushroom (Volvariella vovvacea) and the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju). Of these, A. bisporus is the most popular and economically sound to grow and is extensively cultivated throughout the world. However, due to its low temperature requirement, its cultivation is restricted to the cool climatic areas and to the winter in the plains of Northen India . In summer, the tropical paddy-straw mushroom is suitable for growing in most parts of India . Even then it is less attractive commercially owing to very low yield per unit weight of the substrate and an extremely short shelf-life. But, as a kitchen-garden crop it is preferred because it is very delicious and nutritous.
Oyster mushroom can grow at moderate temperature ranging from 22⁰ to 28⁰C. therefore, it is suitable for most of the places of India . It is a familiar item in the menu of most hotels in Bangalore where it is being grown commercially.
In north India , the climate conditions prevailing during different seasons can be exploited for growing mushroom throughout the year. To this a year-wise production schedule is suggested :

Mid-November to Mid-March	: Agaricus bisporus
February to Mid-April	: Pleurotus sajor-caju
Mid-June to Mid-September	: Volvariella volvacea
September to November	: Pleurotus sajor-caju

CULTIVATION

 

1. Selection of Strains
For successful mushroom production, it is necessary for each grower to produce as economically and efficiently as possible the highest quality of mushrooms. This can be accomplished among other requirements, by selecting the best strains which should be high yielding , visually attractive, having desirable flavour, and resistance to adverse climate and pests and diseases. Presently, there are many strains of white, cream and brown varieties in cultivation. The brown variety is the natural mushroom and considered to be the most vigorous form. It tolerates and adverse conditions better than the white variety. A snow white mushroom first appeared amongst a bed of mushroom in the USA and ever since the variety has dominated the mushroom industry throughout the world, although it has a very high limited shelf-life. Where growing conditions tend to be on the dry side and humidity cannot be correctly controlled the brown mushroom should be grown. New superior strains are through selection, hybridization and induced mutations continually introduced by mushroom research laboratories and spawn makers. In India , S 11, S 649 and S791 are the good strains available. These strains were originally introduced from reowned commercial spawn makers, Somycel and darlington. Now these strains are well adapted in the Indian climate and are very popular with the growers.

2. Maintenance of Strains.
Three methods are known by which strains can be propagate. these are multispore culture, tissue culture and mycelium transfer. By periodic subculturing of the mycelium on a suitable agar medium, the span strains can be kept for many years in a fairly good state. However, the frequent subculturing of the strain may result in its degeneration. Maintenence of strain by multisporous culture is only possible if new multispore cultures are compared with the original strain before the original multisporous culture would show much genetic variation. In the tissue culture, small pieces of fruit bodies are cut under sterile conditions and inoculated on a nutrient medium. Mycelium growing out of these tissue can provide the starting point for subsequent spawn production. However, it is commonly observed that tissue cultures often give lower yields than the original cultures. Of these 3 methods, mycelium transfer is most reliable but it is essential that the performance of the mycelium is continually checked in order to detect any degeneration-like slow-growing matted mycelium or fluffy mycelium with abnormal growth rate.

