Mushroom Yield Research Articles

Impact of front line demonstration on the yield and economics of paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella spp.) in Korba District of Chhattisgarh

Impact of front line demonstration on the yield and economics of paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella spp.) in Korba District of Chhattisgarh

Evaluation of different lignocellulosic-wastes and their combinations on growth and yield of Oyster mushroom (<i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>)

Lignocellulose wastes are generated in huge amounts by various sectors like agriculture, forestry, and industries but only a small portion of these wastes are utilized and a major portion is left unused. In this study, seven different lignocellulosic wastes and their combinations in different percentages were determined for the growth and yield of <italic>Pleurotus ostreatus</italic>. The maximum growth and yield of <italic>P</italic>.<italic> ostreatus</italic> were observed on a substrate made of rice straw, with a total yield of 399.70 gm per kg of substrate. The least growth and yield were recorded on a substrate made of wood flakes and sugarcane bagasse (80% + 20%), with a total yield of 13.54 gm per kg of substrate. Rice straw showed the highest biological efficiency (B.E) of 39.40, whereas wood flakes and sugarcane bagasse (80% + 20%) had the lowest B.E. of 1.35. Other substrates had a moderate effect, and citronella bagasse (<italic>Cymbopogon nardus</italic>), which was used as a substrate for the first time, gave a biological efficiency of 39.39 gm per kg substrate. The results showed a significant effect of substrates on mean yield and biological efficiency. Our study revealed that lignocellulosic waste can be profitably utilized for mushroom cultivation and could be one of the most economical and eco-friendly techniques.

Disease Assessment and Casing Variables for Cultivation of White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus (Lange))

An essential step in the cultivation of white button mushrooms for commercial use is the addition of substrate at the casing to boost quality and yield. The goal of this experiment was to investigate how different casing combinations affected the growth and yield of the white button mushroom (A. bisporus) strain U3 as well as conduct a wet bubble and green mould disease assessment. The various casing compositions differed significantly from one another. The casing mixture CP + FYM + RH (steam pasteurization) produced the highest overall yield (816.66 g), while CP produced the lowest (516.66 g). A gain of 1.48 was generated for every rupee spent on research thanks to the B:C ratio. During the 2020–2021 survey years, the incidence of the disease of wet bubble and green mould varied from 2.98 to 33.33 % and 14.83 to 64.92 percent, respectively, in Punjab's button mushroom farming farm districts. These studies will aid mushroom farmers in making the best casing material choices for the white button mushroom (A. bisporus), which has the best growth and yield potential in our nation.

Influence of substrate pasteurization, bag dimensions and organic supplement practices on yield and yield attributing parameters of Indian oyster mushroom, Pleurotus pulmonarius

Pleurotus mushroom, generally referred to as ‘Oyster mushroom or Dhingri’ in India is relatively new to the mushroom industry. In India, Odisha is a leading state in terms of oyster mushroom production. The condition in most of agro-climatic situation in Odisha are suitable for growing oyster mushroom from month of July to February comprising of the rainy and winter season. Pleurotus pulmonarius is a potential protein source especially in developing countries, besides having minerals and vitamins. Besides its edibility it has also got pharmaceutical properties. Hence, Pleurotus pulmonarius could well be incorporated in to the mushroom farming system during winter season besides the ruling species, as this species was not in cultivation earlier. Four different substrate pasteurization methods along with untreated done (control) were evaluated for their yield potential and superiority of steam treatment of substrate in terms of realization of mushroom yield (98.90%) was established in the investigation. However, yield obtained (96.63%) out of the treatment pasteurized with chemical was statistically at par with the steam treatment, through it was associated with longer incubation period (17.50 d) and crop duration (24.25 d). The untreated substrate (control) produced the lowest yield (79.28%). Nine organic supplements including control were evaluated for their influence on yield and yield attributing parameters of Pleurotus pulmonarius. The biological efficiency was reported numerically highest (93.37%) in boiled wheat which was at par with the yields realized from chicken manure (93.07%), boiled maize (92.53%), rice bran (92.33%), untreated control (91.07%), maize meal (91.10%) and bengal gram powder (90.99%). Among the six diverse bag dimensions, 30 × 25 cm bag accommodating 1500g substrate was superior in respect of biological efficiency.Â

