Commercial Mushroom Cultivation guide 2024

Button mushroom cultivation process 

The cultivation of button mushroom “Agaricus bisporus” species is chosen because, Regarding production, it comes a first place in the world.

In India, the favorable season for mushroom cultivation is October to march.

The cultivation Procedure has five main steps.

1. Mushroom Spawn
2. preparing of compost
3. Spawning of mulch
4. Casing
5. Cropping and harvest administration

Mushroom Spawn:

the mushroom growing process starts from Spawn preparation

Spawn is planting material for mushroom cultivation. That is, it is a seed of a mushroom. The mushroom spawn preparation required greater technical skill & investment; mostly, mushroom spawn produces large institutes.

mushroom  grower import  spawn from the renowned source

here you can find a list of mushroom spawn producer

Good Qualities mushroom spawn has the following qualities

1. The spawn  should Be rapidly growing in the compost
2. Provide early pruning following casing
3.  high yielding
4.  It must create a greater grade of mushroom

 Preparing of compost

Compost is an artificially prepared growth medium from which mushrooms can derive essential nutrients necessary for growth.

There are two primary methods for compost preparation:

• Longer Method
• Short Method

The short Method takes less time to prepare compost than the longer method but requires more capital and resources.  The compost made by the short method is suitable for high-yielding mushroom production.

Longer Method:

This is an outdoor procedure and takes around 28 days in its conclusion with seven turnings.

Materials are required for the longer method is as follows.

Before creating compost, The mixture of wheat straw or paddy straw is placed for 1-2 days (24-48 hours) on the floor and spray water several times a day with a fixed time interval.

Day 0:
In this stage, the above Ingredient except Gypsum is mixed well and makes a 5-feet-wide, 5-foot-high stack. With wooden box help or any other equipment in grow room.

The stack’s length depends on the amount of material, but the height and width should not be more or less than the measurements are written above, and It kept as it is for five days.

Water is spray as per the requirement of lower moisture in the outer layers. This stack’s temperature in about two to three days gets around 65-70 ° C, which is a good sign.

First turnaround (6th day)
On the sixth day,  start the first turnaround.

Keep in mind that each part of the stack should be thoroughly mixed during the turning point, and enough air circulates so that humidity gets rid of each piece of compost.

If the compost’s moisture content is reduced, then the water is sprayed as per the requirement. The size and size of the new pile are similar to the first one.

Second turnaround (10th day)  
The second turnaround is similar to the first turnaround

Third turnaround (13th day):
In the third turnaround, add Gypsum  follow the same procedure as the first turnaround me  & mix completely

Fourth turnaround (16th day)
same process as the first turnaround

Fifth turnaround (19th day)
same procedure as the first turnaround

6th Turnaround (22nd Day)

Seventh turnaround (25th day):
Sprinkle Nuwan or Malathion (0.1%). at this turnover

Eighth turnaround(28th day)
check Ammonia and moisture in compost on the twenty-eighth day.

To know the level of moisture, press the compost in the  palm and check moister level;

if the fingers become wet on the press, but the water with the compost does not squeeze, in this condition, the humidity level is appropriate in the compost

in this situation, in the compost, 68-70 Percent moisture is present, suitable for seed production.

To check ammonia, in compost,  the compost is smoked, I if there is a smell of ammonia, give the difference of 3 days should provide one or two flip-outs.

When the smell of ammonia is finally finished, and the sweet aroma comes from the compost, then compost is spread on the floor and cool down to 25 degrees Celsius.

Short Method

Compost prepared by this method gives a high-quality product, and there is very little chance of infections.

This method is complete in two stages:

 I- Outdoor composting

Mix Wheat straw with chicken manure and spray water. The first turning starts on the fourth day and creates a 45cm high heap.

On the seventh day, start the second turning whet bran, urea, and gypsum are add mix thoroughly and maintain the inner temperature of the compost in between 70-75 ° C.

third turning start on the eighth day

on the tenth day, compost is transferred toward the pasteurization tunnel, and starts the second phase of indoor composting.

II- Indoor composting

In this stage, the pasteurization process is carried out in a closed environment.

Fill Compost in the pasteurization tunnel, and the moment the compost at the tunnel has stuffed the doors, and new air damper is appropriately closed. The blower is placed on for recirculation of air @ 150-250 cubic meter/ 1000 pound compost/ hour.

The stage II indoor composting procedure is complete  in 3 phases:

I) Pre-peak heating point:

After about 12-15 hours of mulch filling, the temperature of compost begins climbing, and after 48-50° C is got, it needs to be kept for 36-40 hours together with the venting system. Ordinarily, such temperatures are achieved by the self-production of heat from the compost mass with no steam injection

ii) Peak heat PoInt :

Increase the warmth of compost to 57-58° C by self-production of heat from parasitic activity if it’s not obtained. Injecting the live steam at the majority chamber and keep it for 8 hours to guarantee effective pasteurization. New air is introduced by launching the fresh air damper into 1/6 or even 1/4 of its capacity, and the air socket is also exposed to an identical extent.

iii) Post-peak heat point:

Lower the temperature slowly to 48-52 ° C.and keep until no indications of ammonia have been found in compost. This can take 3-4 times in a balanced formula. After the mulch is free of ammonia, complete clean air is brought on by opening the damper to the utmost capacity and cool the compost down to about 250C, Which’s considered the favorable temperature for spawning

Spawning

The seeds are a mix of compost.  Before seeding, wash the utensils used in seeding and seeding in 2% formalin solution and wash the hands of the person working in the seedling with soap to avoid any infection.

After this, add seed to 0.5 to 0.75 percent, that is, 100 kg G 500-750 grams of seeds are sufficient for ready compost.

Casing soil

The importance of casing soil would be to keep the moisture content and exchange of pollutants inside the top layer of the compost, which assists in the correct development of the mycelium. The pH of this casing soil should be 7.5-7.8 and have to be free of any disease.

Maintain temperature and humidity in a mushroom grow room.

The casing soil is stacked on the cemented ground and can be treated with a 4% formalin solution. The ground’s rotation is completed, and it’s covered with a polythene sheet for another 3-4 days. Pasteurization of shell soil at 65°C for 6-8 hours is shown to be a lot more successful.

3-4 cm thick coating of casing soil has been spread thickly on the compost once the surface was coated with white mycelium of this fungus. Formalin solution (0.5%) is subsequently being sprayed. Appropriate ventilation ought to be organized together with water being sprayed a couple of times every day.

Harvesting of crop

Mushroom Pinhead initiation starts after 10-12 days, and the mushroom crop is harvested in 50-60 days.

Harvest Mushrooms by light twisting without bothering the casing soil and  When the harvesting is finished, fill the gap on beds with fresh, sterilized casing material and spray water.

The crop should be harvested before the gills are available because this might diminish its quality and market worth.

Mushroom Productivity 

Generally, the longer method of composting 14-18 kg mushroom produce &   18 – 20 kg mushroom produced from the short method from 1000 kg compost.

Economic of White Button Mushroom

here you get a basic idea about the economy of White Button Mushroom cultivation

Disclaimer: (The above calculations are indicative only.)