Small-scale Mushroom Cultivation - Journey To Forever
Agrodok 40Small-scale mushroomcultivationoyster, shiitake and wood ear mushroomsPeter Oeiwith contributions by Bram van Nieuwenhuijzen
2005 Agromisa Foundation and CTAAll rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photocopy,microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher.First edition: 2005Authors: Peter Oei, with contributions by Bram van NieuwenhuijzenEditor: Janna de FeijterIllustrators: Barbera Oranje, Mamadi B. JabbiDesign: Eva KokTranslation: Ninette de ZylvaPrinted by: Digigrafi, Wageningen, The NetherlandsISBN Agromisa: 90-8573-038-4ISBN CTA: 92-9081-303-2
ForewordMushroom cultivation fits in very well with sustainable farming andhas several advantages:? It uses agricultural waste products? A high production per surface area can be obtained? After picking, the spent substrate is still a good soil conditionerThis Agrodok contains detailed information on how to grow threekinds of mushrooms: oyster, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms. Thesemushrooms are rather easy to grow on a small scale. Cultivation of thecommon white button mushroom and of the rice straw mushroom isvery different and will therefore be dealt with in another Agrodok.Much of the information presented here is from my book “Mushroomcultivation and appropriate technologies for commercial mushroomgrowers”. By concentrating on three mushroom species only and onrelatively simple technologies, I hope readers can obtain a sustainableprofit from mushroom growing.Bram van Nieuwenhuijzen was the director of the Mushroom Growers’ Training Centre (nowadays known as C Point) at Horst, The Netherlands, for a number of years. He is currently involved in mushroomcultivation projects in several countries as an adviser through PUMNetherlands Senior Experts in The Hague.Peter OeiChairman ECO Consult Foundation and Visiting Professor Fujian Agricultural UniversityForeword3
Contents1Introduction22.12.22.32.4Biology of mushroomsFungiFungus ecologyLife cycle of fungiTemperature ranges of cultivated mushrooms88891233.13.2Mushroom farmsFarm layoutFarm hygiene14141744.14.24.34.44.54.64.74.8Spawn productionThe starter cultureThe sterilisation processClean environmentsCulturesPreparation of mediaPreparation of slantsMother spawnPreparation of the final spawn1820202224272832345Growing oyster mushrooms on pasteurised or‘sterilised’ substratesPreparation of the substrateHeat treatmentsSpawning pasteurized substrateSpawning sterilised bagsSpawn runFruiting/croppingHarvestingCase description: Ahmedabad, IndiaCase description: Bogor, 5.85.946Small-scale mushroom cultivation
5.10 Juncao Technology turns grass into mushrooms5666.16.26.36.46.56.66.7Shiitake cultivation on plastic bagsSubstrate preparationFilling and heat treatmentSpawningSpawn run and mycelial developmentFruitingHarvestingPests and diseases585859596061636377.17.27.37.47.5Wood ear mushrooms on ‘sterilised’ substrateSubstrate preparationHeat treatmentSpawning and spawn runFruitingCase description: the Philippines65656565666688.18.2Post harvest handlingFresh MarketDrying697071Appendix 1: Formulas76Appendix 2: Substrate preparation77Further reading78Useful addresses81Glossary83Contents5
1IntroductionDo you want to grow mushrooms? There are plenty of reasons to doso. Mushrooms are a good cash crop; they are rather easy to grow andare brimming with protein, B vitamins and minerals. They even havemedicinal properties. Time between spawning and harvesting can beas short as three weeks. Furthermore, after the cultivation, you canstill use the substrate as a good soil conditioner.This Agrodok gives you detailed information on the cultivation of oyster, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms. Although many other types ofmushrooms can be grown, we have chosen the ones that can easily becultivated in developing countries using appropriate technology.When choosing your method to grow mushrooms, you have to find ananswer to the following questions:1 Which of the mushrooms do you want to grow? Check the marketand the temperature ranges for fruiting (see paragraph 2.4).2 Can you obtain mushroom spawn (the “seed”) of the species youwant to grow? Chapter 4 shows you how to produce your ownspawn. If you cannot obtain or produce spawn it will not be possibleto grow mushrooms.3 What kind of substrate would you need to be able to grow the desired mushrooms? See Chapter 5.4 How should you treat the substrate? This affects the investmentsyou have to make. Details can be found in the chapters on the specific mushroom species.To understand mushroom growing and the properties of mushrooms,some biological knowledge of the crop is necessary. So, we will startwith the biology of mushrooms.6Small-scale mushroom cultivation