Utilization of Agricultural and Forestry by-Products in Ganoderma lucidum (Curt.: Fr.) P. Karst. Production

The aim of the study was to evaluate the use of some local agricultural and forestry by-products as Ganoderma lucidum growing subsrate. In the study, 8 different growing media prepared by mixing agricultural and forestry wastes such as oak sawdust (OS), poplar sawdust (PS), wheat straw (WS), wood chips (WCH), green almond hulls (AH) and green walnut hulls (GWH) alone or in different proportions, were used for G. lucidum cultivation and the effects of these substrates on spawn run time (SRT), days to pinhead initiation (DPI), days to the first harvest (DFH), yield (g/kg) and biological efficiency (BE%) were investigated. The results demonstrated that spawn run time (SRT) of G. lucidum was shorter in PS and WS:GWH12.5 (19.7 days and 20.8 days) as compared to other substrates and mixtures (22.2-28.5 days). The pinheads emerged in substrates between 43th- 49th days and the fruiting bodies were collected between 80.3 -93.5 days after the spawning. Total fresh mushroom yield and BE(%) varied from 71.39 to 110.10 g/kg of substrate and from 21.0% to 31.46, respectively. Moreover, PS substrate produced fruitbody also earlier compared with the other investigated substrates. The study revealed that although higher total yields were obtained by sawdust substrates, considering the difficulty of finding sawdust in some areas, WS and the mixture of WS and GHW (87.5:12.5%) could be also successfully used inof G. lucidum production.

Seasonal variation of paddy straw mushroom performance under different microclimate environments

Maize is an important base crop in intensive irrigated cereal based cropping system because of its wider climatic acclimatization. In contrast, a certain microclimate is needed for commercial mushroom production. Favourable microclimatic condition that prevails in maize field created a greater opportunity to grow the warm loving Paddy Straw Mushroom “Volvariella volvacea” as intercrop. In this context, a comparative study was taken up at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University to determine the performance of paddy straw mushroom as intercrop under different microclimate created in irrigated maize and polyhouse during summer and kharif 2022. Study concluded that the microclimate variables during kharif season was more favourable for obtaining higher straw mushroom yield as maize intercrop, but the summer season was also an economically viable one. The study found that the most ideal limits of microclimate variables such as morning and afternoon temperature, morning and afternoon RH for paddy straw mushroom was 26 to 29oC, 29 to 33oC, 80 to 98 per cent and 66 to 88 per cent, respectively. The polyhouse showed its superiority in providing controlled favourable microclimate for paddy straw mushroom than the fluctuating microclimate under maize canopy, however the higher infrastructural investment in polyhouse farming is not affordable for the small and marginal farmers. The microclimate prevailed in between maize rows could support paddy straw mushroom intercropping as a viable system, which had Land Equivalent Ratio of more than 1.6 and double the time of Crop Equivalent Yield when compare to sole cropped maize.

Conversion of Oil Palm By-Products into Value-Added Products through Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Cultivation

The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus species) is a popular and widely cultivated edible mushroom that can be found worldwide, including in Malaysia. However, its local production is unable to fulfil the market demand, partly due to the limited availability of rubber wood sawdust (RWS) as the conventional cultivation substrate. Furthermore, the palm oil industry in Malaysia generates large volumes of organic by-products that have caused environmental concerns. Therefore, the potential utilisation of oil palm waste-based substrates in order to develop a substitute RWS for Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom production is evaluated in this study, based on their agronomic performance and nutritional properties. Empty fruit bunches (EFBs), oil palm fronds (OPFs), and oil palm trunks (OPTs) were used to formulate the substrates. The control used was 100% RWS. Generally, 100% EFB showed a better agronomic performance, and mushroom growth was 1.9 times faster compared to the control, with a comparable mushroom yield. The crude protein and beta glucan content of mushrooms grown on oil palm by-product-formulated substrates were significantly higher than those grown using the control. Additionally, the number of fruiting bodies, crude protein, and beta glucan content of the mushrooms were positively correlated with potassium in the substrate. Therefore, 100% EFB could be used as a potential substitute for RWS for the cultivation and production of P. ostreatus.

