Cultivation Of White Button
Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
Main steps in cultivation of White Button Mushroom
• Composting
• Spawning
• Casing
• Cropping
• Harvesting
I. Composting
Compost can be prepared by two methods
• Long method of composting
• Short or pasteurization method of composting
1. Long Method of Composting:
Formula developed by Mushroom Research Laboratory, DMR Solan
Wheat straw ----------- 1,000 Kg or
Paddy straw ----------- 1,250 Kg
CAN ------------- 30 Kg
Super phosphate ------- 25 Kg
Urea -------- 12 Kg
Muriate of Potash ---- - 10 Kg
Wheat bran ---------- 100 Kg
Molasses ------------ 16.6 liters
Gypsum ------------- 100 Kg
Folidol dust ------------ 750 g
Preparation
• Long method of composting was first advocated in India by Mantel et
al. (1972).
• To begin with the composting process, clean the composting yard
thoroughly and wash it with 2% formalin solution.
• Wheat straw or any other base material to be used is spread in a thin layer of
8-10 inches thickness over the floor of composting yard.
• Sprinkle water over the straw with a hose pipe and wetting of straw is done
repeatedly at least 2-3 times a day for 2 days.
• Before mixing with the wet wheat straw, the ingredients like urea, CAN,
super phosphate, wheat bran etc. (except insecticides and gypsum) are
thoroughly mixed, wetted with water and then covered with damp gunny
bags 14-16 hours before use.
• Day 0: On this day fertilizer mixtures are spread evenly on the pre-
wetted straw. This mixture is made into a stack with the help of wooden
boards or pile formers. Dimensions of pile should be 5x5x adjustable
length. Height and width of the pile should not be more than this
otherwise pile may become too hot due to high temperature and the
anaerobic conditions may prevail in the center which may not yield
good quality compost.
• Day 1-5: Start monitoring the temperature of the heap. Temperature
should start rising after 24-48 hours of stacking and reach 65-70°C in
central core. If the moisture of the mixture is less, than water can be
sprayed. Watering should be stopped as soon as leaching starts from the
bottom of pile. If water starts leaching in large quantity then it should
be collected in a pit and put on the top of the pile.
• Day 6: First turning: On this day first turning is given to the stack.
The aim of turning is that every portion of the pile gets equal aeration
and water for proper decomposition of the base material.
• Day- 10: 2nd turning. Break open the stack, water may be added if
required and restack it .
• Day-13: 3rd turning: Restack and add required quantity of gypsum
• Day-16: 4th turning
• Day-19:5th turning
• Day-22:6th turning
• Day-25:7th turning : add required quantity of Folidol dust
• Day 28: Filling day. Break open the pile and check for the smell of
ammonia, if it still persists, give an additional turning after 3 days.
This way compost is prepared by long method in 28-30 days.
2. Short or Pasteurization Method of Composting :
Formula given by Mushroom Research Laboratory, DMR, Solan
Wheat straw ( chopped ) ------ 1000 Kg
Chicken manure ------------ 400 Kg
Wheat bran -- 72 Kg
Urea --------------- 14.5 Kg
Gypsum --------------- 30 Kg
• This is done in two phases. Phase- I is done in the
composting yard while phase II, inside a closed chamber
called pasteurization chamber or tunnel (bulk chamber) with
the help of aerated steam for pasteurization and conditioning
of compost.
Phase I:
• Phase - I involves pre-wetting of straw and mixing of
ingredients in the straw as in long method. But in this case
turning is given after every 48 hours (2nd day). During third
turning or on 6th day total amount of gypsum is added in the
compost. After 4th turning on 8th day, the compost is filled in
pasteurization tunnel on 10th day.
• Phase II: (Pasteurization)
• After filling partially decomposed compost in pasteurization
chamber or tunnel, a temperature of 48-50 ° C is maintained
for next 2-3 days by circulating the inside air. Then with the
introduction of steam, temperature of the tunnel is raised to
58-60ºC for 6 hours.
• Fresh air is then allowed to enter the room so as to bring
down the temperature to 50-52°C which is maintained for 3-4
days for conditioning. When ammonia smell gets eliminated,
then fresh air is introduced in the tunnel to cool down the
temperature of the compost to 25-28°C. By pasteurization
method, compost is prepared within 18-20 days.
Qualities of a good Compost:
• Compost should be dark brown in colour with profuse fire fangs.
• Compost should have moisture percentage of about 68-70 percent.
• pH of the compost should be in the range of 7.2-7.8.
• There should not be any smell of ammonia.
• It should not be sticky or greasy.
• It should be free from insects and nematodes.