Spawn
The propogating material used by the mushroom growers for planting beds is called spawn. The spawn is equivalent to vegetative seed of higher plant. Quality of spawn is basic for the successful mushroom cultivation.
At present, the pure culture spawn has been the basis of modern spawn production units all over the world. The manufacture of the pure culture spawn is done under scientifically controlled conditions which demand a standard of hygiene as in a hospital operation theatre. Equipment and substrate used for spawn are autoclaved and filtered air is passed during the inocluation ensures complete freedom from contamination.
(a) Manure spawn
Both composted horse-dung or synthetic compost may be used. The composted manure is thoroughly washed to remove such substance in compost which retard growth. The excess water is squeezed out and moisture content adjusted to 60%. The manure is packed in half-litre milk bottles or heat-resistant polypropylene bags os suitable size. The bottles or bags plugged with non-absorbant cotton-wool and sterlized in an autoculave at 121⁰C for 2 hr or on 2 consecutive days for an hour each. They are then inoculated with a large bit of agar-containing mycelium and incubated at 22⁰-24⁰C in a dark place. the spawn can be used to inoculate fresh bottles or bags to obtain the second generation spawn.
(b) Grain spawn
Ten kilograms of wheat grains are boiled for 15 min in 15 litres of water and then allowed to soak for another 15 min without heating. the excess water is drained off and the grains are colled in sieves. Turn the grains several times with a spoon for quick cooling. The colled grains, are mixed with calcium carbonate. the gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O) and 30 g fo calcium carbonate. The gypsum prevents the grains from sticking together and calcium carbonate is necessary to correct the pH. the prepared grains are filled into half-litre milk bottles or polypropylene bags (at the rate of 150-200 g per bottle or bag) and autocalved for 2 hr at 121⁰C. After sterlization, the material should have a pH value of 6.5 to 6.7. the bottles are inoculated with grains spawn or with bits of agar medium colonized with mycelium and incubated at 22⁰-24⁰C in a dark place. the mycelium completely permeates the grains in about 2 weeks. Other grains like sorghum and pearlmillet can also be used for spawn making.
(c)Perlite spawn
This was developed by Lemke (1971). Perlite is a mineral which expands at temperature more than 1000⁰C. The ingredients, of the spawn are : Perlite (1,450 g), wheat-bran (1,650 g), gypsum (200 g), calcium carbonate (50 g), and water (665 cc). The gredients are mixed, filled in bottles and sterlized. Thereafter, the process is the same as for grain spawn. Perlite spawn is easy to disperse and can be produced at a cheaper cost. This spawn can be stored for a long time.

MODEL ON OYSTER MUSHROOM CULTIVATION

1.  Introduction
A model scheme for cultivation of Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) with commercial viability and being bankable has been prepared keeping in view the Agro-climatic conditions and other related aspects for successful cultivation of the mushroom and its subsequent marketing. The model proposed is to be initially  implemented in the districts of Patna and Lakhiserai. Mushroom has been identified as  an activity for financing under SGSY in Lakhiserai. Apart from this, cultivation of mushroom can be taken up on a large scale by individual entrepreneurs also. The agro-climatic conditions as well as local availability of raw material makes mushroom cultivation an economically viable preposition in these districts.
Mushrooms, also called ‘white vegetables’ or ‘boneless vegetarian meat’ contain ample amounts of proteins , vitamins, fibers and medicines. Mushroom contains 20-35% protein (dry weight) which is higher than those of vegetables and fruits and is of superior quality. It is considered ideal for patients of hypertension and diabetics.
Mushroom offers prospects for converting lignocellulosic residues from agricultural fields, forests into protein rich biomass. Such processing of agro waste not only reduces environmental pollution but the by product of mushroom cultivation is also a good source of manure, animal feeds and soil conditioner.
Mushroom has a huge domestic and foreign market. It is estimated that there is a world market for 20 lakh tonnes per annum in which the contribution of India is negligible. In the domestic market also the availability of mushroom is limited to cities and big towns only. Mushrooms can be not only in raw form but also in dried form. There is huge international demand for dried mushroom and the farmers gets a farm gate price of around Rs.250 per kg for dried oyster mushroom. There are exporters in the market who are willing to supply the spawn (seed material) and also buy the dried mushrooms.
The cultivation of Oyster mushroom or Dhingri mushroom or Pleurotus spp is relatively simple and it can be a homestead project. The agro- climatic conditions prevailing in Bihar is conducive for mushroom cultivation especially during the months of  September to March when the temperature is 20-30 C and relative humidity is 70-80%. The production gradually decreases during peak periods of cold from 25 December to 14 January. Even during this period, cultivation of cold tolerant strains can be adopted. Considering its suitability to the agro-climatic region and its potential to generate employment and income, a bankable model on cultivation of oyster mushroom has been since prepared.

Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotusspp.)

Pleurotus spp. is one of the choice edible mushrooms which can be cultivated in the tropics.  It has gained importance only in the last decade and is now being cultivated in many countries in the subtropical and temperate zones.  In Europe it is known as the oyster mushroom (P.ostreatus), while in China it is called the balone mushroom (P.abalonus or P. cystidiosus).  Several other species are now available for cultivation.  These are P.sajor-caju, P.florida (probably a variant of P.ostrcatus), P.sapidus, P.eryngii, P. columbinus, P.cornucopiae, and P.abellatus.
The different species of Pleurotus are suited to growing within a temperature range of 15 to 30^oC, P.sajor-caju is tolerant of a tropical temperature of 28-30^oC although, it fruits faster and produces larger mushrooms at 25^oC during the cooler months of the year or in the highlands of the tropics.  This is the species now popularly grown in the tropical Southeast Asian countries, including India.  P.abalonus prefers lower temperatures of 22-24^oC and is most popular among the Chinese.  P.ostreatus is the so-called low-temperature pleurotus, fruiting mostly at 12-20^oC. This species is more suited to the temperate climates of Europe and the United States, although many growers in the USA are also producing P.sajor-caju.
Like the other mushrooms, Pleurotus spp. can be grown on various agricultural waste materials, with the use of different technologies.  They grow well on different types of lignocellulosic materials, converting the materials into digestible and protein-rich substances suitable for animal feeds.  Pleurotus spp. may be produced in the tropics on a mixture of sawdust and rice bran, rice straw and rice bran, saw dust and ipil-ipil leaves and other combinations of tropical wastes.  Other wastes such as corncobs, cotton waste, sugarcane bagasse and laves, corn leaves, grasses, rice hulls, and water hyacinth leaves are also good substrates for growing this mushroom (Quimio, 1986).  The substrates used in each region depend upon the availability of agricultural wastes.

Sterilization / Pasteurization

The use of a pressure cooker to sterilize Pleurotus substrate is not recommended since sterilization kills beneficial micro organisms which are present in the substrate, as well as the harmful ones.  In addition, nutrients in the compost are broken down by sterilization into forms more favorable for the growth and development of competing micro organisms (FAO, 1983).  Thus, substrates that are sterilized are easily contaminated unless spawned under very aseptic conditions, as in media and spawn preparation.
Steaming at 100^oC (pasteurisation) is more acceptable because the cost is lower (the steamer may only be an ordinary large-capacity casserole or a drum) and substrates thus steamed are less susceptible to contamination.  The substrate is steamed for 2-3 hours, depending on the volume and the size of the bags.  When using a lower temperature (60-70oC) as in the case of room or bulk pasteurisation, the substrates, whether in bulk or already packed in bags, are steamed for at least 6 to 8 hours.  Plate 11 shows a range of low-cost steamers designed for the tropics.

Inoculation / Spawning

Spawning is carried out aseptically; preferably using the same transfer chamber or the same inoculation room as is used in spawn preparation.
Grain or sawdust spawn is commonly used to inoculate the substrate in bags.  With grain spawn, the bottle is shaken to separate the seeds colonized with the white mycelium.  After lifting the plug and flaming the mouth of the bottle, a few spawn grains (about 1 to 2 tsp.) are poured into the substrate bag.  Both the plug of the spawn and the plug of the compost bag are replaced and the next bags are then inoculated.  The newly inoculated bags are slightly tilted to distribute the grains evenly in the shoulder area of the bag around the neck.
For sawdust spawn, the spawn is broken up with an aseptic needle.  A piece of the spawn may then be transferred, using a long flat-spooned needle especially designed to scoop the spawn.  One bottle of grain or sawdust spawn in a 500-ml dextrose bottle is sufficient to inoculate 40 to 50 bags.
The highly industrialized method involves bulk-pasteurisation and bulk-spawning before the substrates are distributed in beds similar to those used for Agaricus.  The system is labour-saving but requires more complex equipment.  Bulk material processing and handling are highly risky for tropical mushroom cultivation due to the risk of contamination.

