Hydroponics: Definition | Types | Advantage | Disadvantage

 Cultivation of Oyster Mushroom  

Like other edible mushrooms such as the button mushroom, paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella valvacea), Oyster is also a delicious edible mushroom. Scientific name of Oyster mushroom is Pleurotus. The size of Oyster mushroom is slightly different from that of button mushroom. It is shaped like a clamshell or a large spoon or plate, which is called an umbrella. The beehive is of different colors in distinct species of Oyster. Like white, brown, yellow, pink, brown etc. Is the upper part of the beehive pressed? It is smooth and there are hundreds of long stripes on the lower surface which are called gills or seed holders. Millions of tiny spores are formed on the gills. The beehive of Oyster is mounted on a small stalk. Many popular species of Oyster are being commercially produced in the world, including Pleurotus sepodus, Pleurotus flabilijetus, Pleurotus Sajor-Cashew, Pleurotus florida, Pleurotus citrinopelliatus, Pleurotus austriatus etc. 

Oyster Mushroom

 World Report on Oyster Mushroom: 

Today the annual production of Oyster in the world is about 7,97,000 Tonnes and its production is mainly being done in China, South Korea, Japan, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, and Philippines. Its production in our country is also increasing continuously and annual production of about 5,000 Tonnes is being done. 

Report on Oyster Mushroom in India: 

 The states where it is being grown are Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Assam. There are many advantages of growing Oyster in comparison to other edible mushrooms, due to which it is ranked third in the world's mushroom production. 

a) Wheat straw, paddy straw, dry leaves and stalks of maize and husks of pulses, sunflower, soybean, pea, and mustard residues etc. agricultural residues can be used for growing Oyster. Therefore, it can be cultivated in every nook and corner of our country. 

B) To grow Oyster, no manure is required, and no special kind of environment or rooms are required. They can be grown in simple and cheap thatched rooms or mud brick houses. 

c) There are many species of Oyster which can be grown in summer or winter. Therefore, by choosing varieties according to the season, crops of Oyster can be grown in ordinary rooms throughout the year. 

d) Oyster mushroom can be easily dried in the sun and as per requirement the dried Oyster can be used for making various mushroom products. 

Oyster Mushroom

Also Read : How to Cultivate Button Mushrooms at Home

Its production period is very short (approximately 50 to 60 days), so the yield starts 20 to 25 days after sowing. 

Like other mushrooms, Oyster has all the nutrients and vitamins, proteins and salts are found in abundance. 

How to grow Oyster Mushroom: 

Agricultural residues obtained from farm barns can be used for the cultivation of Oyster. Any type of agricultural residue to be used should be dry and should not have any type of fungal spores. The cultivation of Oyster is accomplished in the following steps. 

1. Preparation of Medium for Oyster Mushroom: 

Wheat straw is the most popular medium. To make it suitable for growing Oyster mushroom, it has to be treated so that the harmful microorganisms present in it can be destroyed. There are mainly three methods of straw treatment. 

A. Hot water treatment method:  

Wheat straw or paddy straw or any other agricultural residue is filled in perforated jute bags or sacks and soaked in cold water overnight. Others take out this wet straw by putting the bag in hot water (70-80°C) for 15-20 minutes. It is worth noting here that when the wet straw is lying in hot water, then the water continues to boil, only then the temperature of 70 to 80 ° C can be maintained. After cooling, spread this straw on tarpaulin or plastic sheet so that the water gets squeezed out of it. This treated straw is ready for sowing. 

B. Chemical treatment method:  

According to this method, the straw is sterilized with some special fungicide chemicals. For this, in a 200-liter drum or plastic tub, about 12 to 15 kilograms of straw or straw huts are mixed in 100 liters, it is soaked in water. In a plastic bucket, 10 liters of water contains 7.5 grams of Bavistin and 125 milliliters (approximately a small cup of tea) formalin. After mixing it is stirred well so that this chemical does not settle on the bottom. Now this solution is poured into the drum over the wet straw and covered with a plastic sheet. After about 12-18 hours, the straw is removed from this chemical solution and spread on a polythene sheet or pucca floor, so that the smell of formalin is removed, and the water is squeezed out of the straw. 

C. Pasteurization Method: 

 This method is suitable for those mushroom growers who have the facilities of pasteurization for making compost. In this method, first of all, a heap of 3-4 feet high is made by wetting the straw or straw hut on the pucca floor. Now this heap is turned once every other day. After four days it is filled in the pasteurization chamber. The air and room temperature are equalized by the blower. Thereafter, the temperature is maintained at 70°C for 6 hours and 40-45°C for about 30-40 hours by steam from the boiler. After this, after cooling down (25 to 30 ° C), sowing is done in straw. 

Oyster Mushroom

Also Read : How to Cultivate Button Mushrooms at Home

2. Sowing: 

There are many species of Oyster, which can be grown mainly in cool or summer. Therefore, they are selected according to the season in which Oyster is to be cultivated. and Pleurotus arenzai is the main and in summer (20 to 25°C) Pleurotus Sjorkju Pleurotus sepidus, Pleurotus flabilitus, Pleurotus citrinopiliatus and Pleurotus membranaceus are the main ones. The seed should not be more than 30 days old. Sowing quantity is 250 to 300 g per 10. 12 kg of wet straw should be done at the rate of 12 kg of wet straw. The wet straw and seed are mixed thoroughly in a plastic tub and 4 to 6 kg of wet straw is filled in polythene bags (45 to 30 cm (about 11.81 in).) filled. The mouth of the bags are folded and closed. 12 to 15 small holes of 5 mm (about 0.2 in) diameter should be made around the bag and in the bottom, so that the excess water absorbed can come out. 

