Basic Requirements for Mushroom Cultivation

Major Requirements for Mushroom Cultivation

1. High quality mushroom spawns (seeds)
2. A cottage with low temperature and relatively high moisture level (Light inside the room should be adjustable)
3. A Barrel 
4. Sawdust or Straw
5. Polypropylene Bags/Polythene Bags/Basin 

1. High quality mushroom Spawns/Seeds

The most important thing in the mushroom cultivation is the use of good quality spawns/seeds. Good quality seeds are capable of providing a satisfactory harvest. Without good quality seeds, even a most competent farmer cannot take an satisfactory harvest. So always keep in mind to use only the best quality seeds. 

In Sri Lanka most mushroom farmers claims that seeds bought from private seeds producers have given them a satisfactory harvest. Price different between government and private seeds producers are about Rs. 10-15 per packet of seeds.

Preservation of Mushroom Spawns/Seeds

• Muthubeli Bimmal (Pleurotus ostreatus) seeds can be kept up to two weeks in a cold dark place. Loosening of the packet once every two days is important to keep it protected
• Under refrigerated conditions seeds can be kept up to  six weeks 
• Piduru Bimmal (Volvariella volvacea) seeds can be kept up to two weeks in a cold dark place and seeds of this species should not be refregirated

How to Identify Spawns Suitable for Cultivation

Seeds with size of needle point and pink color spores are suitable for cultivation

Avoid Buying Mushroom Spawns Packets With Following Defects

• Damaged packets
• Improperly sealed packets
• Damped cotton plug
• Absence of uniform white color inside the packet
• Appearance of water accumulation inside the packet

2. A cottage with low temperature and relatively high moisture level 

Establishment of the Cottage

Establishment of the cottage should be done in a clean environment, preferably in a place with shade. Water lodging should not happen in surrounding environment of the cottage. The cottage should have the facilities to maintain the moisture level, temperature. It should also have good aeration. Floor should be constructed with cement. Walls of the cottage should have a height of four feet. Roof of the cottage should be covered using roof sheets preferably. The space between the top of the wall and the roof should be covered with insect proof net. (If you are on a budget use coconut branches to cover the roof and Saree clothes to instead of insect proof net). Doors of the cottage should open to outside and they should be automatically closed.

Main areas of Mushroom Cottage 

1. Dark room for incubation - 
2. separate place to prepare growing media
3. Cropping room

Example for Mushroom Cultivating Cottage
Image Source - Bimmal Wagawa booklet publish by Department of Agriculture Sri Lanka

Water proof racks should be build inside the dark room. Racks can be built with several plies. Distance between two racks should be at least two feet to allow workers to walk between them.

3. Barrel

The main purpose of the barrel is to sterilize the growth medium of the mushrooms.

Barrel used to sterilize growth media

• Barrel is required when mushrooms are cultivated using sawdust or straw 
• Packets containing sawdust should be boiled using steam generated inside the barrel 
• When cultivation is done using straw, boil the straw inside the barrel using hot water 
• 200-liter barrel with a properly fitted lid is most suitable for this purpose 
• Make a small hole on the lid to allow steam to pass through 

Small hole on the lid

• Make sure not to allow steam to pass through anywhere else. Always tighten the lid to prevent steam blowing through loose areas of barrel 
• Build a wire net or wooden platform to pack the sawdust containing packets inside the barrel. The platform should be six inches above the bottom of the barrel

Platform built inside the barrel

Other specific requirement for each method and Importance of straws/sawdust  and polypropylene bags/polythene bags/basin  is discussed in Mushroom Cultivation Methods

References

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