Everything you need to learn about mushroom cultivation and harvest! Learn about: 1. How to Cultivate White Button Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus) 2. How to Cultivate Dhingri Mushroom (Pleurotus Sajor Caju) 3. How to Cultivate Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella Spp.) 4. How to Cultivate White Milky Mushroom (Calocybeindica) 5. How to Cultivate Shitake Mushroom (Lentinula Edodes).
1. How to Cultivate White Button Mushroom (Agaricus Bisporus):
Cultivation of Button mushroom is done in wooden trays in close room. It requires 16° to 18°C temperature for its growth. On air conditioner of 1.5 ton capacity for a room of having 10′ X 12′ size is required. The room can accommodate of 50 trays of 3′ X 2′ X ½’ size. Six hundred kg wheat straw will be sufficient for making compost for 50 trays. Two methods are recommended for preparation of compost one is long method (28 days) and the other is short method (16 days). Short method is used where pasteurization facilities are available.
i. Soak 600 kg chopped wheat straw in water for 48 hrs.
ii. Mix the fertilizers viz., 12 kg. Ammonium sulphate, 5 kg. Urea, 6 kg Sulphate of Potash and 6 kg Super phosphate in 30 kg wheat bran and moisten for 12 hrs.
iii. Disinfect the compost platform with 2% formalin.
iv. Mix the wheat straw and fertilizer mixture prepared in wheat bran thoroughly and prepare a stock on a cemented platform in an open shed. Treat this as day.
v. On 6th day, give first turning to the compost heap and also mix 6 kg Ammonium sulphate, 2.5 kg Urea and 30 kg wheat bran.
vi. Give 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th turning on every third day.
vii. At the time of 3rd turning (13th day) add 60 kg Gypsum and at 7th turning (25th day) add 1.00 kg B. H. C. (5%)
viii. Compost pile should be moistened enough to avoid run off at first two turnings. During next turnings, add water to wet the dry spots only.
ix. Height of the pile should not be less than one meter.
x. Temperature of the compost pile varies in between 60° – 75°C during composting period. The fall in temperature signified over wetting or lack of aeration.
This is recommended for commercial farms which get 4 crops in a year. It is more efficient for the purpose of higher production.
Schedule of Turning:
Day-0 – preliminary stacking is done by putting the layers of straw, chicken manure and wheat bran. The breadth and height must be 2.5 x 1.0 m respectively.
Day-2 – Turn the stack do watering if required and reduce heap size 2+1 in breadth and height respectively. At above two steps, trample heap with feet to make it compact.
Day-4 – Prepare heap using wooden mould, add full quality of area and water dry patches.
Day-6 – First turning, add water if required.
Day-8 – Second turning, add gypsum, do watering if required.
Day-10 – Third turning
Day-12 – Fourth turning
Day-14 – Fifth turning
Day-16 – Compost in fill in trays for pasteurization.
(B) Filing and Pasteurization:
i. Take 50 wooden trays (100 x 50 x 18 cm) and treat them with 2% formalin.
ii. After the last turn on day 28th break the compost lumps and fill up the trays.
iii. Stack them in a close room and introduce the live stream steadily. Maintain the bed temperature in between 25° to 58°C for 6 to 8 hours.
i. Spawn the trays in two layers @ one bottle per tray.
ii. Press the compost gently after spawning.
iii. Use clean newspapers treated with formalin to cover the trays after spawning.
iv. Moist the newspaper everyday by spraying little water by spray pump.
v. Keep the doors closed to avoid contamination.
vi. Maintain the room temperature at 23° to 25°C during spawn running period.
vii. Observe the spawn running in the compost (Cottony growth)
viii. Spawn run is completed in a period of 15 to 20 days.
i. Sieve garden soil, F.Y.M. and sand separately and mix in equal parts by weight.
ii. Autoclave the mixture at 15 lb pressure for 1 hr. or sterilize the mixture by spraying 4% formaline.
iii. Spread the casing soil over the fully-grown spawn, in 3 cm layer after removing newspaper and press gently.
iv. Spray the trays with 400 ppm bavistin and 0.02% malathion to control pests and diseases.
v. Pinheads start appearing after 12 to 15 days after casing.
