Mushrooms discussed include white button (Agaricus bisporus), milky mushroom (Calocybe indica), oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sp.), and paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella sp.). White button mushroom is a temperature-sensitive species cultivated using composting methods. Milky mushroom and oyster mushrooms are cultivated on substrates like paddy straw or maize. Paddy straw mushroom has a fast life cycle of 10 days from spawning to harvest.

1. Mushrooms

2. • Classification
• The order Agaricales is divided into 16 families and
the family Agaricaceae is discussed here
• Agaricaceae
• The stipe and pileus are clearly separated. The
cuticle of the pileus is fibrillose or squamulose.
Lamellae are free. An annulus is typically present
on the stipe. The spore deposits are blackish or
dark chocolate-brown. An apical germ pore is
absent in spores.
•

3. Edible Mushrooms•
• The order Agaricales, commonly called gill fungi
contains over 270 genera.
• The edible species are called ‘mushrooms’.
• The eating of mushrooms is called Mycophagy.
• The annual world mushroom production is over
300,000 metric tonnes.
• At present three mushrooms namely white
button, oyster , paddy straw mushroom and
milky mushroom are cultivated in India on
commercial scale.

4. • Poisons ones called as toadstools
• Some species of Amanita and Boletus are poisonous. Because
of its highly poisonous nature, Amanita phalloides is
commonly called ‘death cup’.
• Amanita verna, Boletus satanus and many species belonging
to Galerina, Coprinus, Inocybe and Psilocybe are highly
poisonous, and result first into gastrointestinal upset and
then even into death, if taken in large quantity.
Poisonous mushroom

5. White button mushroom
– Agaricus bisporus
• It is a temperature type.
• spawn run or vegetative growth- 22-28° C
• fruit body formation- 15-18°C
• it requires proper humidity (85-95 %) and enough
ventilation during fructification.
• Agaricus bisporus is a saprophytic organism and
requires well-composted material for its growth.
• There are two methods of composting viz. Long
method, Short method. Yield range from 7 – 15 Kg
/ 100 Kg compost depending upon the type of
compost used.

6. White Button mushroom- Agaricus bisporus

7. Milky Mushroom - Calocybe indica
• This was first cultivated in India in 1976 on a
mixture of soil-sand and maize meal in soil jars.
• Like Pleurotus sp, Calocybe indica can be grown
on paddy straw.
• After spawning ,the beds are maintained with the
temperature of 25-35° C.
• After spawn running the mushrooms are cut and
casing is done with garden soil.
• Mushroom heads appear within ten days after
casing. The yield various from 300 – 400 g / bed.

8. Milky mushroom
Calocybe indica

9. Oyster mushroom - Pleurotus sp
• Many species of Pleurotus have been brought under
cultivation namely, P. flabellatus, P.eryngii, P.eous
,P.djamor, P. florida, P. fossulatus, P. squarrosulus, P.
sapidus, P. citrinopileatus, P. opuntie, P. cystidiosus,
P. comucopiae and P.platypus.
• The spread of mycelial growth of Pleurotus is greatly
dependent on temperature and humidity, which also
vary from species to species.

10. Oyster mushroom –Pleurotus sp
• Temperature range of 22 –26° C
• Relative humidity of 75 – 90 per cent
• Grown on paddy straw, ragi straw, hulled
maize cob, etc.
• Polythene bag or compact poly bag method
was found to be the best. Layer spawning
method recorded increased yield over other
methods.
• The life cycle is completed within 35 days. The
yield 400 – 1000 g / bed.

11. Oyster mushroom
Pleurotus flabellatus

12. Oyster mushroom-Pleurotus flabellatus

13. Oyster mushroom
Pleurotus flabellatus

14. Paddy straw mushroom- Volvariella sp
• Paddy straw mushroom was the first mushroom to be
cultivated in India at Coimbatore.
• In India, 13 species of Volvariella have been
recorded. Of these, only 3 species, namely, V.
volvacea V. diplasia and V. esculenta have been
cultivated. Volvariella is regarded as a homothallic
mushroom species.
•

15. Paddy straw mushroom- Volvariella volvacea

16. Paddy straw mushroom- Volvariella sp
• This is a very fast growing mushroom and
takes about 10 days from spawning to
harvesting.
• It is considered to be one of the easiest
mushrooms to cultivate with a cropping period
of 3 weeks but is the most difficult when it
comes to obtaining high and constant yields.

17. Paddy straw mushroom- Volvariella sp
• Grows at a relatively high temperature of around
350
C.
• Hollow interior beds have always given better
mushroom yield .
• The shelf life of Volvariella is only 3 days at 10-150
C and it liquefies both at 40
C and at high
temperature.
• The yield varies from 3.5 Kg – 4.5 Kg / bed
depending upon the method of spawning and
variety.