By M. MITHAL
JISKANI
Assistant Professor (Plant Pathology)
Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam
April 29 - May 05, 2002
Mushroom is a form of plant life but has no green
coloring matter or chlorophyll. It is being recognised as fleshy
fungi, sometimes tough, umbrella like fruiting body, produces
microscopic spores, which serve as a mean of reproduction, but are not
same as that of plant seed. Naturally, the mushrooms observed during
the rainy season on the manure heaps and dump places; grown in places
like fields, woods, forests, water channels, manure heaps, bunds and
on grassy grounds or in the plains, with abundance of humus as
saprophyte and primary decomposer or on living trees or plants as
parasite.
Undoubtedly, it is hard to say that how many kinds
of fungi or even mushrooms are? There may be several kinds or species
of mushrooms. Some are extremely poisonous known as toadstools. The
majority are unattractive for eating (commonly called non edible)
because of poor flavour, taste, texture or small size or sometimes due
to unattractive colour and shape. Still other species are poisonous to
some people and harmless to other; and a few are not only edible, but
delicious too. Poisonous mushrooms are known to be poisonous because
someone ate them and become ill or died. White edible mushrooms are
known to be edible because people have eaten them regularly in
quantity with no ill effect.
The word toadstool is a distortion of the German
word 'Todestuhl', which means death chair. The edible higher fungi are
called mushrooms but the poisonous are termed as toadstools. For the
other and more common belief of the origin of the word toadstool may
clear from the figure" (Dube, 1993 "An introduction to
fungi"). Or, it may also to say that they go by this name because
of disgust, loathing, abhorrence from the people due to its
non-edibility and not pleasing or uninteresting size, shape, colour or
so.
Over 10 million different kinds of organisms
(livings) inhabit earth. To discuss and study these organisms,
scientists have classified each kind and group of the species in
categories. Less than one third of earth's species has been catalogued
and given names.
The earliest classification system recognised only
two kingdoms of livings. Animal kingdom and Plant kingdom. Plant
kingdom is divided into two main divisions: phanerogams (flowering
plants ) and cryptogams (non-flowering plants). The cryptogams are
further classified into three main grourps viz. lower cryptogams known
as thallophyta (include algae, fungi and bacteria), higher cryptogams
known as bryophyta (mosses) and pteridophyta (ferns). Whilst most
biologists now use the five kingdom system, falling into two
superkingdoms. Prokaryonta (include only one kingdom monera — the
bacteria) and Eukaryonta (include four kingdoms: animalia-animals,
plantae-plants and trees, mycetae-fungi and protista-algae and other
single celled organisms). Both recognised classification systems did
not show mushrooms/toadstools (or fungi) under kingdom of flowers.
That is an other way by which mushrooms sometimes are termed as fungus
flowers, which actually because of their lovely shapes and colours as
well as their delicacy, nutritional and medicinal values.
In the same way, there are thousands of mushroom
varieties found throughout the world. About 2500 species are reported
to be edible (hence are not known/termed as toadstools). So far only
20 species are very popular. The mushrooms, have commercial value,
are: white button mushrooms or crimini or portabellaor portobello (Agaricus
bisporus). Oyster mushrooms include different species of Pleurotus,
Chinese mushrooms include different species of Volvariella. Morels (Morchella
esculentia) are also common in use.
CULTIVATION: There
are several methods of mushroom cultivation with only little
difference or modification. The mushrooms do not need direct sun light
and open field for cultivation like other crops, because these are
independent of sun light. The mushrooms absorbs oxygen and exhales
carbondioxide like animals; but this does not mean that these grow
only in dark. Different artificially cultivated mushrooms need
different range of temperature, humidity, light and ventilation. The
oyster mushroom must require light for growth and development. In
fact, the mushrooms are one of the most difficult commodities to grow.
Intensive labour is required to produce a consistent, high quality
crop. Also, mushroom farms today are highly technical operations
complete with extensive computerised system to monitor each point in
production.
