Mushroom spawn production technology

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Introduction Methods of spawn preparation Pure culture preparation Substrate preparation Multiplication using mother spawn Cares to be taken Economics

INTRODUCTION Mushroom is an interesting modification of fungal form of life. They are non-green fungal plants occurring seasonally in many parts of the world in various habitats ranging from sandy plains to tropic forests and green meadows to roadsides. There are more than 2000 edible species of which only a few have been brought under cultivation on commercial scale. Of these 80 have been grown experimentally, 20 cultivated commercially and 5 are produced on industrial scale throughout the world. The species grown more commonly and having good export potential are, Agaricus bisporus (white button mushroom), Volvariella spp. (paddy straw mushroom), Pleurotus spp. (Oyster mushroom). The word spawn in the mushroom industry means the planting material, which consists of the vegetative body (mycelium) and its substrate. In other words spawn could be regarded as analogues to the seeds of the higher plants. METHODS OF SPAWN PREPARATION There are three steps involved in spawn production 1) raising of pure culture, 2) prepatation of master culture / mother spawn and 3) multiplication of spawn. PURE CULTURE PREPARATION There are two ways of raising pure culture and they are tissue culture and spore culture. In tissue culture a well grown mushroom with membrane covering the gills is selected and from which a small bit of mushroom from gill portion is taken using forceps and inoculated on PDA or MEA media slants under aseptic condition (PDA potato dextrose agar, MEA- Malt extract agar are the culture media readily available in the market). The mycelium covers the entire surface in a weeks time and culture becomes ready for further multiplication. In spore culture method, the spores are collected from well developed fruiting body by spore mapping technique and then the spores are inoculated to the PDA or MEA slants as in tissue culture under aseptic condition.

SUBSTRATE PREPARATION 1. select good quality jowar or wheat grains free from pest and moulds. 2. Boil the grains submerged in clean water for 20 30 minutes. When the grains become soft, remove and spread evenly on a cotton cloth to drain out the water and cool the grains. 3. Mix 3 percent chalk powder (30g / kg of grain) for adjusting the pH and to keep the grains loose. 4. Fill 250 gms of grain in cleaned and dried glucose bottle of 500ml capacity or polypropylene bags and plug the mouth of the bottle tightly with non absorbent cotton. 5. Sterilize the bottles in autoclave by exposing to 121 c and 15lbs pressure / sq inch for 20 minutes. After cooling transfer the bottles to inoculation chamber. MULTIPLICATION USING MOTHER SPAWN 1. Always use well grown mother spawn (18-20days old). Stir the spawn using sterilized forceps to get the individual grains with fungal growth. 2. Transfer few grains with mycelial growth into sterilized substrate bottle under aseptic condition and plug it with cotton. 3. Shift the inoculated bottles to spawn running room having temperature range of 25 30 c 4. Inspect the bottles regularly and discard contaminated one immediately. 5. Within 15 20 days of inoculation mycelial growth covers entire substrate and the spawn is ready for use. CARES TO BE TAKEN 1. Always keep the inoculation chamber and its surroundings very clean. 2. Switch on UV tube in the inoculation chamber for 30 minutes before inoculation by keeping sterilized substrate, forceps, cultures inside the chamber. 3. Innoculation is always done near the spirit the spirit lamp flame to avoid contamination. 4. The working person should swab his hands and innoculation chamber using alcohol. 5. Spawn should grow fast in the bottles, should be silky white in colour and should never show fluffy growth. 6. All grains should be covered by the mycelial growth and fresh spawn should have mushroom odour. 7. Mother spawn should not be used beyond 3-4 generations as it starts degeneration. Fresh spawn gives higher yield, therefore spawn should never be stored for more than a month. 8. All the bottles must be labeled indicating firms name, species, date of inoculation to know the age and type of spawn. ECONOMICS The economics of a spawn unit with the capacity of 100 bottles per day 3.1 Capital investment a) Non recurring

