Commercialise farming of Mushroom
Many often mistaken mushroom to be a vegetable because it is
edible same as plant but they are actually not. Mushroom are categorize as
fungus that grows on any medium without the need of soil. They are heterotroph,
meaning they acquire food by absorbing dissolve nutrients from the environment
it is growing on. Mushroom nowadays are commercialise for profit. There are
over 2000 types of mushroom which are edible worldwide. Some mushroom that are
used in commercial are common button Agaricus.
Some other varieties of agaricus are “Shiittake, Oyster, Wood ear and Enoki
mushrooms which have a higher demand in the market.
Commercialise farming of mushroom are valuable in the market.
It does not require a soil as a medium however it grows in specially
constructed buildings which meet the suitable condition for cultivation of
mushroom. Mushroom are grown in controlled environment(temperature and
humidity). Cultivated mushroom are usually grown in the dark in
climate-controlled rooms. The fungal inoculum or spawn is added to a
pasteurised substrate in the growing containers or beds. After fungal
strands(mycelia) have spread through the compost, a layer of peat or soil(the
casing) is added. The fruiting bodies begin appearing about 6 weeks after
spawning and continue appearing in flushes about 7-10 days apart from the next
6-8 weeks. The first 3 flushes are the most productive. The cap and a small
section of connected stem are usually harvested before the caps are fully
expanded.
Mushroom
is harvested through by hand. As mushroom easily deteriorate, they are marketed
as soon after harvesting and should be well kept in suitable environment under
cold temperature. Mushroom yield are influenced by compost depth and quality,
length of cropping and grade of mushrooms picked, spawn productivity, moisture
and climatic conditions and disease factors. The mushroom will be picked after
the first 3 flushes at about 4 weeks.
The benefit of mushroom cultivation are that it does not take
up any land spaces as it is cultivated using specially contructed building with
some that are from idle buildings. Mushroom production that are available
throughout the year provide farmer a stable income annually. Cultivation of
mushroom uses substrate produce from agricultural waste material from the
farms, plantation and factory which gets all its nutrients from the substrate.
Mushroom cultivation does not require any spray of pesticide which makes them
free from toxic substance and suitable for consuming.
Challenges in Mushroom Growing are the lack of skills on
mushroom production knowledge, spawn and raw material for mushroom cultivation is
expensive and the quality are not guaranteed, lack of awareness of benefits of
mushroom, Traditional beliefs of some communities.
How mushroom is cultivated, harvested and package for
marketing