(E) Crop Maintenance and Harvesting:
i. Two days after casing bring down the room temperature to 16°C
ii. Maintain the desired temperature (16°C to 18°C) and humidity (85-90%) throughout the cropping period.
iii. Maintain proper ventilation.
iv. Light watering should be done twice a day.
v. First crop is ready for harvest in 15 to 16 days after casing and continues up to 60 days.
vi. Harvest full size buttons by twisting at soil level. Clean them with brush.
vii. Pack them in polythene bags preferably 200 gm. mushroom per bag.
viii. Sale them fresh as far as possible.
ix. Yield is obtained about 3 kg/tray in a period of 60 days i.e. 150 kg, from 50 trays from one crop.
x. 3 to 4 crops possible under controlled conditions in a year.
xi. Selling rate of fresh mushroom is from Rs.25 to 30 per kg.
xii. Button mushroom can be canned either in brine or citric acid solution.
2. How to Cultivate Dhingri Mushroom (Pleurotus Sajor Caju):
i. Take 1.5 kg for paddy straw or wheat straw
ii. Chop it in 2″ -3″ pieces and soak in water for 8 to 10 hrs.
iii. Drain of the excess water
iv. Boil the water in wide mouth container and dip the straw in hot water for 20 minutes by filling the same in gunny bag for pasteurization.
v. Drain of the excess water.
vi. Take plastic bag of 35 cm diameter and 55 cm height disinfect the bag with 4% formalin.
vii. Mix 200g spawn (one bottle) and about 50 gm. Gram dal powder in the straw and fill in the plastic bag in 5 to 6 layers. Make cylindrical shape of the bed.
viii. Tie the upper end of the bed. Make 2-3 holes in the bottom and on the top. Keep the bed in shed and forget it for 15-20 days.
ix. Notice the white mycelial growth on the substrate. Tear out the plastic bag.
x. Give light watering to the bed twice a day.
xi. Maintain humidity at about 80 to 85 % by spraying water and temperature in between 20-30°C.
xii. Off the full size mushrooms with clean knife.
xiii. First harvest is ready by 24 to 25 days after spawning and after that 2nd, 3rd and 4th crops can be obtained at an interval of 10 to 12 days.
xiv. Spray the beds after every harvest with 0.02% malathion.
xv. After harvest of first flush, scrap about 1 cm. top layer, give watering every day and this variety can be easily sun dried by keeping fresh mushrooms in sun for 2 days.
xvi. About 2 to 21/2 kg of fresh mushrooms can be harvested from one bed.
xvii. The selling rate of fresh mushroom is about Rs.15 to 20 per kg and about Rs.100/- kg of dried mushrooms.
3. How to Cultivate Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella Spp.):
i. Use whole paddy straw bundles 15 to 20 cm in diameter and 2″ in length.
ii. Soak the bundles in water for 12 hours.
iii. Dip in boiling water for 20 minutes.
iv. After removing the excess water four bundles are kept on 50 to 75 cm. (2 to 2½’) wide platform lengthwise with butts on one side.
v. Next layer is raised by putting another set of bundles with butt ends on opposite side on the first one.
vi. Two more layers are put in similar way to have bed of size 75cm x 75 cm x 120 cm (2½’ x 2½’ x 4′).
vii. The gap between individual bundles provides better aeration.
viii. Spawn is placed 10 to 15 cm apart and 10 to 15 cm inside from the periphery.
ix. A little gram dal powder is sprinkled over spawn (about 100 gm.)
x. Top layer is spawned all over and is covered with thin layer (8 to 10 cm) of well soaked paddy straw.
xi. Two spawn bottles are enough for one bed.
xii. Bed is covered with polythene sheet to maintain required moisture level (80-90%) and temperature (30°C to 35°C)
xiii. On 10th day polythene sheet is removed.
xiv. Pinhead starts appearing after 10 to 14 days after spawning and takes to 4 days for harvesting when they attain egg size.
xv. Mushroom appears in flushes at an interval of 7 to 10 days and crop continues for one months.
xvi. Mushrooms should be harvested at button stage or when valve is about to rapture.
xvii. Mushrooms are cleaned and packed in perforated polythene bags for marketing (200 gm.)
xviii. It can be easily sun dried (50 to 52°C) required for drying mechanically.
xix. Selling rate various from Rs.15 to 20 per kg for fresh and Rs.100/kg for dehydrated.
xx. Light watering is done daily.
xxi. Direct watering on mushroom is to be avoided.
xxii. Yield is obtained about 1½ to 2 kg per bed.
4. How to Cultivate White Milky Mushroom (Calocybeindica):
Calocybe indica P and C known as milky mushroom or dudh chatta or summer mushroom is a long sized delicious mushroom which was reported for the first time in India by Purkayastha and Chandra (1974). It grows in nature on humus soil under the road side frees in forest. It is sold in city and village markets collected from the forests in west Bengal and liked because of its attractive robust white sporocarps, long shelf and taste it grows at a temperature range of 25-35°C.
The nutritive value of Calocybe indica is comparable with other mushrooms. Mature fruit body of C. indica, contains highest protein (17.2% on dry weight basis), while young pinheads contain the lowest protein (15% on dry weight basis), 4.1 per cent fat, 3.4 per cent of crude fiber and 64.26 per cent carbohydrate. Mature fruit bodies contain 4.0 per cent soluble sugars, 2.9 per cent starch and 7.43 per cent ash.
It has 12 amino acids namely alanine, aspartic acid, glutamine, glutamic acids, glycine hydroxyprolint, histidine, lysine, threonine, tyrosine, valine, arginine, proline. Out of all amino acids, glycine is predominant (10.8g/100g protein).
In addition to this, it has all the mineral salts required by the human body, such as potassium, sodium, phosphorus, iron and calcium. Due to alkaline ash and high fiber content, it is highly suitable for people with hyperacidity and constipation.
Wheat grains free from any insect damage are boiled for 15-20 minutes so that they are soft and do not split. After draining out of the excess water, they are spread on a muslin cloth overnight. On next morning calcium sulphate (gypsum) and calcium carbonate (chalk powder) are thoroughly mixed @ 2 and 6% (wet wt. of grain). It is then filled in empty milk or glucose bottles and autoclaved at 15 lb pressure p.s.i. for one hour, on 2 consecutive days. Inoculated bottles are incubated at 26-28° C for 3-4 weeks and provided light (6-7 hr/day). The grains are thoroughly shaken after 6th, 9th and 12th days to avoid clumping of grains.
Substrate and Substrate Preparation:
Milky mushroom (Calocybe indica) can be grown on wide range of substrates as in case of oyster mushroom. It can be grown on substrates containing lignin, cellulose and hemicelluloses. Substrate should be fresh and dry.
Substrates exposed to rein or harvested premature (green colour) are prone to various weed moulds which may result in failure of the crop. It can be grown on straw of paddy, wheat, ragi, maize/bajra/cotton stalks and leaves, sugarcane bagasse, cotton and jute wastes, dehulled maize cobs, tea/coffee waste etc. However, cereal straw (paddy/wheat) easily available in abundance is being widely used.
Straw is chopped in small pieces (2-4 cm size) and soaked in fresh water for 8-16 hours. This period can be reduced when pasteurization is to be done by steam. Main purpose of soaking is to saturate the substrate with water. It is easier to soak if straw is filled in gunny bag and dipped in water.
Substrate is a major source of weed moulds and disease causing organisms. Hence substrate should be chopped and soaked at a distance from bag filling/sawn running and cropping areas. The worker chopping straw should not be involved in bag filing and spawning without taking bath and change of cloth.
The purpose of pasteurization is to kill harmful microbes.
This can be achieved in two ways:
Water is boiled in wide mouth container and chopper wet straw filled in gunny bag is submersed in hot water for 40 minutes at 80-90°C to achieve pasteurization. This is very popular method particularly, with small growers.
Wet straw is filled inside insulated room either in perforated shelves or in wooden trays. Steam is released under pressure from boiler and temperature inside substrate is raised to 65°C and maintained for 5-6 hours. Air inside the room should be circulated to have uniform temperature in the substrate.
Substrate is filled in polypropylene bags (35 x 45 cm, holding 2-3 kg wet substrate) and sterilized at 15 lb p.s.i. for 1 hour. Once pasteurization/sterilization is over straw is shifted to spawning room for cooling, bag filling and spawning. Earlier chemical sterilization for the substrate treatment of milky mushroom cultivation was recommended but now it has been established that this mushroom goes not grow well on a chemically sterilized substrate.
ii. Spawning and Spawn Running:
Spawning methods are similar to that mentioned in case of oyster mushroom. In case of sterilization of pp bags in autoclave either surface or thorough spawning should be done. Higher spawn dose 4-5% of wet substrate is used. Organic supplements like maize meal, wheat bran, rice husk and lucerne hay at 5-7.5 concentration may also be added in the substrate at the time of spawning as well as at the time of casing.