It is also pertinent to mention here that the
simple, economical and commercial methodology for cultivation of some
known edible mushrooms (discussed above) have been evolved, but most
of us are unknown to this!? While nature has gifted most suitable
environmental conditions from sea level to high mountains, where
various kinds of mushrooms grow naturally and different edible
mushrooms could easily be grown round a year, by changing mushroom
species time by time or by controlling temperature, humidity, light
and ventilation on a whole as per requirement. Otherwise, the
mushrooms can not be grown year after year with full commercial
excess, unless proper growing conditions are provided and adequate
facilities are available, for better crop yield through control of
different diseases and insect pests.
The mushrooms require less space, less care, less
equipment and expenditure for cultivation, than most of the plants and
animals. The area and production of different crops for the year
1998-99; may indicate that a huge quantity of the crop wastes, are
easily available at low cost, which could be converted in to edible
mushrooms(Table).
BUTTON MUSHROOM:
The white button mushrooms, resembles the shape of button, therefore
mostly known as button mushroom, but because it is naturally grown in
meadow, therefore it is also called meadow mushroom, while in Europe,
it is known as European mushroom, town or street mushroom. It is
largely grown and greatly consumed throughout the world with almost 80
per cent share among growing mushrooms. This mushroom is difficult to
cultivate and need many more expenses than other artificially
cultivated mushrooms. Rice husks or wheat grains found to be the best
for spawn preparation of button mushroom. It needs different types of
composts with different compositions for cultivation. 4-6 air changes
or introducing 10 cubic foot fresh air (ventilation) per square foot
bed area per hour are necessary for good crop. 80 to 95% humidity, 15
to 25°C temperature and time to time watering is also its basic
requirement for normal growth and development.
OYSTER MUSHROOM:
The
oyster mushroom is second most popular. This mushroom resembles the
shape of shellfish, therefore mostly known as oyster mushroom, but it
is also called as wood mushroom, dhingri, henda, kharari, shooto, meat
of the forest, sadafnuma khumbhi, sipi khumbhi etc. It can be consumed
as a fresh as well as dried. This mushroom is most easy to cultivate
and need less expenses and care than other artificially cultivated
mushrooms. Best spawn can be prepared on sorghum (jowar) and other
cereal grains. Mostly the wheat, paddy, barley, oat and gram straw,
banana, sugarcane and maize leaves, empty millet heads and corn cobs,
cotton waste, small and thin sticks and boll locules, sugarcane
bagasse, banana pseudostems, saw dust, logs, waste news papers, manure
etc. can be utilised as substrate (medium) for cultivation. This
mushroom require 80 to 100% humidity, 20 to 30°C temperature and
white florescent light for growth and development.
CHINESE MUSHROOM:
The
chinese mushroom stood third popular mushroom. Perhaps, the
cultivation of this mushroom started in China, because of which, it is
known as chinese mushroom as well as tributary mushroom or nanhua
mushroom. It is grown best on paddy straw, therefore it is called
paddy straw mushroom. This mushroom also can be consumed as fresh as
well as dried. Different agricultural and industrial straw waste,
recommended for the cultivation of oyster mushroom, can be used for
spawn preparation and cultivation of chinese mushrooms, but paddy
straw proved to be the best. This mushroom requires 80 to 100%
humidity, 25 to 35°C temperature and at least two time watering for
cropping.
CONCLUSION
Everybody can cultivate mushrooms but the growers
can play a vital role, to convert agricultural and industrial waste
(the plant residue, waste of forestry and agricultural as well as
industrial waste and other refuse, rubbish or trash) into a substrate
by cultivating mushrooms, to produce beneficial food and effective
medicine.
| Table:
The area and production of different crops for the year
1998-99 may indicate that a huge quantity of the crop wastes,
is easily available at low cost, which could be converted in
to edible mushrooms. |
|
Crop |
Area
(000 hectares) |
Production
(000 tonnes) |
|
Wheat |
8.230 |
17.856 |
|
Rice |
2.424 |
4.674 |
|
Millet (Bajra) |
463 |
213 |
|
Sorghum (Jowar) |
383 |
228 |
|
Maize |
962 |
1.665 |
|
Barley |
137 |
137 |
|
Gram |
1.077 |
698 |
|
Sugarcane |
1.155 |
55.191 |
|
Cotton |
2.923 |
1.495 (8.790
'000 Bales) |
|
Banana |
— |
95 |
| Source:
Economic Survey 1999-2000, Govt. Of Pakistan. |
|