Figure 1: The three mushroom species dealt with in this AgrodokIntroduction7
2Biology of mushrooms2.1FungiMushrooms belong to the kingdom of Fungi, a group very distinctfrom plants, animals and bacteria. Fungi lack the most important feature of plants: the ability to use energy from the sun directly throughchlorophyll. Thus, fungi depend on other organisms for food, absorbing nutrients from the organic material in which they live. The livingbody of the fungus is mycelium made out of a tiny web of threads (orfilaments) called hyphae. Under specific conditions, sexually compatible hyphae will fuse and start to form spores. The larger sporeproducing structures (bigger than about 1 mm) are called mushrooms.In nature this is the most striking part of the organism, but in fact it isjust the fruiting body and the major part of the living organism isfound under the ground or inside the wood.Scientific and colloquial names of mushroomsThe scientific names of mushrooms are often used in this Agrodok, asthey give rise to less confusion than colloquial names. For example,the name oyster mushroom applies to more than 20 different speciesof mushroom, each with its own cultivation characteristics such asoptimal temperature range, colour and growth rate.For mushroom growers, the most practical approach to the subject oftaxonomy is to rely on taxonomists. It is best to order strains from renowned spawn producers or culture collections.2.2Fungus ecologyFungi depend on other organisms for their food. Three modes of livingcan be recognised:? Saprophytes: degrading already dead material? Symbionts: living together with other organisms (especially trees)in a close, mutually beneficial relationship? Parasites: living at the expense of other organisms8Small-scale mushroom cultivation
The mode of living has nothing to do with edibility: both edible andpoisonous mushrooms can be found in all three groups. This Agrodokonly deals with saprophytes.SaprophytesSaprophytic fungi need organic matter to decompose. In nature theywill grow on fallen leaves, animal droppings, or stumps of dead wood.Some are specialised in breaking down the hairs of mammals, whileothers may decompose birds' feathers. Saprophytes decompose thecomplex organic structures left behind by plants and animals. And inthe natural run of things, plants or animals regain access to mineralsand other nutrients present in the substrate. Oyster mushrooms degrade dead wood in nature. They can be cultivated on a wide range ofligno-cellulose waste materials.2.3Life cycle of fungiFungi multiply by producing millions and millions of spores. When aspore settles in a suitable environment, it can germinate and branch toform a mycelium. When two sexually compatible mycelia meet, theymay fuse to form a so-called secondary mycelium, which is capable offorming fruiting bodies.Mycelial growth and spawnIn the practice of edible mushroom cultivation no use is made of spores. Their small size makes them difficult to handle and their geneticcharacteristics may differ from those of their parent. Moreover, ittakes some time for mushroom spores to germinate, whereas otherfungi such as green moulds germinate and spread much faster.The desired mushroom must be able to colonise the substrate beforeother fungi or bacteria do so. To achieve this, pre-grown mycelium(free of any contaminants) of the mushroom is inoculated on a sterilesubstrate. This material is referred to as spawn. Using spawn will givethe cultivated mushroom an advantage in growth over other fungi.Biology of mushrooms9
Spawn runThe mycelium will colonise the substrate and use the available nutrients. This is commonly referred to as the spawn run. When some nutrients run out, or when the weather changes, the mycelium will reacha different phase: the reproductive stage. A temperature of about 25 Cis optimal for the spawn run of most species. The environment canalso enhance the growth of the desired mycelium: a high CO2 concentration is favourable for mycelial growth (but not for cropping).Figure 2: Life cycle of mushrooms in nature10Small-scale mushroom cultivation