After spawning bags are shifted to spawn running room and kept in dark where temperature 25-35°C and relative humidity above 80% are maintained. It takes about 20 days when substrate is fully colonized and bags are ready for casing. Bags are shifted to cropping room for casing and cropping.
Bag filling and spawning room should be sprayed with formaldehyde (1%) twice in week. Persons doing the process should take bath and change the cloth before the job. There should not be much air movement in the room. For large scale production it is advisable to have filtrated air circulation.
Spawn running rooms should be sprayed as given below:
1. Formaldehyde 0.5 % (5ml/litre of water) once in a week.
2. Malathion 0.1 % (1ml/litre of water) once in a week.
3. Room should be protected from the rates and files by providing iron frame and nylon net windows.
Casing:
Casing means covering the top surface of bags after spawn run is over, with pasteurized casing material in thickness of about 2-3 cm. Casing provides physical support, moisture and allows gases to escape from the substrate. Casing material (soil 75% + sand 25%) with pH adjusted to 7.8 – 7.9 with chalk power is pasteurized in autoclave at 15 lb p.s.i. for one hour or chemically treated with formaldehyde solution (4%) about a week in advance of casing.
Solution should be enough to saturate the soil. It is covered with polythene sheet to avoid escape of chemical and at an interval of 2 days soil is turned so that the time of casing soil is free from formalin fumes. Bag’s top is made uniform by ruffling top surface of the substrate and sprayed with solution of carbendazim (0.1%) + formaldehyde (0.5%). Casing material is spread in uniform of 2-3 cm thickness and sprayed with solution of carbendazim and formaldehyde to saturation level.
Temperature at 30-35°C and R.H. 80-90 per sent are maintained. At the time of casing of the bags open the top surface spray carbendazim (1 gm) + formaldehyde (5 ml) in 1 litre of water do casing and repeat in on casing soil and inside the room and again after a week. Malathion (0.1%) should be sprayed in evening or next day to protect from flies.
It takes about 10 days for mycelium to reach on top of casing layer when fresh air is introduced while maintaining temperature and R.H. 80-85 per cent. Light should be provided in long time. Watering is very important to get good and healthy crop. During rainy season controlled watering is required for healthy crop once a day is enough. During winter twice a day will be sufficient.
However during summer it is very important as loss of water is more and it becomes very difficult to maintain required RH and moisture of the substrate. During such period one should spread sand on floor and use mist sprayer 3-4 times and frequently check the moisture of the casing by touching. Watering should also be adjusted to maintain RH (80-85%) inside cropping room.
The changes thus made in environment, result in the initiation of fruiting bodies within 3-5 days in the form of needle shape which mature in about a week. Mushrooms 7-8 cm diameter are harvested by twisting, cleaned and packed in perforated polythene/ polypropylene bags for marketing. Mushrooms can also be wrapped in kiln film for longer storage.
During the cropping if any patch of mould (it may be green/ blue ‘brown) is noticed do spot treatment with formaldehyde (4%, 40 ml/litre) soaked cotton by touching it and around the spot. This will kill the mould. Before removal of bags spray formaldehyde (2%) or dispose off spent substrate away from the farm.
5. How to Cultivate Shitake Mushroom (Lentinula Edodes):
Shitake mushroom (Lentinula edodes) is also known as the Japanese Wood Mushroom mostly cultivated in Japan. It is second largest mushroom cultivated in the word after Agaricus bisporus. It is popular due to unique taste and flavor and presence of a chemical which reduces plasma cholesterol level.
In 1997, its annual production was about 15,64,000 tones. It grows in nature on wood of broad leaf trees mainly oak and chestnut. Artificially in India it is cultivated on wood logs, artificial medium, saw dust and wheat straw supplemented with wheat and rice bran.
Lentinula edodes grows on dead wood of number of hard wood trees in nature namely Alnus spp. Betula spp. Castanopsis spp., Lithocarpus spp., Quercus spp., various plant species graded for cultivation adapting suitable strains either those which can fruit at or above 10°C.
The steps under this type of cultivation are as follows:
(i) Log preparation
(ii) Spawn preparation
(iii) Spawning logs, and
(iv) Crop management.
