Mushroom cultivation Agaricus bisporus Straw mushroom cultivation Temperate mushroom How to cultivate button mushroom White button mushroom Methodology of mushroom cultivation Study of button mushroom cultivation Research in Mauritius

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BOTANY( SEMESTER – I )

2. Mushroom
Belong to Kingdom Fungi
They are fruiting bodies of macro fungi
Chief recyclers of the planet
Can be
Poisonous- Amanita spp.
Non poisonous- Lentinula spp.
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3. Mushroom
Nutritive value-contains protein, vitamin B & D, sodium,
potassium & phosphorus
Medicinal value-antitumour (Ganoderma Spp.),
cholesterol reduction (Pleurotus Spp.) & antiviral/antibacterial
properties (Lentinus Spp.)
Popular cultivated mushrooms are- Agaricus, Lentinus,
Pleurotus, Auricularia and Volvariella Spp.
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4. Various cultivated mushroom
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Button mushroom
Shiitake
Straw mushroom
Wood ear mushroom
Oyster mushroom

5. Mushroom research in Mauritius
Mushroom cultivation was initiated locally at the end of
the 1970’s
Cultivation of button mushroom has been attempted but
was abandoned due to unsuitability of the strain for our
tropical climate
Few growers have attempted shiitake and wood ear
mushroom cultivation
Research work on button mushroom is still lagging
behind and Mauritians are still showing interest for the
cultivation and consumption of Agaricus mushroom.
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6. Agaricus Mushroom
Basidiomycota family
Most popular mushroom
world wide
Also known as button
mushroom
Popular species-bisporus,
bitorquis, blazei
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7. Agaricus mushroom cultivation in the world
Cultivation of Agaricus has reached a level of
perfection in many countries
Several tropical and subtropical strains are now
available for cultivation in different parts of the
world
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1.Flat space – land
2. Good drainage
3.Near to water source
4.Open space

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Straw selection
If possible use the lower part of straw ( 30 cm
from ground to above)
New straw (still contains high nutrition)

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Water Source
Normally use water from natural
source (chorine free)

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Mold
Size; ( 30 -35 x 1-1.2 X 30 )
Bottom 35 X 1 - 1.2 meter
Top 30 X 1 - 1.2 meter

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Straw Mushroom Seedling
Age; 5-10 days
White fiber

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Supplementary food
Starch
Commercial food

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1.Place preparation
2.Soak straw in water 1-2 day
3.Mix straw mushroom seedling with supplementary food
4.Place mold on ground
5.Place soaked straw in mold 10 cm high
6.Place step 3 along straw edge
7.Add another layer of soaked straw to the mold 10 cm high
8.Place step 3 along straw edge
9.Continue process to fill mold and top with straw
10.Remove mold

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Additional steps
Water (if low moisture)
Cover with plastic sheets and straw 3-4 day to control inside
temperature
Open plastic 15 – 30 minutes than reclose it again , spray moisture if the
pile is too dry
Harvest mushroom around day 7-9 ( Morning)

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1. Chemical usage area / left over chemical
2. Material date expire / contaminate material
3. Seedling (too; young-old, breed not pure)
4.Season/ temperature (mushroom do not like cool
temperature ( 20 – 40)
5.Re-cultivate in the same plot
6.Soaking technique
7.Insect pest and other (rat, bird, ant and contaminate
mold)

17. Growth requirement of Agaricus
Suitable mushroom cultures
Spawn
Substrate materials
Good casing material
Suitable environment
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18. SUMMERY OF CULTIVATION
Steps involved in Agaricus cultivation
Selection of species
Selection of fruiting culture
Preparation of spawn
Preparation of compost(phase I and phase II)
Spawn run
Casing
Mushroom development
Harvest
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19. Agaricus mushroom – most popular mushroom in
Mauritius
Research on Agaricus mushroom cultivation started
in the 1970’s was abandoned due to the requirement
of sophisticated and expensive technologies
Since then, no further research and cultivation
attempts have been conducted to cultivate button
mushrooms locally
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20. Preference for Agaricus mushroom rather than the
locally produced Pleurotus mushroom
Unavailability of a cultivation package for Agaricus
Availability of several tropical and sub tropical
strains of Agaricus from foreign mycological
laboratories
Use of potential locally available materials for
Agaricus cultivation
Reuse of agro wastes - reduce the level of pollution
caused through dumping of these wastes in the
environment
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21. Introduction of strains of Agaricus spp.
Identification of suitable agar media, pH and incubation
temperatures for growth of button mushroom mycelium
Identification of suitable substrates, supplementation
materials and substrate mixtures for cultivation of
Agaricus mushroom
Determination of effect of composting on growth of
mushroom mycelium
Development of a mother spawn and spawn production
protocol of Agaricus mushroom
Economic analysis for the cultivation package proposed
and provide a cultivation package of Agaricus
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22. A number of activities has been proposed to achieve the
objectives
Introduction of strains of Agaricus
Assessment of in vitro behaviour of Agaricus on agar media
at different temperatures and pH.
Assessment of in vitro performance of the strains on
different substrate materials
Study of the effect of different supplementation materials on
in vitro performance of the mushroom strains
Preparation of appropriate formulations of mother spawn
and spawn of Agaricus mushroom
Preparation of appropriate compost formulations and
management of fructification
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23. Introduction of strains of Agaricus & successful
sub culturing on agar media
Agaricus bitorquis
Agaricus blazei
Agaricus bisporus
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Strains growing on agar media

24. Assessment of in vitro behavior of strains
growing on different agar media such as
Potato dextrose agar, malt extract agar, corn meal
agar, potato carrot agar, oat meal agar, wheat agar,
potato dextrose yeast agar
Chemical analysis of potential substrates to
determine
Nitrogen, potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorus,
magnesium, manganese, selenium, boron, iron, zinc,
molybdenum, copper
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25. Thank You
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