Effects of spent mushroom substrate biochar on growth of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)

China produces the largest amount of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) in mushroom production industry. The SMS are the residual compost waste that can lead to environmental pollution. Recycling the SMS as fertilizer is a growing opportunity for agriculture, but its efficiency is relatively low. In this study, we introduced a novel application strategy in mushroom production industry to turn the conventional SMS into a renewable biochar SMS. A cultivation experiment with oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) was conducted to evaluate the benefits of renewable SMS in producing edible mushrooms. The results showed that the renewable SMS had greater mushroom yields (20%–25%) and faster fruiting time (4–6 days) than conventional SMS. Biochar increased mushroom yields by retaining substrate moisture and reducing nutrient loss. Further metabolomic and contaminant analyses showed that the renewable SMS could guarantee the food safety of oyster mushrooms. Economic analyses show that renewable SMS has a greater output-to-input ratio than conventional SMS. More importantly, the basic properties of renewable SMS and their effect on mushroom growth remained even after repeated uses. Our study demonstrates that the sustainable recycling of SMS can be achieved through the use of biocharred substrate, which exhibits great application potential in edible mushroom production and environmental security. • Production of renewable mushroom substrate from spent mushroom substrate biochar. • Renewable mushroom substrate had higher mushroom yields and faster fruiting time. • Faster mycelium growth than conventional substrates in renewable mushroom substrate. • A higher output-to-input ratio compared with traditional recycling solutions. • Renewable mushroom substrate could be used repeatedly and stably.

Benefits and drawbacks of combined plant and mushroom production in substrate based on biogas digestate and peat

Production of plants and mushrooms in substrate based partly on anaerobic digestate from biogas production (30%) and peat (70%) was studied in experiments performed using oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) and basil ( Ocimum basilicum ). Biogas digestate was included in order to decrease use of peat and fertilizer. In separate experiments, combined greenhouse production of mushrooms and plants in fresh substrate, mushroom production in bags of fresh substrate or spent substrate from plant production, and plant production in spent substrate from mushroom production were studied. In terms of plant yield, positive impacts of combined culture were observed, with significantly higher yield of basil when mushroom spawn was added to fresh substrate at a concentration of 2% (p = 0.04). Increasing the concentration to 10%, which was sufficient for fruiting body formation in parallel with plant production, did not increase basil yield compared with the control. When fresh substrate was partly replaced with spent substrate from mushroom production, significantly higher yield of basil was obtained (p = 0.001). Mushroom production had an impact on the nutritional composition of the substrate, resulting in changes in nitrogen dynamics, a significant decrease in phosphorus concentration by 14% (p = 0.001), and a change in extractable concentrations of five of 10 elements studied. In terms of mushroom yield, the impacts of combined production with plants were generally negative. • Plant yield increased on including mushroom spawn (2%) in the substrate. • Plant yield increased on including spent mushroom substrate in the substrate. • Combined production is possible, but low-yielding considering both mushroom and plant. • For mushroom production, inclusion of plants in the growing system was less useful.

Stand Structural Characteristics Derived from Combined TLS and Landsat Data Support Predictions of Mushroom Yields in Mediterranean Forest

Forest fungi provide recreational and economic services, as well as ecosystem biodiversity. Wild mushroom yields are difficult to estimate; climatic conditions are known to trigger temporally localised yields, and forest structure also affects productivity. In this work, we analyse the capacity of remotely sensed variables to estimate wild mushroom biomass production in Mediterranean Pinus pinaster forests in Soria (Spain) using generalised additive mixed models (GAMMs). In addition to climate variables, multitemporal NDVI derived from Landsat data, as well as structural variables measured with mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanner (TLS), are considered. Models are built for all mushroom species as a single pool and for Lactarius deliciosus individually. Our results show that, in addition to autumn precipitation, the interaction of multitemporal NDVI and vegetation biomass are most explanatory of mushroom productivity in the models. When analysing the productivity models of Lactarius deliciosus, in addition to the interaction between canopy cover and autumn minimum temperature, basal area (BA) becomes relevant, indicating an optimal BA range for the development of this species. These findings contribute to the improvement of knowledge about wild mushroom productivity, helping to meet Goal 15 of the 2030 UN Agenda.