Lentinula edodes is saprophytic and wood rotting fungi. It mainly grows on dried wooden logs absorbing nutrients from the cambium. The excellent trees suitable as logs for the cultivation of shiitake are the Carpinus laxiflora (Hornbeam), Castanea crenate (Japanese), Castanopsis cuspidata (Shii), C. sieboldii (Shii), Ostrya virginiana (Ironwood), Quercus abla (White oak), Q. acutissima (oak), Quercus spp. (Oak), Salix nigra (Black willow). Whereas Betula lute (Sweet birch), B. nigra (Red birch) and Alnus serrulata (Hazel alder) are considered good trees and Malus sylvestrias (Apple) is very poor to support the growth of shiitake mushroom.
The back layer grows on any size and age of logs, but the log with 9-18 cm diameter and from 15 to 20 years old tree are most suitable and protects the growing mycelium form the various mould competitors.
The most suitable time period of falling or cutting the trees is from autumn (December-January) to early spring when the logs contain highest amount of carbohydrates and other organic substrates.
Moreover the outer protective layer, bark is also tightly attached with the woody portion. The logs should contain a moisture content of 44-55% at the time of felling. If the moisture content of the log is less than 20% then there will be no growth. If the moisture contents are more than 60% with a pH of 7-8, it will be contaminated with other moulds.
The pH of the logs should be between 4.5-5.5.The felled logs are left as such for 25-45 days which results in the lowering the moisture contents to 40- 45%. Sometimes the logs are immediately inoculated, if the moisture content is optimum and further drying will result in excessive moisture loss.
Mainly there are two types of spawn, saw dust and wood plug spawn.
Saw dust spawn is prepared using any formulae:
a. Saw dust (65%)+Wheat bran (15%) + Used tea leaves (20%) + Water (65%).
b. Saw dust (78%) + Sucrose (1%) + Wheat bran (20%) + Calcium carbonate (1%) + Water content (65%)
c. Saw dust (800g) + Rice bran (200g) + Sucrose (30g) + Potassium nitrate (4g) + Calcium carbonate (6g) + Water (2 litres).
Sieved saw dust properly moistened is then filled into either empty spawn bottles or in polypropylene bags. With the help of a rod, one inoculation hole is made into the centre of the substrate. Bottles or polypropylene bags plugged with non-absorbent cotton and covered with aluminium foil are autoclaved at 20 lb p.s.i. for 2 hours. 10 days old culture is inoculated aseptically and incubated for 30 days at 24±2°C.
Small cylindrical/various sized wood pieces are prepared sterilized and mycelium is inoculated. When mycelial growth occurs they are ready for inoculation.
Small holes of 1 X 1 cm and 1.5 to 2 cm deep are made on the logs with the help of drilling machine. The distance should be 6 cm between each row for spawn inoculation. The holes between two rows should be alternate in position. The spawning should be done in aseptic condition. Soft saw dust spawn is filled loosely in the holes. Appropriate cuttings of wood plug spawn are inserted in the holes and sealed with paraffin wax.
The inoculated logs are kept in pile and covered with either straw or gunny bags to prevent water loss. According to the type of wood and strain used vegetative growth in the logs will be completed within 8-12 months.
The initiation of fruiting body requires shock treatment such as drop in temperature, high humidity and light. The logs are immersed in cold water for 24 hours in cold water (15-18°C) during summer and during winter they should be kept for 2-3 days at 10-15°C.
The temperature 15-20°C and humidity 80-90% should be maintained in the cropping area. The logs are then leaned against the supports. The cropping area is kept moist to maintain high relative humidity. Harvesting is done by first pressing and then twisting of fruiting bodies; up to 3 times and after a rest of 30-40 days. The process can be repeated 3-4 times in a year and these logs will produce crop up to 4-6 years.
The commercial cultivation can be done on saw dust of oak (Quercus sp.) maple (Acer sp.) birch (Betula sp.) or any other hard wood dust graded as excellent for log cultivation. Various formulations have been recommended for growing shiitake. One can select the best after conducting the productivity tests.
Some of the common formulations recommended are:
I. Saw dust (80%) + Rice bran (20%) + Water content adjusted to (65%)
II. Saw dust maple and birch 60:40 (80%) + Millet (10%) wheat bran (10%)
III. Hard wood saw dust (89.8%) + Rice bran (10%) + Calcium carbonate (0.2%) + Water content to be adjusted (60%).
IV. Hard wood saw dust (32.8-34.2%/100 kg) + Rice bran (2.7-5.2%/8-16 kg) + Corn/rice/millet power (1.4-2.6%/4-8 kg) calcium carbonate (0.2-0.3%/0.6- 1.0 kg) + water content (59-62%)
V. Corn cobs (40 kg) + Saw dust (10 kg) + Wheat bran (12.5 kg) + Cane sugar (1 kg) + Pectin (15 g) + urea (20 g)
VI. Sugarcane bagasse (50 kg) + Rice bran (12.5 kg) + Gypsum (1.5 kg) + Potassium sulphate (15 g) + Urea (15 g) + Magnesium sulphate (10 g) and
VII. Paddy straw (50%) + Wheat straw. (20%) + Saw dust (20%) + Cane sugar (1.3%) + Calcium carbonate (1.5%) + Citric acid (0.2%) + Calcium sulphate (0.5%).
