MUSHROOM PRODUCTION

COMPILED BY CHARLES PHIRI

(ST. MARYS’ GIRLS..KARONGA)
 Mushroom Production
Definition
Mushrooms are a class of fungi that grow on dead
decaying matter, commonly used as human food.
Mushrooms do not produce seeds but they
reproduce asexually through spores.
They grow well at a relative humidity of 95-100% and
in a substrate of a moisture level 50-75%.
 Parts of a Mushroom

A Mushroom has two main parts. These

include:
1.Mycelium
2.Fruit or Sporophere
Parts of a mushroom………….Cont.
Parts of a mushroom……….Cont.
Mycelium
This is the part that is always underground or in the soil.
This is the source of food for the mushroom.
If the mycelium gets enough food, it can live for
hundreds of years.
 It consists of hypha which are very tiny filaments that
are often white in colour
The hypha absorb organic matter and water from the
soil that is necessary for the growth of the mushroom
 Parts of a mushroom………Cont.
Fruit or sporophere
This part lives for only a few days.
The sporophere is made up of the stalk/stipe or stem, cap,
gills, spores, volva and the ring
1. Stipe
This provide support to the cup
2. Cap
This support and protect gills and pores
3. Gills
This produce spores called basidoispores
 Parts of a mushroom…….Cont.
4. Spores
These are produced under the gills of the mushroom
5. Volva
The remains of a membrane broken to allow a new
mushroom to grow
6. Ring
The ring is the remain s from a membrane that
covered the gills before they had grown to maturity
 Cultivated species of mushrooms
Include the following:
• Shiitake
• Oyster
• Enocki
• Chinese
• Pholiota aegerita
• Agaricus blazei
• Button
Cultivated mushroom species…..Cont.
Cultivated mushroom species…..Cont.
 Cultivated species of mushroom in Malawi

 Oyster mushroom
 Button mushroom
 Importance of mushroom
Source of proteins vitamins and minerals which are
important in the human body.
Source of income to farmers
Source of employment
Source of foreign exchange after being exported outside
the country
Assists in crop diversification and provide a better way
of using resources such as animal wastes
 Husbandry practices for mushroom
production
• Species selection
• Site selection
• Construction of an incubation and production shed
• Substrate preparation
• Substrate treatment
• Spawn source (buying or preparation)
• Mushroom seeding
• Mushroom fruiting management
• Mushroom harvesting
Species selection
Selection can be based on:
1. Cap thickness
• Thin mushrooms; have caps below 5 cm in diameter
e.g. enocki mushrooms and Pholiota aegerita
• Medium-sized mushrooms; are those with caps of 5-
10 cm diameter e.g. Agaricus blazei
• Thick mushrooms; have cap 11-15 cm diameter e.g.
shiitake mushroom
2. Temperature requirements e.g. high temp. species
Site selection
qualities of a suitable site for producing mushrooms
• Availability of waste materials to use as a growth medium in the area
• Climatic conditions; mushrooms require warm and moist conditions
for faster development
• Nearness to dense forest; this provides ideal conditions for
mushroom growth because of humidity and availability of wood.
• The area must be pest and disease-free
• Nearness to the market
• Readily available clean water for watering to avoid contamination
• Availability of expertise in mushroom growing
 Construction of incubation and
production shed
Things to consider when constructing
incubation or production shed
• Humidity
• Temperature
• Ventilation
• Moisture
 Incubation shed
Incubation is the time after inoculation and before the
mycelium has fully colonized the substrate.
Incubation sheds or rooms should be constructed in
very dark areas.
A farmer can choose a small room on the farm and
cover all cracks and windows to prevent light from
getting into the room.
 Production shed
This is where the substrate which has been fully colonized by the
mycelium is placed. This is to allow proper growth of mushroom.
An old building or garage can be used as a production shed for
mushrooms.
The shed should be protected from direct sunlight
A drainage ditch should be constructed around the shed
Add holes on the shed that will provide proper ventilation for the
mushroom
Shelves can be fitted into the shed to ensure that a farmer
produces a lot of mushrooms under minimal space.
 Preparation of mushroom substrate
A mushroom substrate is any substance onto which
mushrooms are grown
Materials that can be used as substrate
• Maize stalks or sheaths or wheat straw
• Cassava peels and cotton waste
• Compost
• Tea leaves
• Sugarcane bagasse
• Finger millet stems
 Processes involved during substrate
preparation

