International Journal of Herbal Medicine 2016; 4(3): 01-04

E-ISSN: 2321-2187
P-ISSN: 2394-0514
Optimizing the growth conditions and adopting new
IJHM 2016; 4(3): 01-04
Received: 02-02-2016
methods growing oyster and milky mushrooms in same
Accepted: 01-03-2016 conditions
V Ragupathi
Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant V Ragupathi, S Kumerasan, S Selvaraju, V Karthikeyan
Biotechnology, R.K.M.
Vivekanandha College,
Mylopore, Chennai 600 004. Abstract
Tamil Nadu, India. The growing conditions of oyster and milky mushrooms were optimized by repeated trails test, for this
experiment different oyster mushroom varieties-Pleurotus florida, P.oystratus, P. Sajurkaju and different
S Kumerasan milky mushroom varieties Calocybe sps were used. The temperature requirements needed for oyster
Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant mushroom varieties were optimized 28°C-30°C in this same conditions milky mushrooms were also
Biotechnology, R.K.M. grown on the same room with 70% humidity, 2 times water spray daily, with two open ventilators. This
Vivekanandha College, method yielded 4 kg of oyster and 4 kg of milky mushrooms in three different periodical harvest. This
Mylopore, Chennai 600 004.
method of growing is an improved conventional method of mushroom cultivation in a closed concrete
Tamil Nadu, India.
room.
S Selvaraju
Dept. of Plant Biology and Plant Keywords: Pleurotus florida, P. Sajurkaju, Calocybe sps,
Biotechnology, D.G. Vaishnav
College, Arumbakkam, Chennai Introduction
600 105. Tamil Nadu, India Edible mushrooms are with great source quality protein, minerals and various vitamins. From
V Karthikeyan
the age old period of time mushroom were used as a food materials without knowing its
P G and research, Dept. of medicinal values starting from 60s. It is an important food item concerning human health,
Botany, Thiagarajar College, nutrition and disease prevention [1]. Their nutritive and medicinal values were known as early
Madurai 9, Tamil Nadu, India as 1500 BC based upon many ancient literatures [2, 3].
Though the production of mushrooms were presently 1,4 lakh tonnes of mushroom were
produced but it still under demand of production all over the world. Our present approaches
are to optimize the growing conditions of oyster mushrooms in different room conditions.
Although the optimal growing conditions for different mushroom strains vary, mushroom
growth is generally favored by warm and humid conditions. Where environmental conditions
are unfavorable for mushroom growth, one could insulate or equip the structure or house with
appropriate structures in order to minimize the influences of outside conditions on the
microclimate inside the growing room. Normally the oyster mushrooms of varieties like
Pleurotus florida, P.oystratus, P. Sajurkaju will grow in 20-30 °C and milky mushrooms will
grow only when the temperature is at 25- 35 °C to opt this both conditions in warm places
were highly a tricky obstacle for mushroom growers.
Mushroom is an exotic and nutritious source of vegetarian food. It has many varieties. Most of
them are edible. Mushrooms have a high nutritional value and are high in protein. They are
also a good source of vitamins (B1, B2, B12 and C), essential amino acids and carbohydrates
but are low in fat and fiber and contain no starch. When fresh they have a very high water
content of around 90%.Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp., viz., P. ostreatus, P.flabellatus, P.
sajor-caju, P. florida etc.) are a good choice for beginning mushroom cultivators because they
are easier to grow than many of the other species and they can be grown on a small scale with
a moderate initial investment. There species grow wild in the forests which can be cultivated in
thatched, polythene, brick or stone houses.
In order to overcome this problem the following objectives were formulated to grow oyster
and milky mushrooms in all conditions.
Correspondence
V Karthikeyan 1. Growing of oyster and milky mushrooms together in a same temperature conditions
P G and research, Dept. of 2. Growing of oyster and milky mushrooms in a concrete room
Botany, Thiagarajar College, 3. Increasing the yield of oyster and milky mushrooms compared to regular methods of
Madurai 9, Tamil Nadu, India. growing

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International Journal of Herbal Medicine
 
