Mushroom Production

Muhammed Alhassan

One of the many farming businesses in Nigeria that has great potential for financial reward but hasn't quite taken off is the production of muchroom.

Mushroom Production
Image courtesy of www.stuff.co.nz

Mushroom farming is one of the farming business that holds high prospect but has never gained ground in Nigeria so far. Whether you decide to grow your mushrooms in your garden (for private consumption) or in a big farm (for commercial use), it is important that you know some important steps to take when growing mushroom.

Few that are into mushroom farming are making serious money and the process of starting mushroom farm is quite simple. Another good thing about mushroom farming is that it is not capital intensive. And the demand for edible mushrooms is quite high in the market. You can be making as high as two million every 3 months if you take up mushroom farming now in commercial quantity.

Production of mushroom follows the steps written below, although processes may vary according to species and climatic conditions of the area.

1.  Selection of an edible mushroom species.

2. Compost Bed making: Mushroom grow on compost heap whether naturally decomposed or artificially. The compost is spread onto long boxes called beds. The compost heap is laced with sawdust collected from the sawmill, watered, and mixed with food waste or agro-waste. The agro wastes used as substrates; dry plantain leave, palm oil chaff, cassava peels, cotton waste, sawdust, and vegetable leaves contain lignin and cellulose. The mixture is watered until the sawdust decomposes with the food/agro waste thereby producing a very unpleasant odour. After five to six days, when the odour reduces, the farmer can then plant the mushroom spores (seeds) as soon as possible.

3. Heat treatment: this is an important measure to control pests and diseases.  The heat treatment kills competing microorganisms and to get rid of soluble nutrients. Most substrates are given heat treatment before spawning. Three methods can be used:

  • Pasteurization by immersion in hot water
  • Pasteurization by steam
  • Sterilization

4. Spawning: Mushrooms are cultivated using spawns. Spawns are mycelia propagated vegetatively. This process involves inoculating the prepared compost with mushroom spawns. Spawn is distributed on the compost and then thoroughly mixed into the compost, broadcasting the spawn over the surface of the compost and ruffling it in with a small rake-like tool. Spawning is done when the compost cools, this is when it has a consistency similar to that of thick oatmeal and will provide an environment well suited for mycelial growth. Mycelial growth, at this point, is very rapid if maintained at the optimal temperature of 24 C. These spawns can be purchased in spawn-making companies, research institutes, or in the market.

* Note that spores should not be acquired from the wild since there are numerous poisonous species out there.

5.  Casing: The casing layer is a layer of moist material that is put on top of the substrate with mycelium, before exposing this substrate to the fruiting conditions. This is done after the mycelium has grown throughout the substrate. The casing layer is normally compost-rich, clay soil, which is nutritionally poor, relative to the compost on which the mycelium has been growing. Using the casing layer is recommended in the fruiting body formation and is necessary for the initiation of fruiting without this step fruiting will not occur.

6.  Fruiting and harvesting: The period of fruiting may vary depending on the species, type of substrate used, and climatic condition of the growing room. Generally, mushrooms can be harvested about 3-4 weeks after spawning. It takes a week before new primordia are formed and about five to nine days for the second flush. Harvesting is performed by gently pulling or twisting the mushrooms from the substrate. Generally, 3 or 4 flushes are taken over 4-6 weeks of picking and can be harvested over 2-3 months.

Market potential

The growing domestic and export market for mushrooms provides extensive and good potential for the cultivation of mushrooms. Mushrooms are now cultivated in at least seventy countries throughout the world. The world market for the mushroom industry in 2001 was valued at over US$40 billion.

The mushroom industry can be divided into three main categories: edible mushrooms valued at about US$30 billion; medicinal mushroom products were worth about US$9 – 10 billion; and wild mushrooms, US$4-5 billion. In Nigeria, mushrooms can be cultivated all year round as sources of the mushroom substrate are food and Agric waste which are readily available. The main consumers of mushrooms are food restaurants, hotels, clubs, and households. Mushrooms are sold through vegetable shops, local markets, and superstores. There is also a high rate of return as a kilo of mushroom is sold for about N1, 700, unlike the regular meat and fish.

Economic importance of Muchroom production

1.   Source of food: Mushrooms can be eaten as a substitute for meat and fish. They are very nutritious and are in rich in crude fiber and protein. In fact, mushrooms contain low fat, low calories and have good vitamins which make it an ideal food for diabetics and obese people.

2.  A good cash crop: Mushrooms are a good cash crop. Mushrooms can be commercially grown both for local consumption and export market and can serve as a sustainable revenue stream.

3.  Low cost of investment and High rate of returns: The production of edible mushrooms requires only a little amount of space, utilizing food and agro wastes such as dry plantain leave, palm oil chaff, cassava peels, cotton waste paddy straw, cotton wastes, palm fiber, tree sawdust, etc. and generally has low technology requirements, therefore, it doesn’t require a huge amount of money for a startup.  Also, mushrooms have the potential to earn high returns since they can be cultivated all-year-round as sources of the mushrooms are agricultural wastes, which are always available in abundance in Nigeria.

4. Employment opportunity:  Many opportunities abound in the growth of mushrooms since it is labor-intensive.  

5. Health benefits: Many mushrooms possess multi-functional medicinal properties. Edible mushrooms are considered as healthy food because their mineral content is higher than that of meat or fish and most vegetables. Scientists have also indicated that mushrooms are devoid of starch and low in calories and other carbohydrates. It is clear that apart from the nutritional value of mushrooms, they have potential medicinal benefits.

6. Reduction in environmental pollution: cultivation technology is friendly to the environment. It helps in reducing environmental pollution since large quantities of organic solid waste are used in its production.

REFERENCES

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Muhammed Alhassan