1.Shredding
Substrate such as straw are cut into small pieces
measuring 3-6 cm.
When using saw dust, it is important to compost it first
because it contains some poisonous substances
It is heaped to 1.8m high and watered regularly until it
attains a watery state.
1% lime is added as a pH buffer and 1% urea is added to
increase the nutrient content of the substrate.
 Processes involved during substrate
preparation……….Cont.
2. Soaking
The substrate is soaked for about 12 hours. However some
substrates do not need any soaking
3. Brending
After soaking, the substrate is left to lose water for 1 hour.
The moisture content of the substrate can be checked by
squeezing.
After draining the water, the substrate is mixed with 20%
bran and 2% lime a pH buffer.
 Processes involved during substrate
preparation……….Cont.
4. Bagging
Polythene bags are used in bagging the substrate.
5. Sterilization by steaming
For sterilization, a metallic drum is used
A wooden rack (platform) which is about 21cm is placed at the bottom of the
drum.
About 40 litres of water is put in the drum at the top of the platform.
The bags are arranged in such a way that they can allow steam movement.
The bags are then steamed for 4 and half hours.
 Substrate treatment
This involves pasteurization to kill the insect pests,
nematodes, and undesirable fungi that might
transmit diseases
Ways of treating substrate
Hot water treatment
Lime water treatment
Solar heating treatment
 Mushroom seeding (spawning)
Definition: This is the process of germinating mushrooms from spores
Is done when moisture content of compost is 70%
Done at temperature of 25degrees and spawning rate is 400ml/m^2
Is done by spreading three quarters of required spawn quantity onto
the compost and mixing it thoroughly
Doors n windows are closed for the first 3days
On day 4 ventilation is introduced omce in the morning and evening
for 30minutes
Colonisation of the compost by mushroom fungus takes 12 to 14 days
after spawning
 Mushroom fruiting management
Casing
The practice of adding moist clay-loam soil onto the compost
pH for this soil must be 7.0 to 7.5
Casing should be put in thickness of 3 to 4cm and about 30litres of soil is
required per square metre
Done 14 days after the compost is fully colonized by white mycelia
The importance of casing
it promotes the formation of fruiting body and mycelia.
 Pest and disease control in mushroom
Pests
1. Mushroom flies
They feed on mushroom fruiting body and Mycelia.
It also transmit mites , eelworms and spores of other
moulds
Control
Mantaining hygiene on the farm .removing left over
compost -burn and burying sterms and pierces of
mushroom.
2. Mites
Feeds on mushroom mycelia
Control
Maintain cleanliness around the production house
3. Rodents
They feed on mycelia and mushroom fruiting body
Also makes holes in the casing and compost.
Control
Killing with traps or sticks
4. Mollusk
Feed on mushroom direct
Control
By hand picking physically
 Diseases
1. Green moulds
Produces sticky spores and carried by flies mice and pickers
hands to infected areas
Symptoms
green moulds on dead mushroom, stump and on substrate
control
disinfect the spawning house
dispose away all the infected substance
using deosan super or adecol for disinfection
2. cobweb moulds
Caused by too little air movement high humidity and
high temp in the house
Control
Remove stumps and dead mushroom regularly
Spraying 0.5% formaldehyde solution on the spots.
3. Penicillium spp
Caused by improper substrate pasteurisation or
unsterile condition during spawning of sterilized
substrates.
Produces spores which look like smoke
Reduces yield up to 80%
Control.
Proper hygiene during spawning
Removing all infected substrates immediately.
 Mushroom harvesting

Mushroom is ready for harvesting after 14+20

days after casing.
Done by grasping the mushrooms by the base
and performing a twisting counter clockwise
motion by hand.
Mushroom may be picked at the button, cup or
flat stage depending on the market requirements.
Stages of mushroom
THANK YOU