Incubation

The spawned compost bags are kept in a dark room until the mycelium has fully penetrated to the bottom of the substrate.  In 20 to 30 days, depending upon the substrate/substrate combination, the substrate appears white, due to the growth of the mycelium.  The bags are kept for an additional week before they are opened to check that the mycelium is mature enough to fruit.  Most strains of the mushroom form primordia after 3 to 4 weeks of mycelial growth.  The bags are opened, to initiate fruiting, inside a mushroom house.

Fruiting

A mushroom house should be used and its size will depend on the number of bags prepared at any one time.  The house may be built of Nipa, sawali, wood or concrete.  Air vents on the upper walls will provide the ventilation required for the development of the sporocarps.  At the same time a small amount of light should be provided inside the house.  The walls may be covered with plastic or foam sheets to increase the relative humidity (80.95%) in the production house.
Shelves, made from bamboo or wood, line both sides of the house.  The shelves are on bamboo frames, one shelf above the other, with about 40-50 cm space between them.  They should be strong enough to hold the bags or blocks containing the compost.
The bags are opened by removing the plug and the PVC pipe neck, then rolling down the mouth of the bag.  Alternatively, the mouth portion may be cut off with a razor blade, or the bag may be slit either criss-crossed at four to six places, or simply slashed lengthwise.  When following the latter technique, the bags may be suspended with a rope or string.  When using blocks instead of bags, the blocks are opened either completely or with only the surface or upper portions exposed.
Fruiting requires an appropriate temperature range (20-28oC), ventilation, light moisture and humidity (80.-95%).  To provide moisture, daily watering of the substrate is required.  Watering, however, should not be so excessive that the substrate becomes waterlogged.
If the temperature inside the house rises to more than 30oC, a light water mist should be frequently used to lower the temperature and hasten fruiting.  Doors and windows may also be opened, especially at night, to allow the cool night air to enter.
Approximately 3 to 4 days after opening the bags, mushroom primordia will begin to form.  Mature mushrooms should be ready for harvesting in another 2 to 3 days.  If the substrate has not yet been completely colonized, the onset of fruiting will be delayed.
To harvest the mushrooms, they should be grasped by the stalk and gently twisted and pulled.  A knife should not be used.  If kept in a refrigerator or in a cool place, the mushrooms should remain fresh for up to 3 to 6 days.
After harvesting from the top end of the bag, the other end may be opened to allow fruiting.  The two ends are sometimes opened and allowed to fruit at the same time.  After harvesting from the end portions, slits may be made on the central portion of the bag so that more mushrooms can develop.  When a sawdust substrate is used, the harvested surface may be scraped lightly to expose a new surface for fruiting.  As long as the substrate appears white, mushrooms will continue to form under adequate environmental conditions.  When it appears colorless and soft, it is time to remove the bags from the house.

Yield

Yield ranges from about 100-200% of the dry weight of the substrate and depends on the substrate combination as well as the way in which the substrate has been managed during the fruiting season.  From personal observations, the richer the combination and the whiter and denser the mycelium, the greater will be the mushroom yield.
To increase yield, the most common supplement used is urea or orchid fertilizer dissolved in water (100 gm in 100 liters water).  Using a plastic mist sprayer, the solution is sprayed on the surface immediately before fruiting.