Materials and Methods moisture (can be tested by squeeze method). Cylindrical beds
Collection of different varieties of mushroom are prepared following layer method of spawning. A layer of
Varieties of Pleurotus, P. florida P.ostreatus, P.djamor, P. straw is laid and sprinkle one tablespoon full of spawn over the
sajorcajuand Calocybe indica (APK 2) were collected from filled straw around the peripheral region. A second layer of
Tamil Nadu Agriculture University. One mother culture plus processed straw is filled and spawned as above. Repeat the
tow working cultures were maintained in PDA medium under process until the soaked straw is finished. Every time before
4 °C. spawning, press the straw with hand for making it compact.
Finally the bag is close tightly with twine and the beds are
Preparation of media incubated for spawn running under semi-dark condition in a
Potato dextrose Agar Medium (PDA) clean room. Spawn run will be completed in 12-15 days at 30-
Peeled sliced potato pieces: 250g, Dextrose : 20g, Agar 35 °C.
Agar: 20g, p.H: 7, Dis. Water: 1L. Peeled potato were sliced
and boiled. Dextrose and Agar Agar were mixed with filtered Casting
juice of potato extract. Dispensed in a sterile flask made up to Unlike oyster mushroom cultivation, milky mushroom
1 L with dis. water and sterilized in a autoclave for production involves an additional process called casing. After
20lbs/15min. the completion of spawn run, the cylindrical beds are cut
horizontally into two equal halves. Apply casing soil on to
Isolation of mushroom both halves to a height of 1-2 cm. The casing soil is prepared
Fresh mushrooms were collected swabbed with 80% ethyl by steaming garden soil (clay loam, pH around 8.0) for one
alcohol, with sterile blade the pileus of mushroom were cut hour.
and surface sterilized with 2% sodium hypo chloride. After
repeated distilled water wash kept in PDA plates incubated at Cropping
room temperature for 7 days. After incubation pure mycelium After casing, the beds are to be incubated over racks in a
cultures were sub cultured in fresh PDA plates. partially sunken chamber lined with blue coloured high-
density polythene sheet as roofing material. Optimum relative
Chemical sterilization technique humidity of 80-95%, room temperature of 24-28 °C and light
Take 90 litres of water in a drum of 200 litre capacity. Slowly intensity of about 1600–3200 lux should be maintained in the
steep 10 kg of chopped paddy straw in the water. Mix 125ml cropping room. Proper ventilation for gaseous exchange is also
of formaldehyde (37-40 percent) and 7 g of Bavastin dissolved essential in this chamber. The beds are regularly sprayed with
in 10 litres of water in another container and pour the solution water to maintain 50-60% moisture level on the casing surface.
slowly into the drum. Straw should be pressed and drum Pinheads appear in 8-10 days after casing and the first harvest
should be covered with a polythene sheet. Take out the straw can be made in 6-8 days after pinhead formation. After
after 12 hrs. Spread the pasteurized or chemically sterilized obtaining the first harvest the casing medium is gently ruffled,
straw on neat and clean cement flooring or on raised wire slightly compacted back and sprayed regularly with water.
mesh frame, inside the chamber where bag filling and Second and third harvest may be obtained within 45-50 days
spawning are to be done. of bed preparation. Then the beds are removed and fresh beds
may be kept for cropping.
Mother spawn preparation
Sorghum or wheat grains are used for spawn preparation. Half Mushroom harvesting and weighing
cooked grains, are mixed with calcium carbonate @ 20g per The milky mushroom (Calocybe indica) is a potentially new
kg of grains (dry weight), thoroughly mixed and filled in species to the world mushroom growers. It is a robust, fleshy,
polypropylene bags (15x30 cm size) provided with PVC rings milky white, umbrella like mushroom, which resembles button
as neck. The bags are tightly plugged with non-absorbent mushroom. The species is suitable for hot humid climate and
cotton and sterilized at 1.42-kg/cm2 pressure and 126 ºC can be cultivated indoor in high temperature and high humidity
temperature for 1.5-2.0 hours in an autoclave. When the bags areas. It grows well at a temperature range of 25-35 °C and
are cool, they are aseptically inoculated with fresh cultures of relative humidity more than 80%. Milky mushrooms can be
oyster mushroom fungus. The work should be done in a cultivated throughout the year in the entire plains of India.
culture room or in a laminar flow chamber. After inoculation The cultivation technology is very simple, involves less cost
the spawn bags are stored in a clean room for 15-20 days and no special compost is needed for the cultivation. The
before use. These bags with white mycelial growth serve as cultivation process resembles that of oyster mushroom but for
mother culture. Each mother spawn bag can be used for the additional process of casing. The mushroom can be
inoculating 30 bed spawn bags that can be prepared following harvested from 24-28 days after spawning and the total crop
the above procedure. cycle is only 45-50 days. Most importantly, the milky
mushroom has an extended shelf life of 3-5 days compared to
Mushroom bed preparation other cultivated species, making it more amenable to handling,
Polythene bags of 60x30 cm or 75x45 cm size are used for bed transportation and storage. So, there is a growing interest
preparation. Chaffed paddy straw bits of 3-5 cm length are among the farmers towards milky mushroom. The production
soaked in cold water for 4-5 hours. After draining the excess technology of milky mushroom is outlined here: Substrates
water, the straw bits are boiled for 45-60 minutes in a separate Milky mushroom can be cultivated on a wide range of
drum. Though hot water treatment is the safe and best method substrates like, paddy straw, maize stalks, sorghum stalks,
of sterilization, steam treatment or chemical treatment with a pearl millet stalks, palmarosa grass, vetiver grass, sugarcane
solution containing carbendazim and formalin can also be baggase, soyabean hay, groundnut haulms etc. However, for
followed. After treatment, the substrate is shade dried to commercial production paddy straw is the best substrate.
remove excess moisture before bed preparation. At the time of
bed preparation the substrate should contain around 60%

