After reading this article you will learn about:- 1. Introduction to Mushroom 2. Commonly Cultivated Mushrooms 3. Control of Insect Pests of Mushrooms 4. Marketing of Mushrooms
Introduction to Mushroom:
Mushrooms are used as a health food product all over the world. In Punjab there is huge potential for production of mushrooms and the primary reason is the easy availability of raw materials and appropriate environmental conditions (season) for the cultivation of mushrooms. There are about 400 mushroom growers in various parts of Punjab and the production of mushrooms in the State is about 45,000 – 48,000 tones per annum.
Mushrooms are used as food because they possess nutritional attributes required for good health. They are rich in proteins which mainly consist of digestible proteins. In addition they contain minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, iron, potassium, etc. in ample amounts. Mushrooms contain low amounts of fats and carbohydrates and are hence good for consumption by patients suffering from blood pressure and diabetes.
Commonly Cultivated Mushrooms:
Punjab has suitable environmental conditions for the production of five different varieties of mushrooms including, Button mushroom (Fig 5.1), Oyster mushroom, Shiitake mushroom, Chinese mushroom and Milky mushroom. In winter two crops of button mushroom (September – March), three crops of oyster (October – March), and one crop of Shiitake (September – March) can be taken.
In summer, one can have up to 4 crops of paddy straw mushroom (April – August) and 3 crops of milky mushroom (April – October). The production of winter mushrooms is started in mid-September. The most widely grown and commercially produced mushroom is button mushroom.
Control of Insect Pests of Mushrooms:
To prevent mushroom flies in the growing rooms, spray the room with 30 ml Dichlorovos per 100 m3. After spraying, the doors and windows of the room are closed for about 2 hours. The spraying should not be done directly on the growing mushrooms and do not harvest mushrooms for up to 48 hours after spraying.
Marketing of Mushrooms:
Mushrooms should be harvested once a day before the buttons opens up. During the process of harvesting, mushrooms are picked by holding the ready to harvest mushrooms by the cap and gently twisting in a clock-wise direction. The mushrooms should not be picked by pulling them directly as these results in damage to the smaller growing mushrooms.
The lower end of the harvested mushrooms is trimmed using a knife and packed in poly bags. Each bag contains 200 g of fresh mushrooms and is sold in the local market. The oyster mushroom can also be dried in the sun and dried oyster mushroom can be sold.