	Oyster Mushroom-Expenditure and Economics
	Unit size : 200 Kg. Paddy straw/batch of 100 Kg. Mushrooms / batch
A.	Break up details of expenditure:	Amount (Rs.)
	I. Capital Cost
	a) Thatched shed with wooden platform (250 sq.ft)	250	50		12500
	b) Vessels, heating equipments and Rocker sprayer-Set	1	4000		4000
					16500
	II. Recurring cost (for first batch capitalised)
	a) Polythene bags (200 Nos.)	200	3		600
	b) Paddy straw (200 Kg.)	200	4		800
	c) Spawn 50 bottles	50	14		700
	d) Labour charges	20	50		1000
	e) Fuel cost-Lump sum	1	600		600
					3700
	Total Cost				20200
	Margin @ 20%				4040
	Term Loan amount				16160

B	Assumptions
Sl.No.	Particulars / Year	1	2 to 5
1	Recurring cost / Years	14800	37000
2	Batches per year-No.	4	10
3	Yield assumption (Kg.)	400	1000
4	Sale Price (Rs. Per Kg)	60

FINANCIAL INDICATORS
Items	I Year	IIYear	III Year	IVYear	VYear
Expenditure	14800	37000	37740	38495	39265
Income	24000	60000	60000	60000	60000
Net Income	9200	23000	22260	21505	20735
D.F.@ 15%	0.870	0.756	0.658	0.572	0.497
Discounted cost	12876	27972	24833	22019	19515
Discounted Benefits	20880	45360	39480	34320	29820
Net present worth	8004	17388	14647	12301	10305
N.P.V	53773
B.C.R	1.58
I.R.R at 16.5%	> 50%
Avg DSCR	4.21	: 1

Repayment Schedule					Amount in Rupees
Year	Loan  Outstanding	Interest @ 12%		Net income	Repayment		Net Surplus or Deficit
					Principal	Interest
1	16160	1939	9200			1939	7261
2	16160	1939	23000		3232	1939	17829
3	12928	1551	22260		4848	1551	15861
4	8080	970	21505		4848	970	15688
5	3232	388	20735		3232	388	17115