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Cropping and harvest hours, which can be enhanced by keeping them in refrigerator.
After 20-22 days, when bags are fully impregnated with white Oyster mushroom can be sun dried for 2 days and dried
mycelium, transfer the bags into cropping room and remove product marketed in polythene bags. Dried mushrooms should
polythene/ polypropylene covers. The open blocks should be be soaked in water for 10 minutes before use.
kept in racks about 20cm apart. Rack should be 60 cm wide
with gap of 50-60 cm between two shelves. Mushrooms grow Results
in a temperature range of 20-33 C. Relative humidity is On an average single mushroom weighs 55-60 g and mean
maintained by spraying water twice a day on the walls and yield is 356 g/bed (contains 250g of paddy straw on dry
floor of the room. Spraying of blocks should be avoided for weight basis), which accounts to 143% bio-efficiency. Milky
the first 2-3 days. A light mist spray of water is given on mushroom is a rich source of protein with protein content of
blocks as soon as the small pin heads appear. Once pinheads 32.3% and fetches high market price compared to oyster
are 2-3 cm big a little heavier watering is to be done on blocks mushrooms. It is highly suitable for drying, canning, soup
and father watering of blocks is to be stopped to allow them to powder preparation and pickle making.
grow. Mushrooms should be plucked before they shed spores
to maintain quality. After 1st flush of harvest, 0.5 to I cm outer Growing of oyster and milky mushrooms together in a
layer of the block should be scrapped. This helps to initiate same temperature conditions
2nd flush which appears after about 10 days. After harvest, the This result implies that both mushrooms (Oyster and Milky)
lower portion of the stalk must be cleaned with dry cloth. They were grown in a same room temperature i.e 24 °C. The
should be packed in perforated (5-6 small holes) polythene humidity and water spraying were same to both the species of
bags to keep them fresh. It looses freshness after about 6 mushrooms. Ventilations and air circulations were un-altered.

Fig 1: Milky mushroom growing Concrete room under temperature 28C

Growing of oyster and milky mushrooms in a concrete Increasing the yield of oyster and milky mushrooms
room compared to regular methods of growing
Apart from maintaining the same conditions both the species Compared to regular growing condition the increasement of
were grown in a closed concrete room with size of 25X14’ yield were observed in all the species of mushroom (Oyster,
size. The complete growth of mushrooms with long stipe and Milky). Especially in P. Sajurkaju showed highest weight
fruiting body were body were observed. This artificial increase of about 50g compared to regular method of
condition favored with air conditioner. cultivation. Similarly calocybe showed 100g of weight
increase over the regular ones (Table 1).

Table I: Measurement of mushroom weight

Weight (gms)
S.No Variety Species
Harvested after 22days
Concrete room Regular teacher room
1 Oyster
Pleurotus florida 325g 250g
P.oystratus 300g 250g
P. Sajurkaju 350g 300g
2 Milky Calocybe 400g 300g

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Table 2: Measurement of mushroom weight
Morphology (cm)
S. No Variety Species
Measured after 22days
Concrete room Regular teacher room
1 Oyster Length of Stipe/ Dia. Of fruit body Length of Stipe/ Dia. Of fruit body
Pleurotus florida 4cm/8cm 3cm/6cm
P.oystratus 3.8/7.5cm 2.7/6.5cm
P. Sajurkaju 4.3cm/8.5cm 4cm/8cm
2 Milky Calocybe 15cm/5cm 10cm/2.5cm

As observed in the weight the increasement of morphology structure were observed in P. Sajurkaju i.e P. Sajurkaju showed 4.3cm
length of stipe and 8.5cm diameter of fruit body. It shows 0.5cm increasement over the regular cultivation method (Table 2).

Table 3: Comparison of mushroom growth between regular condition and with new optimized condition
S. No Character Oyster mushroom Milky mushroom
P. florida P.oystratus P. sajurkaju Calocybe (APK 2)
New Regular New Regular New Regular New Regular
optimized Thatched optimized Thatched optimized Thatched optimized Thatched
method method method method method method method method
Paddy Paddy Paddy Paddy Paddy Paddy Paddy Paddy
1 Substrate
straw straw straw straw straw straw straw+compost straw+compost
Germinating
2 20-30 °C 25-30 °C 20-30 °C 25-30 °C 20-30 °C 25-30 °C 20-30 °C 25-30 °C
temperature
3 Crop cycle 35-50d 30-45d 35-50d 30-45d 35-50d 30-45d 35-50d 45-50d
4 First harvest 18th d 26th d 18th d 26th d 18th d 26th d 18th d 26th d
5 Yield/bed 1kg 500g 1kg 500g 1kg 500g 900g 350g
6 Shelf life 1-3d 1-3d 1-3d 1-3d 1-3d 1-3d 3-5d 3-5d

In this comparison chart shows that the substrate were same to References
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Few attempts were made by previous workers were failed in
optimizing the above growth conditions. But our present report
on growing oyster and milky mushrooms in a closed concrete
room resulted in better way of mushroom growth.

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