Spawn production technology and cereal substrates
- Parent cultures: Maintained on Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) slants from pure tissue cultures of Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus florida, or Pleurotus sajor-caju.
- Grain preparation: Whole cereal grains (wheat, sorghum / jowar, or paddy) are boiled, mixed with calcium carbonate (CaCO3) and gypsum (CaSO4), and filled into polypropylene bags.
- Sterilization and inoculation: Autoclaved at 121°C (15 psi) for 90 to 120 minutes, followed by aseptic inoculation with pure mother mycelium inside laminar air flow chambers.
- Incubation: Stored at 22 to 26 degrees Celsius in clean incubation rooms until white fungal mycelium colonizes the grains within 15 to 20 days.
Substrate preparation and bed spawning techniques
- Agricultural crop residues: Fresh, golden-yellow paddy straw, wheat straw, or cotton stalks chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces.
- Substrate pasteurization: Sterilized by hot water soaking (80°C for 2 hours) or chemical treatment with carbendazim and formalin solution.
- Spawning method: Layer spawning in perforated polythene bags, alternating layers of squeezed straw (65% moisture) with grain spawn at 2 to 3 percent substrate weight.
Cropping environment and flush harvesting
- Spawn run: Keep bags in a dark, clean room at 22-28°C until the substrate is fully colonized by dense white fungal mycelium (15 to 18 days).
- