Mushroom Farming, Cultivation, Growing

Materials and Methods – II

• hoe for tilling the soil
• string
• bamboo or wooden stand or bench
• rice straw
• urea fertilizer: 1-½tsp./gallon water
• newspaper for wetting

Procedure

1. Till an area about 4 meters long, one-half meter wide and 15 cm deep.
2. Dig a canal around this, about 30 cm wide and 15 cm deep.
3. Dry the straw very well, tie in bundles about 8 cm thick.
4. Cut the bundles of straw in same lengths, evenly.
5. Soak the bundles of straw in water for four hours.
6. Put the bamboo bench over the tilled soil. Spread the bundles of straw on the bench, alternately arranging them in the first layer, all heads to the left in the next layer, all heads to the right, etc. up to the fourth layer.
7. Crumple the newspaper and soak in the four liters water with 3 gms urea (3 gms urea or 1-1/2 tsp).
8. On thumb sized pieces of newspaper, plant the mycelium (mushroom seeds). About three bottles of mycelium will be consumed for every 4 meters bed with six layers.
9. Plant the wet paper with mycelium 5 cm deep into the layers of straw about 5-8 cm away from the edge and 10 cm from each other.
10. After 5-7 days, cover the top of the pile with a clear plastic sheet like a roof resting on the bamboo, to maintain the 40%-50% heat that is just right for mushroom growth.
11. Sprinkle water 5-6 days after this preparation. Fill the canals around with water to repel the insects and to maintain the right humidity. Stack up only until four layers during Summer and 6 layers during the rainy season.
12. Do not water after this. On the 6 or 7 day if the weather is dry, water gently, using a sprinkler. Repeat if necessary.

Harvesting Mushrooms

1. If the mushrooms are now umbrella-like, 10-14 days after planting, they may be harvested. These will wilt in 24 hours. The closed ones or button-like last up to 48 hours.
2. Do not use scissors in harvesting because the parts that remain in the straw will rot. Carefully twist the lower stem with your fingers so as to get it whole.
3. Spread the harvested mushroom on a basket for selection. Wash gently if these will be cooked soon.
4. Let the straw bed rest for 7-10 days. In one area 4 meters and with six layers of straw, about seven kilos of buttons or 12 ½ kilos umbrella mushroom can be harvested.

Other Benefits of Mushroom1) Organic Matter – Mushrooms decompose the dead bodies of plants and animals – serve as cleaning function in the environment. They can be used to breakdown agricultural waste (rice, straw, sawdust, peanut shells, banana stalks, cotton and flax waste, fruit pericarps, corn cobs, sugar cane bagasse, etc). One good thing about mushroom culture is there is no wastage. After production, the mushroom bed can be converted into fertilizer.2) Medicine – Mushrooms have been known to possess the following actions:

• Antibacterial
• Antitumor
• Hypocholesterolemic
• Hallucinogens found in the mushrooms are helping psychiatrists in the treatment of mental illness

3) Income – minimum input (if you start from growing bags)
4) Adaptable to group involvement/division of labor
5) Environmentally sound
6) Can be integrated into existing agricultural system

Nutritional Value of Mushrooms

Many myths have been spread about mushrooms. One of the most inaccurate is that mushrooms have no nutritional value. To properly consider them for their nutritional benefits, they must be viewed from a dried weight perspective. And mushrooms give you maximum nutritional benefit only upon cooking. Mushrooms are relatively high in protein, averaging about 20% of their dried mass. Further they contribute a wide range of essential amino acids. Low in fat (between .3 and 2%) and high in fiber, mushrooms also provide several groups of vitamins, particularly thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, and ascorbic acid. Now that research is confirming that many of these species also stimulate the human immune systems, mushrooms are clearly becoming the gourmet health food of the 21st century.

Mushroom has been attracting attention of mankind since ancient times and use of mushroom, as food is as old as human civilization. It is very rich in protein, vitamins and minerals. Unfortunately. It is realized that mushrooms did not receive universal acceptance over the years since a number of naturally growing mushrooms are poisonous. Now the situation has been changed because the cultivated edible mushrooms are totally safe for human consumption.

Download Filipino instructions here

source: elgu2.ncc.gov.ph, www.bpi.da.gov.ph

Update: 09/23/08 – Video of Mushroom Seminars courtesy of Teddy Laurie

More videos here

Mushroom Seeds, Supplies and other information

Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI)
Ms. Estrella D. Tuazon
Chief, Plant Quarantine Service
San Andres, Malate, Manila City
Tel No. (632) 523-9132
Fax No. (632) 524-2812
E-mail: bpi@edsamail.com.ph

Mushroom Producers Association of the Philippines, Inc.
c/o Daily Harvest Manufacturing Corporation
21 Railroad Street, Port Area, Manila
Tel. No. (632) 442-5074

Training and Seminar

Comprehensive Mushroom Growing (28 hrs / 4 days) 4,169
TLRC – 633-6733 or 637-4018 loc 300, 304, 306

Pages: 1 2