The cultivation of button mushroom is done as follow: 1. Compost Formulation 2. Stack Preparation 3. Turning of Stack 4. Spawning 5. Casing 6. Disinfection of Casing Mixture 7. Procedure for Casing 8. Arrangement of Boxes 9. Appearance of Crop 10. Yield of Mushrooms
Step # 1. Compost Formulation:
Step # 2. Stack Preparation:
Wheat straw is spread on a “pucca” floor and wetted thoroughly with clean water for up to 48 hours. Side by side, wheat bran/husk powder is mixed with fertilizers (CAN, urea, superphosphate and MOP) and moistened with water.
The bran-fertilizers mixture is then broadcasted on the wet wheat straw and mixed with it using pitchforks. Thereafter, a stack (pile) of 5’x 5’x 5′ is prepared with the help of 3 wooden boards. The boards should be removed from the sides of stack as soon as it is ready.
Step # 3. Turning of Stack:
Proper turning of the stack is important so that microbial activity during decomposition is maximum. To achieve this, turnings of the stack are done, which means outer portions of the stack are exchanged with inner portions. In all 7 turnings are given to get a final grade compost. In all 7 turnings are given.
First turning on 4th day when 5 kg molasses are added in the form of its solution in 20 liters of water, second turning on 8th day, and third turning on 12th day when 30 kg gypsum is mixed by sprinkling the powder on dismantled stack and mixing it before restacking. The 4th to 7th turnings are given at intervals of 3 days each.
Furadan is added at the 5th and Lindane at the 7th turn. Compost prepared from 300 kg straw is sufficient for 20-25 boxes of 0.25 sq. m each. The final grade compost is checked for quality parameters. The ready compost should be dark brown in colour with no ammonical smell. At the time of spawning it should contain 65-72% moisture and pH of 7-8.
Step # 4. Spawning:
After cooling the compost and checking for quality parameters, spawning is carried out. For one sq. meter space, 300 g of spawn is used. Thus for the 3 quintals of wheat straw, 3 kg of spawn is required. Spawn can be procured from Department of Microbiology, PAU, and Ludhiana. Generally, the two layered spawning technique is used.
For this method, the containers (trays) are filled up to about 3″ depth and spawned with 1/3rd of the required quantity of spawn. Then more compost is added to bring it to the level of about 6″ depth and the remaining 2/3rd quantity of spawn is evenly distributed on the surface and slightly pressed in. The spawned surface is covered with newspaper sheets.
The bags/trays are arranged in tiers in the growing rooms and watered with sprayers regularly to keep these sheets moist. The trays/boxes show initiation of spawn run after 2-3 days of spawning. It takes about 2 weeks for the trays to show 80-100% coverage with white mycelial growth.
Step # 5. Casing:
At this stage the newspaper sheets are removed and spawn run surface of compost is covered with 1 to 1.5″ thick uniform layer of casing soil consisting of a mixture of well is disinfected with 4-5% formalin solution for 48 hours before using the casing mixture.
Step # 6. Disinfection of Casing Mixture:
The casing soil mixture is disinfected by using 4-5% solution of formaldehyde (formalin) In addition 20g Furadan per quintal of casing soil may be added to check any possible outbreak of nematodes. The treated soil is heaped and covered with a tarpaulin sheet or polythene sheet for at least 48 hours. Thereafter, it is opened and turned again and again to free it from fumes of formaldehyde.
Step # 7. Procedure for Casing:
After 2-3 weeks of spawning, remove the newspaper sheets and spawn run surface of compost is covered with 1 to 1.5″ thick uniform layer of disinfected casing soil.
Step # 8. Arrangement of Boxes:
For obtaining high yields of button mushroom and for optimal use of the space of the room, the boxes are arranged one on top of the other. The distance between adjacent rows of boxes is kept at 2-2.5 feet and the vertical space between boxes stacked on top of other is one foot.
Step # 9. Appearance of Crop:
After 2-3 weeks of casing, mushrooms will start appearing in the form of small pin heads which develop into button mushrooms ready for harvest in 2-3 days.
Step # 10. Yield of Mushrooms:
A yield of 8-12 kg of fresh mushrooms can be harvested from one sq. meter bed area. As per the calculations based on input raw material costs, the cost of production for button mushroom is about Rs. 33.14 and for oyster mushroom (dhingri) it is about Rs. 31.84.