The Indian Mushroom Industry

Introduction - historical
Mushroom cultivation in India was initiated for the first time at Solan in mid sixties when Dr. E. F. K. Mental from Germany started the work as the FAO consultant at Solan. He started the work on a small scale at the Dept. of Agriculture, H. P. Govt., Solan and successfully grew button mushrooms for the first time in India. Also associated with the project at Solan were the late Dr. P.K. Seth from the Dept. of Agriculture and Dr. S. Kumar. Simultaneously button mushroom cultivation was begun as a pilot project at Srinagar (Kmr) by Mr Stewart (a Britisher settled at Srinagar) along with a team of workers from the Dept. of Agriculture at Lalmandi, Srinagar. At both places the activity grew in size and mushroom growers started growing mushrooms in their houses as a cottage industry. Solan developed more rapidly as the effort at the Dept. of Agriculture (later Himachal Pradesh Agricultural University) was pursued vigorously and the first commercial unit of white button mushrooms in the seventies was put up at Kasauli (near Solan) by Mr. Saigal with the help from the C.O.A., Solan. Then came, his Highness, the Maharaja of Patiala who started growing mushrooms in the seventies at Dochi and Chail, near Solan on a much larger scale. He monopolised the button mushroom market in India for sometime and mushrooms from his farm would travel, in fresh condition, as far away as Bombay. Meanwhile mushroom growing took the shape of a cottage industry in Kashmir in the seventies where people started growing button mushrooms on a large scale in villages on composts prepared by the long method. The mushrooms produced in Kashmir were purchased by local canners and marketed in other parts of the country. The growers were producing button mushrooms against greater odds with little know-how available, especially for producing quality mushrooms. The mushroom activity spread to other hilly regions of India like the hills of UP and Tamil Nadu. Growers in the North Western plains started button mushroom growing (as a winter crop) to take advantage of the winter season in this region. Farmers in the NW plains in and around Delhi started growing a winter crop of button mushrooms successfully and marketing the produce in nearby Delhi. In the mid-seventies Dr. W. A. Hayes was appointed as FAO expert on mushrooms in India and worked at Solan for some time to establish and standardize the facility for the short method of composting at the College of Agriculture, Solan. This resulted in the establishment of an air conditioned cropping house at Solan with a facility for peak heating of mushroom compost. With the contribution of the College of Agriculture at Solan, many students pursued a mushroom programme for obtaining their MS and Ph.D. degrees under the guidance of Prof. R. L. Munjar, Prof. and Head of Dept. of Plant Pathology and Head of Mushroom Research Laboratory, Solan. This was shortly followed by the establishment of a mother composting unit at Solan in the early eighties under UNDP assistance where James Tunney from the UK worked for several years commissioning the mother composting facility at Solan. The seeded compost at the mother unit was provided to growers in and around the Solan hills to initiate mushroom cultivation. The mushrooms thus produced were purchased by canners and sold in the market. But the consumption of mushrooms was confined to the richer sections of society. The National Research Centre for Mushrooms was set up by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research at Solan in 1983 (June) and I was given the responsibility of starting the Centre at the old/vacated campus of the College of Agriculture, HP Agriculture University, Solan. The Centre took several years to develop the facility at Solan and today we have 15 scientists working at the Centre in 4 different disciplines such as Mushroom Production and Improvement, Mushroom Protection, Mushroom Nutrition and Crop Utilization and Extension. Today this Centre has attained national and international recognition for the contribution made in mushroom R & D in India and the World. We have most modern laboratories with the latest equipment and instruments for conducting research on various aspects of mushrooms. The biotechnology laboratory for DNA fingerprinting and use of DNA markers in breeding is working full-time on a mushroom breeding programme. The climate-controlled cropping rooms (13) are ready to be commissioned for use in experimentation within a month. The mushroom industry in the eighties increased in size by way of expansion of mushroom growing activities all over the country. Button mushrooms were grown in cooler regions and oyster/straw mushrooms in hotter regions. Meanwhile Pleurotus sajor-caju cultivation became more and more popular all over the country with its minimal requirement of infrastructures. Simple hot water treatment or chemical treatment (Bavistin/formalin) of the substrate was found good enough to protect the substrate from competitor moulds during cropping. In late eighties and early nineties some modern air conditioned mushroom farms were built near cities like Pune, Bombay, Delhi, Chandigarh, Hyderabad and Madras. With the introduction of spawn of improved/hybrid strains in the nineties by some leading spawn companies from the US and Europe, the industry got a further boost. By the early nineties production of all types of cultivated mushrooms was 5-7 thousand tonnes, and a minor part of it was exported. Besides that, mushrooms harvested from nature like Morels/Kabul Dhingri were exported in greater quantities to Europe and America in the dried form. The