  

 3. Seed Dispersal and Management: 

The sown bags are folded and closed, or the upper surface is covered with paper to retain the moisture of the wet straw. These bags are then kept in the production room. Frames or ladder racks made of iron or bamboo can be used to keep the bags. The production room whose size is 20 L X 15 CHO X 10 Nm can hold about 250 to 300 bags. The production room should have two or three windows. Soon a web of small white fibers begins to spread from the seeds. This network of white fibers is called mycelium. No need for spraying of light, oxygen or water in the room while spreading the seeds. If the temperature in the room starts rising above 28°C, then the temperature is reduced by sprinkling water on the floor and walls. In about 15 to 20 days (about 3 weeks) the white filament will spread over the whole straw. The bags in which the filament has not spread completely, then they should be left for a few more days so that the net is completely spread. 

4. Opening and Maintenance of Bags for Fruits: 

Now the bag is ready to be opened. Sometimes small holes made on the bags start to release the Oyster. At that time, the polythene is carefully torn off with a knife or blade so that the new buds are not destroyed. The bags which have green, blue, or pink color filaments should be thrown away about 100 meters away from the production room as such bags have symptoms of disease. The bags can be opened in a variety of ways, such as removing all the polythene, opening only the top surface, or making eight to ten holes of two to three cm in size.

In summer, water must be sprayed repeatedly by opening the entire bag, so only the top surface or making holes does not dry the bags. Casing is not required for Oyster production and the mushrooms come from all sides of the bag. After opening the bags, they should be kept about 10-15 cm (about 5.91 in) apart from each other. Light is required for the formation and development of Oyster mushroom buds, so 4 to 5 hours of tube light or bulb light should be given daily. The humidity in the room should also be around 70-80 percent. Therefore, water should be sprinkled on the floors, walls, and bags from the fountain. While sprinkling water it should be kept in mind that if the Oyster is getting ready to break, then there should be no water stagnation on the beehive.

Water should always be sprinkled after plucking Oyster.

The windows and doors of the room should be kept open for two hours every day so that the carbon dioxide comes out and the proper amount of oxygen is present in the room. If the beehive of the Oyster is small and the stalk is large, then it should be understood that oxygen is not enough. At such times, the windows should be kept open for a long time. The buds start to emerge about 6 to 10 days after the bags are opened, then increase to mature in total number of days. When the outer edge of the beehive of Oyster starts turning inwards, it should be understood that the crop has become capable of harvesting. Fully grown mushrooms should be broken by twisting them by hand. 

Oyster Mushroom

Also Read : How to Cultivate Button Mushrooms at Home

Yield of Oyster Mushroom:

 

The yield of Oyster will continue for 35 to 40 days (about 1 and a half months) and about 500 to 900 grams of mushroom can be obtained from 1 kg of dry straw. A few days (about 10 to 16 days) after the first harvest, the second crop comes from the bags. (The yield of Oyster depends on the quality of the straw and the species of Oyster. After harvesting the Oyster, the grass attached to the stalk is cut and removed and after two hours it should be packed in perforated polythene and sent to the market. Oyster is also dried. For that, keep the Oyster on a clean muslin cloth in the sun or in a ventilated room for two to three days. Dry Oyster should be sealed properly and soaked in hot water for 10 minutes before using it. After that, its vegetable or soup should be made. There is an allergy to the spores of Oyster. Therefore, before going to the production room, a thin cloth should be tied over the nose and mouth and two hours after opening the windows and doors, one should enter the rooms. Needed. 

  

Economic analysis of Oyster Mushroom: 

It is very important for Oyster producers to know about its production process and economic analysis. Before starting Oyster mushroom production, it is necessary that its training should be obtained from any government department or non-government organization and should be started at a small scale, which gives proper knowledge to the producer. Before starting a large unit of Oyster production, the following things should be studied 

Availability of Agricultural Residue: 

 As already mentioned, Oyster is grown on any kind of agricultural residue. Therefore, it is necessary that agricultural residues should be available continuously throughout the year at cheap prices. By growing it on expensive agricultural residues, the cost of production will also be high, and the economic benefits will be low. 

 Availability of water and electricity: 

It is required for Oyster mushroom also, availability of water is necessary and to produce all the mushrooms of the fruit, electricity should also be 4 to 6 hours to provide light during the water period. In the absence of electricity, farmers can work even with no direct sunlight. 

Trained Employees: 

 Training of your employees is also necessary. Sometimes the workers take care of the produce in case they go out on their own. In the absence of training, due to lack of adequate watering, lighting, and lack of oxygen, the yield is reduced. 

Marketing of the produce:  

Many times, the crop is damaged due to not marketing it on time. Therefore, it is necessary that the Oyster should be sent for marketing in the market soon after breaking it. Dry the unsold produce properly or make pickle etc. Due to lack of knowledge of the people about the nutritional value of Oyster, there is also a problem in marketing. Therefore, people should be made aware about its nutritional value and cuisine through publicity mediums. 

  

A small unit for production of Oyster mushroom, in which about 250 to 300 bags can be kept in a room (20 L X 15 B X 10 H). Enough for a family business. To get regular yield, 40 to 50 bags should be sown every week and they should be opened in this order. By sowing all the bags at the same time, the yield will be obtained simultaneously and there will be difficulties in its marketing. Different types of production units of Oyster mushroom production, its bags can be kept in rooms made of bricks. Here the economic analysis for production from polyhouse for Oyster production.

Also Read : How to Cultivate Button Mushrooms at Home