Manualonthecultivationof theoystermushroom

BYT.Mugadza(BSc,GradDip)

(Pluerotusostreatus)

TheproductionprocessofPluerotusostreatus,theoystermushroomcanbeconvenientlysummarized intoanumberofstageswhicharetobestrictlyfollowedinordertoachievehigherbiologicalefficiencies (B.E)*.Thestagesareasfollows: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Mushroomgrowinghousedisinfection Themushroomgrowinghouse(MGH)isaveryselectiveenvironmentforthegrowingoftheoyster mushroom.Thismeansthatitmustnotgiveachanceforthegrowingofothercompetitororganisms whichwillcompetefornutrientswithourmushroomse.g.bacteria,otherfungi,virusesandpestsflies, rodentsetc Sincechemicalsarenotencouragedbecauseoftheirbioaccumulationinfoodchains,cultivatorsare encouragedtopracticeorganicfarmingwhichinvolvesthenonchemicalproductionofmushroomsby usingbiologicalcontrolmethods. However,chemicalslikehypochloride(jik),dettol,formaldehydeorhydrogenperoxidecanbeusedfor initiallydisinfectingtheMGHorbetweencycles.Steamingcanalsobedonefor12hourstocookout theMGHandmostcontaminantsaredestroyedbytheheatfromthesteam. Procedure 1. Cleantheroomthoroughlybybrushingthewallsandfloorwithahardbroomandwater 2. Makeupadilutedisinfectionsolutionbyputtingalidfullofjikintoabucketfullofwater(20 liters)andstir. 3. Cleanthewallsandflooragainwiththejiksolution 4. Placeafootbathofthejiksolutionoutsidethedoorbyputtingablanketimpregnatedwiththe solutioninsideatray. 5. Closeandlockthedoorandstartpreparingthesubstrate. Mushroomgrowinghousedisinfection Substratepreparation Spawning Primordialformation/shocking Maturation Harvesting Postharvesthandling

Substratepreparationandspawning Substrateisamaterialinwhichthemushroomisselectivelygrown.Itprovidesthegrowingmushroom mycelia(mouldsareproductivestage)withthenecessarygrowthnutrientswhilediscouragingother competitororganisms.Therearevarioussubstrateformulationsthatcanbeusedtogrowmushrooms includingpaper,grass,ricestraw,bananaleaves,vegetablewaste,sawdust,cornwaste,sorghumwaste andmanyotheragriculturalwastes.Howeverthechoicedependsonavailabilityofthewastematerial andequipmenttopreparetheme.g.shredders,autoclavesetc.theformulationhastomakeupthe requiredcarbontonitrogenratio(C:Nratio). Thefollowingformulaforproducing600kg1000kgfreshmushroomin2monthshasbeensuggested afterconsideringtheabovementionedfactors,especiallycosts. Grass(hay) 522kg 54kg 24kg 6kg

Spentbrewersgrain Gypsum(CaSO4) Lime(CaCO3)

Waterupto6570%byweight Procedure 1. Mounttheoildrumpasteurizerwithwateratalmost70%depthandheatto70degreesCelsius usingthegasburner 2. Obtainthedriedgrass(ifnotdryleaveitinthesuntodryoversomedaysandchopitdowninto smallpiecesofequallength1015cm) 3. Mixthegrasswithspentbrewersgrainthoroughlyusingshovels 4. Loadthemixtureintothemeshbasket 5. Submergethebasketloadedwiththemixtureintotheheatedwaterandmaintainthe temperatureat70degreesCelsiusforanhour. 6. Afteranhour,takeoutthebasketbyhandorbyuseofachainblockifthereisnolabourand drainoffexcesswaterfromthemixturethroughasieve(takeasampleandsqueezeitbetween yourhands,agoodmoisturecontentwillnotdripcontinuousdropsofwaterfromthe substrate) 7. LetitcoolpreferablyinsidetheMGHonaplasticsheetlaidonthefloor 8. Addgypsumandlimeandmixthoroughlyusingcleanshovels 9. Addspawnat8%ofthedrysubstratemassusinggloved/cleanhandsandmixthoroughlyafter thetemperatureofthemixturehascooleddowntoaround30degreesotherwiseifitistoohot thespawnwillbe

