Piduru Bimmal Volvariella volvacea Cultivation Methods

Piduru Bimma (Volvariella volvacea) can be cultivated using two methods

• Trestle/ Bed Method
• Frame Method

Trestle/Bed Method

Requirements in This Method

• Clean dry straws acquired from a healthy paddy field (Field that had not treated with fungicide) or cotton treads
• Black polythene - 3 m long and 2.5 m wide black polythene
• Bricks 
• A plank
• Threads

Steps for Preparing the Growth Medium and Placing seeds

• Prepare Trusses to a length of 1 m
• Tie the trusses using threads - Just as shown in the following picture

Trusses
Image Source - Bimmal Wagawa booklet publish by Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka

•  Prepare 16 such trusses and submerge them in clean water - Add 1 kg of dry cow dung to the water prior to submerging them
• Let the excess water to trickle
• Placing of the trusses should be done in a clean place



Trusses stacked together
Image Source - Bimmal Wagawa booklet publish by Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka

• Place the trusses as shown in the following picture

• On the bottom two truss layers, mushroom seeds should be place only on the edges of the trusses - Keep two inches of the edge without placing seeds
• On the third truss layer place the seeds covering the whole layer
• Cover the top layer with a black polythene
• Place a weight on the top of the polythene
• Remove the weight after five days and remove the polythene after seven days of seeding
• Spray 5 l of water to prevent the straws from drying
• First harvest will take about 5 weeks from seeding

References

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare ., 2009. Bimmal Wagawa. Kandy: Department of Agriculture