Mushroom Culture

Cultivation Technology (Contd..)

d. Harvesting:

• The cropping stage lasts for 30-45 days at 20 – 25ºC , 85 – 92 % humidity and less than 600 ppm CO₂ . Approximately 4-6 air changes per hour and light 200 Lux / hour to 12 hour per day are most stimulatory. Regular misting is recommended to prevent cracking of caps and resting primordia. The mature mushrooms are harvested individually before incurved margin expands to plane by slightly twisting and lifting the fruit bodies with the help of two fingers and a thumb . The lower root portion is removed with the help of a knife.

Fig. 7.6 Fruit bodies of Pleurotus sajor-caju grown on wheat straw as substratum

e. Yield:

• The average yield comes around 100-125 kg mushrooms / 100 kg dry straw or substratum.

f. Marketing and preservation:

• The Oyster mushrooms are packed in perforated polythene bags in different packings after proper cleaning. These are either sold fresh in the market or stored in a refrigerator / deep freeze for 4-6 days. Canning can also be done for long term storage but it is not recommended as these can easily be dried in the sun or in a mechanical dehydrator and kept for a longer period when packed in air tight packing. For cooking the dried mushrooms , these have to be dipped in lukewarm water for 15-20 minutes. Pickle making is also an easy and economic method of their preservation.