mushroom industry saw its biggest expansion in the mid-nineties with production going up to 40,000 tonnes and exports increasing dramatically. About 70-80% of this production was exported to the US and Europe. The exports became more organised in the nineties but the mushroom industry saw a downturn in the late nineties with China causing a fall in international prices by dumping mushrooms produced cheaply in their country, in the more competitive markets. The prices dropped in the international market from US$ 28-30 to 18-20 and subsequently to 12-14 per case. This could not compensate even for the production costs and the industry in India suffered a set back, and people stopped investing in this area. Today the prices are better around US$ 18-20 per case, with little antidumping duty enforced on Indian exports by the US Govt. The Industry was expected to reach a production figure of 100000 tonnes by the turn of the century, but could reach the half way mark only by 2001. Today, there are limited enquiries on mushroom industry investment when raw materials, labour and technology are available readily at a comparatively lower costs. We have mushroom growing activity spread over the length and breadth of the country, with local spawn laboratories proliferating in areas of greater demand. The per capita consumption is 15-20g only and by increaszing the per capita consumption to 100g, we should be able to market 100000 tonnes of mushrooms within the country. There are positive signs emanating from the consumer in India, and today cultivated mushrooms are available in all common vegetable shops, grocery stores and departmental stores in small and big towns in India. Mushrooms are more relevant to predominantly vegetarian India.
Mushroom Spawn
Mushroom spawn was initially available from only one centre in India, that was College of Agriculture, Solan and that was the situation until the end of the sixties. Then spawn laboratories were established at Srinagar by Dept. of Agriculture and Regional Research Laboratory with the production of reasonable quantities of pure culture spawn. Some spawn was also produced by Teg's Mushrooms at Chail. The College of Agriculture, Solan became the chief source of supply of spawn in the country. In the eighties some laboratories in agricultural universities started providing pure culture mushroom spawn to the mushroom growers and spawn was also available from the Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, ICAR, Bangalore. With the setting up of the National Research Centre for Mushrooms at Solan, spawn was made available from the Centre to small and marginal farmers and by the late eighties many commercial spawn laboratories were set up in and around Delhi. About this time Sylvan, USA, started operations in India marketing spawn produced at their European centres. But unfortunately, they did not find the market big enough to set up their own production unit. We do not have large spawn companies operating in India with a R&D back-up facility, the spawn companies that are operating just multiply the spawn and sell it. The availability of strains is limited to S-11, 310, 791, 76 (all non-hybrid strains of A.bisporus) and U-3 (Hybrid). These strains were officially procured in earlier times by different spawn producing centres in the Government sector. A dozen species of Pleurotus are also available in India for cultivation in different agro-climatic zones of India. Also NRCM released 3 new strains of A.bisporus (NCS-100, NCS-101 and NCH-102) in 1997 and 2 strains of A.bitorquis (NCB-6 and NCB-13) in 2000. The cultures of all these strains are available from the culture bank maintained at the centre at NRCM, Solan. Today our centre is the chief source of mushroom cultures in the country. We maintain cultures in our culture bank in a refrigerator (frequent sub-culturing), in liquid paraffin and liquid nitrogen (cryopreservation). Spawn is prepared and supplied in 500g and 1kg polypropylene packs and one kg of mushroom spawn costs about Rs.50.00 (approx. one US$). Some big spawn companies are supplying spawn to commercial growers in India at almost 3 times the price of that available locally. The quality of the spawn produced by Indian companies is comparable to the best in the world except that it is in small packs of 1kg and the choice of strains is limited. The big companies from US and Europe can make it big in India if they cater to the markets from surrounding areas like China, Indonesia, Thailand and other countries. The biggest advantage India offers is the lower cost of production of spawn with low cost of inputs. Presently Indian market demand is about 8000-10000 tones of spawn. Spawn in India is mostly produced on wheat grain and bajra grain (lesser millet). The spawning rate in button mushroom is 0.5-0.7% and in Pleurotus is about 2% of the wet weight of substrate.
Compost technology
White button mushroom is still the most commonly cultivated mushroom grown and accepted by the consumer in India. Today we have the most modern compost producing technology in use in the country. There are principally two sets of mushroom growers in India, first those who grow mushrooms seasonally and they produce the compost by a long method in a single phase outdoors in 20-25 days without phase-II, mainly depending upon the selectivity of the substrate for obtaining a single crop of mushrooms. Second is the commercial grower who takes 4-5 crops in a year in environmentally controlled modern cropping houses. These units have facilities for phase-I and phase-II of composting with use of modern machines for turning, filling and emptying. Some of the units have built indoor phase-I bunkers and are using these facilities with good productivity. Composting by this method is accomplished in 18-20 days (6-7 days in pre-wet, 6-7 days in phase-I, 6-7 days in phase-II). On most of the mushroom farms wheat/paddy straw are used as chief base materials and poultry manure along with N-fertilizer and organic N-sources are used as supplements for composting to bring base materials to desired C:N ratio at the start. Most of the commercial units have excelled in the art of composting with measurement of compost parameters at every stage. A nitrogen percentage of around 2.3% is acceptable after completion of Phase-II as a good measure with moisture content of about 67-68% at spawning, with bulk density of 100-110kg per m2.