soap,humanbodytemperatureisaround36.5degsoifitfeelshotitishighdefinitelyletitcool down).Makesureyouaputtingcleanclothes. 10. Putthespawnedmixtureusinggloved/cleanhandsinplasticbagspreferablytransparentones sothatyoucanseewhatishappeninginsidethebags(roughly1015kgsperbag). 11. Makeitabitpressedbutnottoomuchandtieuptheopenendwithstringandhangit. 12. Puncturesomefewholesontheplasticbagforaerationanddrainingexcesswater.Theholes arethesizeofroofingnailsapproximatelyandmustnotbebigenoughtoloosealotof moisture. 13. Cleanthepunchingnailsinjiksolutionfirstandthenwateranddrywithaclotheachtime beforeyoupunchanotherdifferentbagtoavoidcontamination. 14. Cleanupthefloorthefloorandleavethewindowsandentranceclosedmakingsurethatno insectsorpestsentertheMGH.Lightshouldbeveyminimal,infactdarkconditionsmust prevail.Leavethefloorwetwithwaterandputsome34bucketsfullofwaterintheroom Spawnrun For2to3weeksmakesurethatyouchecktemperaturesandmoisturelevelsinsidetheMGHbyusinga thermometer.Temperaturescanbebroughtdownbysprayingwateronthefloor,wallsandroofand maybeputtingicepacksintheroom. Procedure 1. Maintaintemperaturebetween2530degmaxbyemployingtheabovementionedmethods. 2. Ifpossiblereadandrecorddailytemperaturereadingsonachartwithday,minandmax temperaturesforfuturereference. 3. MakesuretheroomismoisteverytimeandhygieneismaintainedeverytimeintheMGHby limitingthenumberofpeopleenteringtheroom. 4. After23weeksdependingonconditions,thewholemassinthebagsshouldturnintoawhitish moldymassandthismarkstheendofspawnrunperiodanditistimeforprimordialformation. Primordialformation/shocking Themyceliamustnowbetriggeredtoturnintomushroomsbyemployingthefollowingsteps. 1. Openthewindowsthoughensuringthenets/sievesaretheretopreventinsectsfromentering sincemostarevectorsofdiseasesandsomedirectlyfeedonthemushrooms.Thiswillallow freshairtoentersincemushroomsneedoxygenforrespirationhencegrowth.Itwillalsolower temperatures 2. Letthelightfallintheroomduringthedaytime.Itmustbeadequateforapersontoatleast readanewspaper.Mushroomsarephotosensitiveandtheygrowtowardsalightsourceifitis notenoughtheywontcomeout.

3. Humiditymustbeincreasedto100%otherwisemushroomswilldesiccate(theyare90%water). Thisisdonebydailymisting(23timesadaydependingonatmosphericconditions)witha knapsacksprayeraroundthebags. 4. Afterabout45dayssmallpinheadsofmushrooms(primordial)areseenonthebagandthey keeponincreasinginsizeeveryday.Humidityshouldnowbeslightlyreducedto8590%. Harvesting Inafewmoredaysmushroomsarereadyforharvesting.Theyarenormallyharvestedyoungbeforethe veilopenstoincreaseshelvelife.Harvestingisdonebyatwistingmotionfromlefttorightthenpulling thestipeoutofthebaggentlywithoutdisturbingorpullingoutthesubstrate.Thestipesaretrimmed usingknivesandsoldseparatelyfromtheumbrellas(pileus). Wearfacemuskwhenharvestingassporesreleasedbythemushroomsmaycauseallergicreactionse.g. asthmaattackssincethesporesareallergens. Normallyharvestingisdoneinthemorningseverydayforaboutfor47daysfollowedbyadryperiod ofaboutaweekduringwhichhumidificationwillcontinueuntilthesecondflushuptothefourthflush whenthebagsmustnowberemovedanddiscardedawayfromthegrowinghousesincetheyattract flies.Spentmushroomsubstrate(SMS)hasplentyofusesasananimalfeed,soilconditionerfor landscapersetcandthemarketsforitcanbeexploredalsogeneratingextraincome.TheSMShas increasedproteincontentandothernutrientstotheanimalascomparedtograssaloneforexample.Fly trapsarealsoplacedinthegrowingroomandoutsidetotrapflies. Postharvesthandling Mushroomsareperishableslikeanyothervegetableshencetheyneedtobepushedfast.Thismust ideallybearrangedpriortoharvestingbetweenthecultivatorandbuyer.Theirshelvelifeisaround5 daysat4deg(neverfreezethem).Againtheymustnotbewashedbeforepackagingandthentheyare wrappedintraysandplasticandstoredat4degreesCelsius.Dryingandblanchingarealsoother options. *B.E=(freshweightmushroom/dryweightofsubstrate)x100%