Impact of Different Substrates of Spawn Production And Calcium Carbonate on The Growth And Yield of Oyster Mushroom (pleurotus Ostreatus)

This experiment was undertaken at mushroom production unit in the college of Agricultural Engineering Sciences, Duhok University, Kurdistan Region-Iraq, during the growing year 2021 and 2022, to investigate the effect of different substrates of spawn production (oat, corn, millet, wheat, canary seed) and calcium carbonate (with or without) on the growth and yield of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). The results showed that corn grain was significantly recorded fastest complete colonization of mycelium after (7) days followed by millet, canary seed, oat, and wheat which recorded (9, 10, 12, and 13) days respectively and they were not affected by any pests after 6 months in refrigerator as shelf life of spawn. However, millet and CaCO3 significantly recorded the shortened number of days for the viewing first pinhead, whereas canary seed significantly obtained the higher number of heads per bags, but treatments without using CaCO3 significantly enhanced heads number and head length per bags. Concerning the fruit weight, head diameter and fruit dry weight did not record any significant differences in the single effect of two factors. On the other hand, the interactions between millet or corn grains with using CaCO3 had significant effect on higher head diameter and minimum number of days respectively for the viewing first pinhead per bags

The Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria (PGPRs) on Yield and Some Quality Parameters during Shelf Life in White Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus L.).

The use of different bacteria that increase yield and quality in plant production has become common since the 1990s. However, effects of plant growth promoting rhizobacterial (PGPR) treatments during the cultivation period of white button mushroom on quality during marketing duration are not known exactly. This study was carried out to determine the effects of different PGPRs in compost medium on mushroom yield and quality. For this reason, Azospillum lipoferum, Bacillus megaterium, Frateuria aurantia and Thiobacillus thiooxidans, for promoting nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and sulfur transport, respectively, were applied at a 3 mL per m2 concentration on the 12th day of the spawn run period. Control groups were treated with only water. Azospillum lipoferum increased yield at a rate of 33.3% by enhancing mushroom number per unit area. Shelf life characteristics were observed in mushrooms after storage at 1 °C and at 20 ± 1 °C for 2 days. Bacillus megaterium, Frateuria aurantia and Thiobacillus thiooxidans treatments decreased weight loss and loss in cap firmness, total phenolic compounds and antioxidant capacity during shelf life. However, Azospillum lipoferum for increased yield and Frateuria aurantia and Bacillus megaterium for maintaining postharvest quality were promising treatments during shelf life.

Evaluation of ligninolytic activity in spent mushroom substrate from four cultivated mushrooms

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is an abundant residue generated by the mushroom industry, which is mostly discarded. In this study, the SMS of four cultivated mushrooms were evaluated as potential sources of ligninolytic enzymes. Pleurotus ostreatus, P. eryngii, P. djamor and Ganoderma lucidum were cultivated in two different substrates to determine growth, mushroom yields and ligninolytic activity of laccase (Lac) and manganese peroxidase (MnP). Maximum activities in the SMS were 3.731 U/g Lac and 0.191 U/g MnP, both for P. eryngii. Colonized mushroom substrates were also analyzed, and higher activities were found in almost all samples. A correlation test between mushroom yields and ligninolytic activities of each culture was made, and we found that high enzymatic activity in the substrate did not result in high mushroom productivity or vice versa. The SMS was a good source of ligninolytic enzymes. Enzymatic activity depended on the mushroom species and its affinity to the substrate, and it was not influenced by the mushroom yields. Production of mushrooms in diverse lignocellulosic substrates is gaining interest, and obtaining ligninolytic enzymes from residual SMS is an excellent alternative in the circular economy concept.

Effect of Microclimate Modulation on the Growth and Yield of Straw Mushroom as a Intercrop in Maize Field during Summer

A field experiment was carried out during the summer season to study the effect of microclimate modification on growth and yield of paddy straw mushroom under outdoor cultivation as maize intercrop. A Randomised Complete Block Design (RCBD) with eight treatments comprising the combination of spacing (60 x 25 cm, 45 x 25 cm, paired row 45/75 x 25 cm, and paired row 30/60 x 25 cm) and mulching (with or without application), in three replications was used for this study. The study concluded that maximum average yield was obtained in normal spacing 45x25 cm coupled with mulching (578 g bed-1) with high biological efficiency of 19.3 per cent. The results inferred that both the afternoon (14.22 hours) microclimate variables viz., temperature (low) and relative humidity (high) had played major role for higher yield and Biological Efficiency (BE) of paddy straw mushroom as maize intercrop. Normal row spacing (45 x 25 cm) with or without mulch and paired row spacing (30/60 x 25 cm) with mulch provided favourable microclimate during summer for faster growth, higher yield and biological efficiency for paddy straw mushroom intercropped maize which in turn might be adopted by the farmers for the outdoor cultivation of paddy straw mushroom.