As short sized/finely chopped wheat straw is used for composting in India as against 10"-12" long wheat straw used in Europe. This results in our composts becoming denser as a greater quantity fits into a smaller space. The wheat straw is principally available finely chopped, basically prepared as animal feed, as the mushroom industry in India is not so big as yet to attract the attention of the wheat straw handler. Sugarcane bagasse is also used as a base material in some areas for composting in combination with paddy straw, but the composting takes longer by 5-7 days. Farm Yard Manure and Mushroom Spent Compost are commonly used for casing after steam/formalin treatment, as peat is not available in our country. Coir pith after composting is also used in combination with FYM with good results. Casing material is a major bottleneck in button mushroom cultivation in India. Importing Irish peat is expensive for the grower.
Growers
There are two main types of mushroom growers in India, seasonal growers and round the year growers. Both grow white button mushroom for the domestic market and export. The seasonal button mushroom growers are confined to temperate areas such as Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, hilly regions of Uttar Pradesh, hilly regions of Tamil Nadu and North Eastern hilly regions where growers take 2-3 crops of button mushrooms in a year. Also included in the seasonal growers are the growers from North Western plains of India who grow one winter crop of button mushrooms and sell it fresh. The all-season growers are scattered all over the country. The large/export oriented units (EOU) are located in Punjab (near Chandigarh), Dehradun (Near Massoorie hills), Gurgaon (near Delhi), Hyderabad (South India), Madras (South India), Ooty hills (South India), Pune (near Bombay), Paonta Sahib/Nalagarh (HP) and at Goa (Western India). These large units have the growing capacity in the range of 200 to 5000 tonnes per annum. M/s Agro Dutch located in Punjab (near Chandigarh) is the largest EOU with installed capacity of about 5000 tonnes. Some of these units were built with the assistance from foreign machinery sellers/consultants; but entire air handling/cooling machines are now manufactured and commissioned in India.
Waste recycling
Spent compost has been found to possess good qualities for soil application in place of chemical fertilizers at NRCM, Solan. It was found possible to fertilize the soil with spent compost for the cultivation of soybean/maize with very good results. It can also be used as manure for flower and vegetable cultivation under tropical/temperate climate.
One way of recycling Agaricus spent compost is as its use for casing, after suitable decomposition and water leaching. Many mushroom farms are using decomposed spent compost in combination with FYM or other materials with good results.
Marketing and exports
Marketing of fresh mushrooms is always done in the nearby city, especially Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Chandigarh and others. Most of the produce from big commercial farms is canned in brine and exported to destinations outside India, especially USA. The quality of the mushrooms exported is excellent as most of the big commercial farms are growing hybrid strains of A.bisporus made available to them by multinational spawn companies like Sylvan, Amycel and others. The mushrooms are blanched and preserved in brine in large containers for shipment to distant destinations in containers, and are repacked at the final destination to suit local markets. A quantity is freeze-dried by the producer and exported at a good price. The mushrooms for freeze drying require to be picked as smaller buttons, hence reduced yields.
The retail price of fresh mushrooms in Indian ranges from Rs.50/- to Rs.100/- per kg, depending upon the season. In summer months the prices are higher than in winter months due to the high cost of electricity for cooling. Prices are lower in winter due to arrival of mushrooms into the market from seasonal growers. Prices of mushrooms in the marriage season go as high as Rs.150.00 per kg for a short period due to greater demand.
India being a tropical country, fresh marketing is at a premium, except for a brief winter period. The commonly used packaging is the polythene bag. Most of the mushrooms sold in fresh markets are treated with potassium metabisulphite due to market demand as mushrooms become extra white after the treatment and the casing adhering is also removed.
The export market for India is chiefly the USA, with some quantities going to UAE, Russia, The Netherlands, Germany, UK, Switzerland, Denmark, Israel, Sweden and other countries. There is no quota available from EU for India, and Indian exporters have to sell processed mushrooms in the EU with additional taxes levied as per the laws of the EU, which makes it difficult for the Indian exporters to compete in the EU market.