Particulars
1 Autoclave 2 Laminar flow 3 LPG / Electric stove

Amount (Rs.) 25000=00 25000=00 1500=00

4 Pressure cooker 1500=00 5 Miscellaneous 1500=00 Subtotal 54500=00 b) Recurring expenditure Sr. No. Particulars Qty Price 1 Jowar / wheat 5200 kgs 15=00 2 Non absorbent cotton 160 x 500 gms 110=00 3 Chalk powder 156 kgs 5=00 4 Electricity @Rs. 500/ month 5 Labour @ Rs 2100 / month 6 Buckets, PP bags and miscellanous Sub total 3.2 Cost of production 1 Working expenditure 2 Interest on capital investment @ 17% / annum 3 Depreciation @ 10% / anum Total Income by selling 27000 @ Rs. 10 / bottle Expenditure Net Profit

Amount 78000=00 17600=00 780=00 6000=00 25200=00 4000=00 131580=00 131580=00 9625=00 5450=00 146655=00 270000=00 1466500 123345=00

Enrich Your Life Through Mushroom Appreciation

It's a beautiful summer day when you spy something interesting while on a walk. It's a mushroom, the mysterious organism that is neither plant nor animal.

Yet what can mushrooms do for you?

I believe one of the ways to enhance our lives is through a respect and knowledge of the natural world, especially the mycological one. By learning about nature you learn ways to enhance your personal health and that of the environment around you.

I've been growing and cooking my own fungal creations for over a decade, and admiring them in the wild my whole life. Along the way I've had many successes, some failures, and even the dreaded "lost in the woods" experience!

My hobby eventually turned into a passion as I read and experimented as much as I could. I'd love to share what I know with you.

There are so many ways to appreciate helpful fungi. Here youll find:

A chance to tell your own story. Let the world know about your love of nature and the cool stuff you've found! Free advice on growing your own. Whether using a kit or starting from spore and making your own spawn, cultivation is fun and rewarding. Even a houseplant killer like me can do it! Recipes for cooking edible species. Visit the various recipes pages for easy ways to include them in your diet. Information on health support. Many medicinal mushrooms, such as maitake and reishi, have made headlines for their health benefits. Let's try to cut through the hype and find the best supplements and herbal medications. Facts on specific types and mushroom identification. Learn where and how to find the tastiest species such as morels and chanterelles. Also learn how to avoid poisonous species such as the false morel and the death cap. Information on mycorestoration. The world around you benefits from them as well. Pictures, posters, and other forms of art.

Ready to learn more? Put on your mushroom cap and lets go!

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Table of Contents

What's New The blog keeps you current with all the fun developments and additions to this web site. Subscribe here.

About Me How a lifetime fascination with nature grew into a love of mycology. A quick overview of who I am and why I built this site.

YOUR Pictures and Stories An opportunity to talk about your experiences with nature and cool fungi that you've found. Share your story, upload a picture, or leave a comment.

Different Types There are many different types of mushrooms. Some have gourmet and medicinal applications, others are known for their unique appearance. Here are just some of the more interesting and useful ones.

Morels Fun facts and useful information on morels. Here you'll find identification tips, hunting hints, recipes, photos, and cultivation information.

Reishi The regal reishi mushroom has long been regarded as a powerful herbal medicine. Learn about reishi identification, health benefits, and how to make your own teas and tinctures.

Oysters

More than just seafood, these fantastic fungi grow everywhere, lower cholesterol, and can even help clean up the environment. Includes a page on their various uses and identification information.

Chanterelles Beautiful and delicious with a faint taste of apricots, chanterelles can't be cultivated indoors. So your only option is to find them on your own! These pages will show you how.

Cordyceps sinensis This strange parasitic fungus that grows in Tibet has a remarkable effect on energy levels. Learn more about health effects and the interesting practice behind collecting it here.

Cultivation Growing mushrooms is a fun and rewarding experience. This section has information and growing tips for the complete beginner through the experienced cultivator. Have fun and grow your own food!

Identification Learn the hows and whys of identification including how to learn, where to look, and different identification features.

Poisonous Species One of the most important aspects of mushroom identification is knowing your poisonous species. These pages will help you with identification, myths, and how to keep yourself safe.

Recipes A collection of tasty recipes including appetizers, soups, entrees, and many more!

Marinated Recipes Marinated recipes are easy to make and tasty to eat. This page will show you how, along with ten great recipes to get you started.

Soup Recipes Soups are a delicious way to use up specimens that may be a little past their prime. Here you'll find the top ten easy soup recipes.

Morel Recipes Morels are so popular that they deserve their own page of recipes. Learn different ways to enjoy tasty morels for breakfast, lunch, and dinner!