Cultivation practices of Oyster Mushroom
Environment requirements
The temperature during spawn run may vary from 20 -30 °C but the optimum temperature is 25°C for mycelial growth and for fruiting20-22 °C. Optimum pH ranges from 5.5-6.5.
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| commercial mushroom production and markeeting |
Spawn production
Wash the wheat grains and soak in water overnight. Boil the grains to make them soft but should be firm, then drain the water and spread them preferably on cheesecloth. Mix 2% calcium carbonate with the grains. Fill it in heat resistant polythene bags. Plug the opening with nonabsorbent cotton and autoclave them for an hour. After that inoculation of pure culture or grain spawn should be done and incubate. After 10-12 days entire grains will be covered with mycelium.
Substrate selection and preparation
Most of the farm wastes i.e. cereal straw, corncobs, sugarcane bagasse, banana leaves and pseudostems, leaf litter of various kinds, waste paper, cotton wastes can be used as substrates. Paddy straw is chopped to about 5 cm and soaked in water overnight. Then it is steamed for about 2 hours.
Selection of growing site
Oyster mushroom are usually grown indoors and any well ventilated room would be suitable. A bamboo house of mud plastered with the roof having thick thatch and cemented floor would be good enough.
Spawning
Spawn is mixed with the substrate @ 2-5% of the wet substrate. Spawning can be done after filling the straw on polythene bags and also by broadcasting before filling.
Filling
In transparent polythene bags substrates are filled. It should not exceed 6kg per bag. Generally in 4 layer substrates are filled and during each layer spawning should be done. Holes are made to permit ventilation and to cool down any increase temperature.
Handling of the crop
The packed bags are incubated in well ventilized room of temperature 25 °C. The humidity should be 80-85%. The mycelium will cover with 12-14 days. At this stage the plastic is cut and removed. Humidity is maintained by sprinkling water frequently on the walls and floor. The first crop will grow within 2 weeks.
Harvesting
This mushroom should be harvested when the cap begins to fold and has attained a diameter of 8-10 cm. Picking is done by twisting the mushroom gently. The base of stipe, deep within the straw, should be removed by cutting with a sharp knife. It is possible to get 800 g of mushroom from 1 kg of dry straw.