Figure 3: Life cycle from mushrooms to spawn. Tissue cultures areisolated from a mushroom and propagated on a suitable substrate.This full-grown substrate is then used in mushroom growing.After having colonised the substrate, the mycelium is capable of producing fruiting bodies. The number and quality of the fruiting bodieswill depend on the environment.Key factors to induce fruiting bodies are:? changing temperature? high humidity? deficiency of a nutrient? CO2 concentration in the air? light? physical shockBiology of mushrooms11
These factors differ from mushroom to mushroom. Most of thechanges that stimulate fruiting have a negative effect on the vegetativegrowth of the mycelium. Changes should therefore only be madewhen the mycelium has completely grown through the substrate. It isactually the less favourable condition for vegetative growth that willstimulate the mycelium to fruit.Two examples to induce fruiting in different mushrooms:? Some oyster mushrooms (for example Pleurotus ostreatus strains)will fruit reliably when, after mycelial growth, they experience acold shock (a difference of 5 C to 10 C). The CO2 concentrationhas to be lowered as well. Mycelial growth can take place in thedark, but light is essential for fruiting.? Fully-grown shiitake (Lentinula edodes) mycelium in substrate bagsare soaked in water for one or two days and receive a physicalshock to stimulate fruiting. The shock will remove captured CO2.Small primordia (initial fruiting bodies) will be formed at the beginning of the reproductive phase. Under the right conditions, these primordia will develop into fruiting bodies. Nutrients are transportedfrom the mycelium to the fruiting bodies by a steady moisture flow.Water has to evaporate on the surface of the mushrooms in order toallow the flow to continue. This explains why spraying water on maturing mushrooms or a too high relative humidity of the air can spoilthe crop.2.4Temperature ranges of cultivatedmushroomsChoose a species that fruits at temperatures near your outdoor temperatures. This limits investments in climate control and reduces energy costs. As the table shows there are actually few species suited toreally tropical conditions. The only mushrooms currently being cultivated at temperatures around or just below 30 C are: oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus cystidiosus / abalones / ostreatus var. florida) and12Small-scale mushroom cultivation
Volvariella volvacea, Agaricus bitorquis, Stropharia rugoso-annulataand wood ear mushrooms (Auricularia politricha).Table 1: Temperature ranges and techniques for mycelial growth,optimal growth and fruiting for specific mushroom species.Mushroom species/ Common nameTmgToptimal mg TfruitingTechniquesLentinula edodes /Shiitake5-3520-308 -25*1, 2, 3,Pleurotus abalonus /Abalone oyster15-3520-3025-302, 3mushroomPleurotus cystidiosus /Oyster mushroom 10-3525-2825-302, 3Pleurotus ostreatus /Winter oyster mush- 5-3520-255-252, 3roomPleurotus pulmonarius /Oyster mush5-3520-2513-202, 3roomPleurotus cornucopiae# / Branched or15-3520-2815-252, 3yellow Oyster mushroomPleurotus djamor /Pink oyster mush15-3524-3020-302, 3roomPleurotus eryngii /King oyster mushroom 10-3520-2515-222, 3Auricularia polytricha /Wood ear mush20-3535-3023-282room#:Including Pleurotus citrinopileatus :Including probable synonyms: P. ostreatus, P. salmoneo-stramineus, P. flabellatusTmg:The range at which the mycelium stays viable; the growth speed declines at bothhigh and low ends of this range.Toptimal mg: The optimal temperature range required for fruiting; the most important temperature.Substrate preparation techniques:1Wood logs (not treated in this Agrodok)2Pasteurised or pre-heated substrate3Sterilised substrateBiology of mushrooms13
3Mushroom farmsCertain factors should be kept in mind when selecting a site for amushroom farm:? distance to the market? availability of good quality substrate material? transportation of both product and substrate material? ready availability of clean waterFigure 4: Cropping house3.1Farm layoutBefore one can start to plan the layout, the processes to be performedat the mushroom farm will have to be listed. For example, whether ornot an inoculation room is required depends on whether growers prepare their own substrate or buy inoculated substrate.14Small-scale mushroom cultivation