Filling
• The compost is filled in wooden trays or in polythene bags at different rates.
• During summer the compost is slightly pressed while filling so that due to
the metabolism of the growing mycelium, bed temperature may not rise as
enough of heat is generated during that period.
• Similarly it is hard-pressed during winter season.
• Filling of the trays / bags 6-8 inches deep with compost, stacking them
closely, with their upper end covered with polythene or newspaper in a
closed room, has been found to provide conditions for efficient spawn run
and the heat generated can be managed easily.
II. SPAWNING AND SPAWN RUNNING
a) Spawning:
Mixing the mushroom seed or spawn in the compost is called as spawning.
There are different methods of spawning which are as follows:
1.Surface spawning: Grain spawn is scattered all over the surface of the
compost in trays or racks which is then covered with 2 cm thin layer of
compost.
2.Double layer spawning:The trays are half filled with compost, spawn is
scattered over it, then trays are filled completely with compost and again
spawned in the same manner. Finally a thin layer of compost is spread on the
spawn covering it completely.
3.Through spawning: The desired quantity of spawn is mixed thoroughly in
the required quantity of compost which is then filled in racks, trays or bags.
This type of spawning is done mainly in bag cultivation.
b) Spawn running:
• The temperature of the mushroom house, where trays or bags are kept
for incubation should be maintained between 22-25°C.
• The humidity should remain at 80-85% RH level.
• This can be maintained by frequently spraying water on walls and
floor of the mushroom house.
• During spawn running, room should be kept closed to create darkness.
• Higher CO2 concentration than the normal level in the air favours
mycelial growth of the mushroom.
• Under favourable environmental conditions within 14-15 days of
spawning, the compost surface is covered with the cottony growth of
the white mycelium. This condition is called spawn run.
III. CASING
• What is casing?
Covering the top of mushroom beds after completion of spawn run with a layer of appropriate
soil mixture is known as casing. Mushroom growers in different countries use different types
of casing materials depending upon their availability. Different materials used in India as
casing mixture are:
1) Loam soil + Sand ( 4:1)
2) Two year old farm yard manure + loam soil (1:1)
3) Two year old spent compost + sand + lime (4:1:1)
4) Two year old spent compost + loam soil + FYM (2:1:1)
Why Casing is necessary?
• Casing soil is a nutrient deficient medium, which helps in converting the vegetative phase into
fruiting.
• It helps in conserving the environment in mushroom beds.
• Fruit bodies are formed in abundance and thus production is economical.
Application of Casing:
• When spawn run is completed, the casing is done over spawn run
compost after removing newspaper sheet from the trays on racks or after
opening mouth of the poly bags.
• Spawn run compost is slightly pressed and covered on the surface with 4-
5cm thick layer of casing soil.
• After casing, the temperature of the mushroom house is maintained at 24-
25 °C for another 8- 10 days and water is sprayed over casing soil.
• Within 8-10 days, white mycelium spreads in the casing soil.
IV. Cropping
• As soon as the white cottony growth of the mycelium appears on the casing surface,
fresh air should be introduced inside the cropping room and bed temperature lowered
to 16-18 °C which is to be maintained throughout the cropping period.
• The CO2 level is also lowered to below 1000 ppm. Under such conditions, the initiation
of fruiting bodies i.e. pinning takes place within 6-7 days of aeration which reaches to
the harvesting stage within next 4-5 days.
• The individual fruit bodies are harvested carefully without disturbing the adjoining
pinnings and before the cap opens. The cropping period lasts for 40-60 days.
• The environmental factors like temperature, relative humidity, light , air flow in the
cropping room etc; all play vital roles which together determine the nature of further
mushroom development.
• The mushroom crop grows in cycle called “Flushes” or " Breaks ".
• Depending on the species being grown, these flushes normally appear in 7-10 days.
V. HARVESTING:
• Timing is the most important factor in button mushroom harvesting.
• Mushrooms should be picked before the veil breaks and the stem elongates.
• Damage to pinheads and disturbance of the casing soil must be minimized during picking.
• The standard harvesting technique consists of grasping the base of the stem, pull it with a
twisting motion being careful not to disturb adjacent pinheads.
• The stem base, with mycelia and casing particles adhered to it, is trimmed with the help of a
short bladed knife.
• All trimmings should be kept in a plastic bag and removed from the cropping area.
• Immature mushrooms should be left attached to the casing for further development.
• Yield :
The cropping stage lasts for 40-60 days and production comes to 12-25 Kg / 100 Kg compost
depending upon the quality of spawn, compost, casing mixture and prevailing environmental
conditions in the mushroom house.