Significant Rise in Growth of Pleurotus Ostreatus on Substrates Deriving from Different Agriculture &amp; House Hold Waste Leads to Environment Cleanups

Oyster mushroom occupy important place in quality rich food due to their delectability &amp; nutritive enrichment for living being also used to grow widely more in agro waste &amp; household waste showing Bioremediation effect on waste material by breakdown into a suitable media to grow Mushroom mycelium. Unique data obtained showing assembles its food by secreting degrading enzymes, its decomposing the complex organic materials on which it grows the substrate to generate simpler Compounds for Its nutrition. The product we carried or substrate use are house hold waste like raw residue Wheat flour, rice flour, gram flour and agricultural ashes of wheat (choker),rice coverings, burned and filtered teas, raw vegetables washing, utensils washing water. Are considering as wastes these waste, are not carefully disposed of in surrounding by dumping or burning type of vernacular method create lot of pollution. Oyster create a ecologic balance Link to use this waste as a substrate to grow the mushroom mycelium fast increasing Mushroom yield too by the process of bioremediation. mushroom cultivation reports that the economical viable biotechnology process for conversion of waste food residues , ashes agriculture waste &amp; washing water at the outlet fits very well into this category, after treating dry sterilization or wet sterilization of all substrate For growth promotion test Of given substrate By pour plate Method on the select given media compositing with these three types of waste in triplicates (G1)Raw food stuff in equal ratio like Wheat flour, rice flour, gram flour(G2)Ashes of wheat (choker),rice coverings, burned and filtered teas,(G3)Vegetable Washings, utensil washing ,kitchen cleaning water, In growth promotion test showing the maximum colonies in raw food stuff then ashes than washing water shown by minimum concentration of waste or unused product. Pleurotus Ostreatus act as a scavenging agent for the waste food Stuff creating new Fruiting mushroom body to grow In it &amp; Utilized to environment cleanups. Keywords : Pleurotus Ostreatus, Growth promotion test, Pour plate method, Bioremediation.

Strategies for Improvement in Cultivation Practices of Oyster Mushrooms in North Bengal, India

Mushrooms are used as an edible food and medicine since time immemorial. It constitutes a chief source to reduce body weight. The different agricultural wastes were used in cultivation of oyster mushroom. In West Bengal, enormous amount of different wastes are produced annually, and are of no uses. These wastes could be possibly used as a source of food i.e. substrates for cultivation of oyster mushroom. However, the most common cultivation methods of oyster mushroom were found in partial sterilized or sterilized paddy straw. Different types of agro-wastes, by-products and crop residues can be used with conventional polybag method to achieve this mushroom cultivation more profitable and popular. Oyster mushroom was cultivated on different substrates viz. paddy straw, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse and combination of different straw to assess the suitable substrate. Use of different substrates significantly affected the number of primordia and fruiting bodies, and the amount of fresh weight or yield of mushroom. The highest number of fruiting bodies, the amount of fresh weight and the yield was procured from rice straw in combination with wheat straw followed by rice straw and the lowest with wheat straw. The biological efficiency was also higher in rice with wheat straw. The N, P and K content in straw was found higher in rice straw. The molecular characterization of Pleurotus sp. revealed that maximum similarity of the sequence with Pleurotus ostreatus. A 95 % coverage of the sequence resulted in 92.55% similarity with fungal strain.