To these formulae, the water should be adjusted to 60- 65%. The pH should be stabilized by gypsum and lime at 5.5 to 6.0. Soluble ingredients (citric acid, sugar, sulphates) are usually dissolved first in water before mixing; saw dust has to be soaked at least for two days and rice straw for three hours. All the ingredients are thoroughly mixed.
Filling of Bags and Sterilization:
Polypropylene heat resistant bags of 500 X 160mm size should be used. Wet substrate 1.5 to 5 kg is filled in the bags and the ends of the bags are sealed with heat to avoid contamination. Cylindrical shape is given to the bags with help of hands and two 15 mm diameter 20 mm deep holes are punched on opposite sides with an auger which are covered with 33 mm square adhesive medical tape.
Sterilization should be carried out immediately after mixing the substrates in an autoclave at 121°C for 1 hour or on a brick and cement lined-tower at 90-95°C for 5-7 hours.
PVC pipe ring can be used as opening of bags and plugged with non-absorbent cotton.
The sterilized substrate bags are placed on the inoculation side. The saw dust spawn amount per hole is about 1 cm or little less. A 750 g spawn bottle is sufficient to inoculate 25-30 bags. Grain spawn is introduced at 2-5%. Spawn run may take 18-100 days. During this period, the bags are generally incubated in a 4 hr/20 hr light/dark cycles at 23-25°C. After longer spawn runs (more than 40 days) the surface of the colonized substrate may begin to turn brown, some exudates may be recognized in the spawn run of shiitake.
Subsequently the following stages are observed:
A thick mycelial sheet will develop on the surface of the substrate. This will occur 2-4 weeks after inoculation.
Bumps are clumps of mycelium, commonly formed on the surface of most strains. These bumps can turn into primordial at a later stage but most of them abort. Bump formation can be promoted by fluctuation temperature and high carbon dioxide.
Some aeration should be provided when the bumps have formed.
Coat Hardening Phase:
Remove the plastic when bags have partially (half or one third) turned brown. The coat will gradually become hard. The outside of the substrate should be hard, the inside should be softer and more moist. The core of the substrate has a moisture of about 80%.
Various factors which affect induction of fruiting are temperature fluctuation, high humidity, soaking, and removal of carbon dioxide.
A schedule of various parameters maintained during shiitake cultivation is given below:
1. The temperature range for fruiting is rain dependent.
2. A dry period after harvesting will prevent contamination.
3. The artificial logs may be given a water bath to restore high moisture content of the substrate.
The logs do not require watering during incubation. Keep humidity low (60-70%) to prevent contamination if the plastic is removed too early or too late, yields will be affected/Deformed fruit bodies during the first flush are a sign of a too short spawn run or high carbon dioxide during incubation.
V. Harvesting:
Take the stalks of the mushrooms and break them from the substrate. Don’t tear them from the surface. Harvest the mushrooms at, an early stage. Don’t water the scars left for 3-4 days. Normal yields are 15-30% of the wet weight of the substrate.
Advantages of Plastic Bag Method:
The materials used to prepare synthetic logs are mainly saw dust and other agricultural by-products or residues such as bagasse, sugar beet residue, cotton seed hulls, peanut hull and corncobs. This method shortens the production period and gives a high yield. Using natural logs, the time form spawning to first harvest is about 8 to 12 months and harvesting is completed in about 3 years. About 100 kg of natural logs can produce about 10-15 kg fresh mushrooms.
In synthetic logs, mushrooms can be harvested in about 80 days after spawning. Completion of harvesting is generally within 8 months. The technology of growing this mushroom on wheat straw with moderate biological efficiency has brought shiitake in the category of oyster of paddy straw mushrooms, which are believed to cultivate quite easily. Bag cultivation is relatively easy to manage. Quality of mushrooms produced on synthetic log is poorer than on natural logs.