The farm layout should also include:? An efficient flow of substrate materials? Measures to prevent contamination on the farm? Efficient use of spaceThe mushroom farm should provide suitable climatic conditions. It ispossible to adapt existing structures such as defence tunnels, bunkers,caves, chicken houses, old milk factories and slaughterhouses. Somesuccessful mushroom cultivation operations take place in old defenceor railway tunnels.FloorsOn a low investment level, mushroom houses are just built on arableland. On a higher investment level, cemented floors are used. Slightlyinclined cemented floors provide a smooth surface that can easily becleaned and allow excess water to drain.A screened basket could be used to collect the coarse debris from thedrained water. The drainage system of the different rooms should notbe connected to prevent a disease in one growing room from easilyspreading to other rooms. The floors should also be smooth to facilitate handling and transport of materials.Doors, windows and other openingsDoors and walls should close properly to prevent insects from enteringthe growing rooms. A double door, with a wire mesh for the secondentrance, can help to keep insects out. The same rules apply for windows. The openings through which air is either blown in or out of therooms should have at least a simple filter or cloth as barrier.The smell of mushroom mycelium is very attractive to mushroom flies.Mushroom farms15
Figure 5: Double door at the entrance of the incubation unit16Small-scale mushroom cultivation
3.2Farm hygieneHygiene is vital on a mushroom farm. Since chemical control of pestsand diseases is not possible in small-scale mushroom cultivation, theonly preventive measure is hygiene, and to some extent disinfection.This goes for a spawn production unit, the site for substrate production, the incubation rooms and production units.Therefore checking a suitable site for a mushroom farm is very important. The surroundings of a farm should be clean and free from possible contamination from insects, moulds etc. This means that building anew farm close to other mushroom farms should be avoided. Insectsand diseases from these farms could easily spread to the new farm.If possible separate the various units of the new farm.The spawn laboratory should be separate from the growing site. Thegrowing rooms ought to be separated by (plastic) walls to keep thedifferent stages of cultivation apart. As a matter of fact no incubationor spawn running should take place in the same room where the mushrooms are harvested.Debris, contaminated bags and spent substrate must be removed immediatelyfrom the rooms and from the farm itself, preferably to a place far away.All these measures are necessary to avoid pests such as flies and otherinsects as well as diseases spreading from these waste dumps. If thespent substrate is to be used for gardening soil, it should be used assoon as possible.Mushroom farms17
4Spawn productionThe mushroom “seed” (propagation material) is generally referred toas spawn.Availability of spawn cultureThe availability of good quality spawn is the limiting factor for mushroom cultivation in many developing countries. Customs’ bureaucracy,high shipping costs and the difficulty to keep the spawn cooled duringtransport, often hinders imports. It might therefore be necessary forthe mushroom grower to produce his own spawn.If good quality spawn of the desired mushroom species can be obtained at areasonable price, it would be wiser to concentrate on the mushroom growingprocess. If not, spawn will have to be produced or multiplied by the mushroomgrower.The complete procedure of spawn production involves preparation ofthe medium, filling the test tubes or Petri dishes and sterilising them,and the process of inoculating larger containers with this culture.Spawn production requires a clean laboratory and specialised knowledge.Basically, spawn production is nothing more than putting mycelium ofthe desired mushroom in suitable sterilised substrates under asepticconditions.In practice, however, producing spawn is not that simple. Suitablestrains from the required mushroom species have to be maintainedunder strict conditions to avoid degeneration. If this is not possibletissue culture from a fresh and healthy mushroom should be used forspawn production. In addition, the spawn production room has to bekept meticulously clean to avoid any contamination.18Small-scale mushroom cultivation
Figure 6: Multiplication of spawnSpawn production19