Management of mushroom resources in Spanish forests: a review

Abstract Mycological resources have attracted considerable interest from the public recently. In this context, forest mycological management of wild mushrooms has emerged a research field and is developing rapidly with the objective to sustainably use and conserve mushrooms in multifunctional forests. Although the term ‘mycosilviculture’ was coined relatively recently, forest management of mycological resources and fungal silviculture began already in the 1980s. This study reviews the literature on the forest management of wild mycological resources with emphasis on studies in Spanish Mediterranean forests. The review covers some of the most important aspects of management, such as the diagnosis of mycological resources through inventory and sampling protocols, predictive models of mushroom yield, stand variables and mycosilvicultural practices that affect mushroom yield and fungal diversity. Finally, the potential of mycorrhizal applications for mycosilviculture is briefly discussed. Most of these studies have been based on carpophore inventories, and few have analyzed soil and air fungal biomass. The Mediterranean climate determines mushroom yields; so far, mushroom yields models have been developed mainly for Boletus gr. edulis and Lactarius gr. deliciosus species and for pine forest ecosystems. In the future, it will be necessary to adjust these models to new climatic conditions, and to investigate the complex interactions between different yield and/or fungal diversity factors, adjust the scale of study and fungus-host specificity. So far, few studies have been carried out on mycosilviculture in Mediterranean forests, addressing the effect of thinning and clearcutting on fungal communities; moreover, experiences of mycological management of shrublands, prescribed burning, management of woody debris or selective planting of mycorrhizal seedlings in forests are scarce. The need to study other Mediterranean forest ecosystems is pointed out.

Evaluation of mushroom production potential by combining spatial optimization and LiDAR-based forest mapping data

High-resolution forest mapping technology is a powerful data source to assess the production capacity of forests regarding wood and non-wood ecosystem services. The study shows how to evaluate the potential benefits from forest management treatments devoted to increase mushroom supply. The study was developed in Central Spain, over a forest with important cultural and economic values attached to mushrooms. Airborne laser scanning (ALS), mushroom production models and mathematical programming as spatial optimization method are used to sequence, spatially and temporally, silviculture-oriented actions to enlarge mushroom provisioning. We present a tactical forest planning solution to incentivize mushroom yield driven by clustered silvicultural treatments applied to fine-grained segments derived from ALS data, and along a 5-year plan while embedding temporal and spatial dependencies. Mushroom yield can increase up to 18 % from current conditions if all area is treated. Our model integrates constraints to optimize the selection of segments yielding the highest benefits in terms of mushroom yield and timber removals during the treatments. The temporal sequencing was successful, so the annual interventions are scheduled aligned in space and in time to ease the actionability and realism of model outputs. The assessment of production potential is an informative, spatially and temporally explicit exercise to inform decision-makers on investment opportunities to enhance the supply of non-wood ecosystem services, tested with mushroom in this study but extendable to more non-wood ecosystem services.

Predictors of mushroom production in the European temperate mixed deciduous forest

Mushrooms play an important role in the maintenance of ecosystem processes and delivering ecosystem services, including food supply. They are also an important source of income for many people worldwide. Thus, understanding which environmental factors influence mushroom productivity is a high practical and scientific priority. We monitored the production of mushrooms in temperate mixed deciduous forest in Białowieża Primeval Forest in eastern Poland for two yielding seasons. The research plots were set under similar environmental conditions (topography, geology, soil type) but differed by tree species composition and tree species richness. The main factor explaining mushroom production (close to 35% of the variation explained by the model) was the species richness of mushrooms. In turn, the species richness of mushrooms was mainly explained by soil properties (pH and C/N ratio) and stand characteristics (including tree species richness and wood increment) for ectomycorrhizal mushrooms and by soil pH for saprotrophic mushrooms. Higher precipitation in 2021 resulted in higher mushroom production than in 2020, while low levels of precipitation in 2020 resulted in stronger effect of ambient temperature. The differences in mushroom yield between years varied highly among plots. They were explained by stand characteristics, and in the case of saprotrophic mushrooms by tree richness and their own species richness. Our results suggest that promoting mushroom species richness is fundamental for increasing mushroom yield and should be taken into account in forest management.

Design and Evaluation of Portable Manually Operated Spawn Spreading Machine for Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus florida) Cultivation

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) is gaining demand owing to its benefits and taste. But, the prevailing manual method of cultivation is compromised with limited spawn spreading capacity and high chance of contamination which could be overcome by use of a spawn spreading machine. Currently no such machine is available which has prompted us to develop the same. The benefaction of the developed machine to the farmers is lightweight, portable, autoclavable, affordable, uncomplicated design, unskilled person can operate and minimize contamination chance that leads to increase in yield of mushroom. It constitutes the main frame, truncated conical hopper and ball valve metering mechanism. The machine evaluated in the lab shown that a highest spawn spreading capacity of 288 bags/h as compared to manual spreading operation of 110 bags/h for rice straw substrate at spawning rate of 50 g. In this context, the result clearly indicate that, the spawn spreading machine is very cost effective, save time and reduce labour requirement as compared to manual operation.