It is necessary to cultivate it on large scale
for the benefit of the country.
Dr. S.M. Alam
&
Miss Saboohi Raza
NIA, Tando Jam, Pakistan.
Oct 01 - 07, 2001
The enormous increase in our population has
necessitated more and more food production through alternate resources
such as mushroom as the availability of more arable land for
traditional crops is not likely to increase. Edible mushrooms occupy a
pivotal position among the lower organisms. In the developed
countries, mushrooms have become one of the most important of all the
horticultural crops. The production of mushrooms is increasing
everywhere in the world, and nowadays these are available all the year
round and are used in enormous quantities to serve with all kinds of
table dishes. There are about 5000 different species of mushrooms of
which at least 1250 are reported to be edible. During 1980, about 800
million kilograms of Hygracircus, Shiitake and Pleurotus
types of mushrooms were produced and consumed in the world. About
18-25 thousand kilogram of morels (Morochella esculenta), which
are found in Swat and Kaghan areas of Pakistan are annually exported
to some European countries.
Mushrooms are being used as food and medicine since
time immemorial. Their cultivation on extensive scale can help solve
many problems of global importance such as protein shortage, resource
recovery and reuse as well as part of environmental management. Edible
mushrooms contain a high percentage of protein, all indispensable
amino acids, and vitamins B-complex and other biochemical compounds.
This vegetable is also a food source of dietary fibre and the quantity
present is much higher than the crude fibre. The protein value of
mushroom is double of cabbage, potatoes and asparagus, four times that
of tomatoes and carrot and six times that of oranges.
The protein value of dried mushrooms has been found
to be 30-40 per cent comprising all the essential amino acids.
Mushrooms are source of Niacin (0.3 g) and Riboflavin (0.4 mg).
Mushroom is a good source of trypsin enzyme. It is also rich in iron,
copper, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and folic acid. Mushrooms are
valuable health food, which are low in calories, high in vegetable
proteins, zinc, chitin, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Mushrooms are
also have a long history of use in traditional Chinese Medicine to
promote good health and vitality and increasing body's adaptive
abilities. Specifically, selected strains of dried mushrooms are used
to produce mushrooms capsules and extracts. The mushroom is a highly
concentrated food and unsurpassed for flavour in addition to being a
completely satisfying meal.
The edible mushroom mycelium (10-20 %) may be put
in various sausages, minced meat and vegetables, soups, pastes and
bakery products and many other dietary menus. Mushroom can be grown by
almost anyone and anywhere. However, cultivation of this edible fungus
also consumes agricultural and industrial wastes and produces such as
straw and molasses, which is an excellent fertilizer and soil
conditioner. Mushrooms have no colouring matter and so do not need
sunlight to obtain the requisite nutrients for survival. They can grow
in darkness, where no other crop would easily flourish. A crop of
mushroom can be produced in boxes beneath the kitchen sinks and in
garden sheds. For large scale cultivation, properly designed
rooms/spaces are needed, which should provide suitable temperature,
humidity and darkness.
Mushrooms are fleshy fungi, which are generally
used as delicacy from the time immemorial. It has no colouring matter
or chlorophyll. It is tough and an umbrella like fruiting body. It
produces microscopic spores, which serve as a mean of reproduction,
but is not same as that of plant seed. Nowadays, mushroom is being
relished throughout the world as food and medicine. Researches reports
revealed that mushrooms are rich in food values being food source, and
out of 100 g, it contains proteins (3.6 g), minerals vitamins B,12
(0.26 mg), fats (0.3 g), carbohydrates (1.5 g), dietary fibers (2.5 g)
and ash (5.0 g) and the vitamin contains are exceptionally high. The
protein contents are significantly higher than those provided by the
foodstuffs like dates, potatoes, lettuce, carrots, and dried mushrooms
containing more proteins than beet. They also contain folio acid,
which is blood- building vitamin and counteracts the pernicious anemia
with all properties. They serve as a possible source of antibiotics
and anti-cancer agents. They lower the cholesterol level of blood
pressure. Mushrooms constitute an ideal source for reducing body
weight.
Cultivation of mushrooms has not been given due
importance in Pakistan. Mushrooms naturally grown in certain places in
the country are utilized as food, where mushroom cultivation is
lucrative business in many countries. In Pakistan, mushroom
cultivation has tremendous prospect although, at present only some
wild types of mushrooms are eaten by rural folk. Modern technology has
made possible to grow mushrooms under control and semi-control
conditions. Nature has gifted Pakistan with variety of environmental
conditions suitable for cultivation of mushroom from sea level to high
mountains, where different types of mushrooms can easily be grown
round a year. The simple, economical and commercial methodology for
cultivation of some known edible mushrooms has been evolved in
Pakistan.
Different agriculture and industrial wastes could
be used as source of food for mushroom cultivation. Mushrooms may also
be grown in a variety of places like, caves, ditches, huts, hovels,
cottages, cellars, garages, sheds or shelters, bee hive shaped huts,
thatched or meted roofs, thick green groves and gardens. The
cultivation of mushrooms need i) preparation of substrate and compost;
ii) preparation of spawn; iii) seeding of the spawn on suitable
substrate for mycelial growth and production of fruiting bodies.
Mushrooms can be grown in all parts of Pakistan. The species Agaricus
rodmani, Phellorina inguinence, Podoxis pistillaris, Lepiota procera,
Inocybe ceophylla, Crepidous sp and Amanita nano are grown
in Balochistan. Sindh, Punjab and NWFP of Swat Valley and Murree
Hills.
In the past decades, this vegetable was ignored to
grow in different areas of Pakistan. But, at present it is commonly
grown in many areas of Pakistan, having natural high humidity and low
temperature. These areas are suitable for growing white button
mushroom. Chinese mushroom is perhaps the easiest and simplest in its
cultural requirements and is more suited to conditions in Pakistan,
especially the plains of the country. Mushroom cultivation can be
profitable as cottage industry in many parts of the country. The
mushroom after harvest can be marketed as flesh, canned, dried or made
into powder or as a soup. Drying and cannying of mushroom is essential
for market from one city to another or for export purpose. Profitable
mushroom cultivation on large scale requires close attention,
experience and skill. If it is developed as a cottage industry in
villages and on business lines near towns and cities, the delicacy of
this vegetable can become a common diet item in near future to provide
cheap source of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients.
Mostly, the straw and leaves of wheat, paddy,
barley, oat and grow straw, banana, sugarcane and maize, empty millet
heads and corn cobs, cotton wastes, thin sticks and sugarcane bagasse,
saw dust, dust logs, straw papers, manure, etc. can be used as medium
for its cultivation. Mushrooms are now very common in the four
provinces of the country. It is a common business for the people of
hilly areas of Kashmir, NWFP and Punjab and very much familiar with
the business of black morels. A Khumbhi mushroom is very common in the
rural areas of Sindh, a white umbrella type of mushroom known as
Khamiri is also consumed by the local inhabitants of Balochistan,
Sindh and Punjab. There are well-cultivated mushrooms, which can be
marketed in local and foreign markets. The common edible mushroom (Agaricus
bisporous) accounts for about 75 per cent of the one million tons
of mushroom in the world each year, the remainder includes the
Japanese Forest Mushroom. Now, the mushroom is a common vegetable for
the population of the country. Therefore, it is necessary to cultivate
it on large scale for the benefit of the country.
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