4.1The starter cultureThe starter culture (or mother culture) can be made from a fresh andhealthy fruiting body or obtained from a spawn producer or laboratory.More agar cultures are then made from this starter culture. These serveto inoculate larger containers (like bottles) with mother spawn, whichcan be used to inoculate the final spawn substrate.The minimal requirements for a spawn production unit are:? a sterilisation unit (pressure cooker, autoclave)? sterile environment: inoculation box or laminar airflow cabin? laboratory equipment like Petri dishes, test tubes, scales, alcohol,flame? incubation roomThe above equipment is commonly available in hospitals, researchstations and universities.The raw materials include:? ingredients for media preparation? substrate material (grain, wooden sticks (skewers), sawdust, or evenoil palm fruit fibre)? pure culture or fresh mushroom of the desired mushroom speciesstrain? spawn containers (such as bottles or plastic bags)In countries lacking mushroom production, spawn may be obtained from aspawn producer, a university or a research station at the start of a project.For addresses of spawn producers see Useful Addresses.4.2The sterilisation processGrain, sawdust and compost contain large numbers of contaminants.A single grain kernel may contain thousands of bacteria, fungi andactinomycetes.20Small-scale mushroom cultivation
Every one of these undesired agents, which are called contaminants, is capable of spoiling substrates that have not been properly sterilised or inoculatedunder unhygienic conditions.A heat treatment of 15 minutes at 121 C is usually sufficient to kill allorganisms. It takes quite some time for the steam to heat the inner coreof substrates to this temperature, depending on the way the sterilisation/pasteurisation unit is filled and on the capacity of the burner.Steaming in an oil drum for at least 6 hours is usually necessary to ensureproper heating of the inner core of the substrate bags. Sterilise 4-liter bags filled with 2kg spawnsubstrate for at least 2 hours at 121 C.Pressure cookersThe cheapest option is to obtain one or more large pressure
Agrodok 40 Small-scale mushroom cultivation oyster, shiitake and wood ear mushrooms Peter Oei with contributions by Bram van NieuwenhuijzenFile Size: 876KB
The first Agrodok on ‘Small-scale mushroom cultivation’, Agrodok no. 40, describes the technique of mushroom cultivation on substrates that only need heat treatment. Certain mushroom species however, like the Rice Straw Mushroom (Volvariella spp.) and the Button Mushroom (Agaricus spp.) c
ORGANIC MUSHROOM CULTIVATION MANUAL 3 What makes up a Mushroom 1. Cap: the top part of the mushroom that grows upward.When fully grown, mushroom caps will spread out like an umbrella, e.g. the Straw Mushroom, Ch
equipment to produce mushroom spawn for rural development projects. In the long run, the ARC's lab space can be used to produce low-cost mushroom spawn for mushroom cultivation projects. The following are short protocols for the production of nutritive agar, mushroom spawn, and mushroom-growing substrate. A. Agar medium for oyster mushrooms
into Shiitake-growing techniques, and we don't have to wait for the wind anymore. In fact, Shiitake is the second most produced mushroom in the world, following the common button mushroom. Shiitake Mushroom Cultivation 2011 INTRODUCTORY GROWER’S Cultivation of shiitake mushrooms is a fairly simply process. This guise will help you plan
07. Sample Menu Recipes Salads 08. Anti Pasta Salad 09. Asian Spinach Salad 11. Italian Mushroom Salad 12. Peppy Pasta Salad 14. Shaved Mushroom Salad Entrees 15. Mushroom and Avocado Quesadilla 16. Veggie Flatbread 18. Broccoli Mushroom Cheddar Hand Pie 19. Mushroom Omelette 21. Veggie Qu
Small-scale mushroom cultivation 4 Contents 1 Introduction 6 2 Biology of mushrooms 8 2.1 Fungi 8 2.2 Fungus ecology 8 2.3 Life cycle of fungi 9 2.4 Temperature ranges of cultivated mushrooms 12 3 Mushroom farms 14 3.1 Farm layout 14 3.2 Farm hygiene 17 4 Spawn production 18 4.1 The starter culture 20
4. Mushroom spawn, commonly referred to as mushroom "spore," is planted and cared for in such a way as to achieve maximum production. (Note: Mushroom growers in Thailand rarely complete steps 1, 2 and 3 as the PDA, mother spore and spawn of the commonly grown mushroom varieties
required to start mushroom production are the following: growing room: UGX 800 000 (USD 219.12); and solar dryer: UGX 700 000 (USD 191.73). 2.2 Mushroom market prices: dried mushroom: UGX 30 000 (USD 8.22) per kg; and fresh mushroom: UGX 8 000 (USD 2.19) per kg. The costs, prices and exchange rates mentioned in this practice .
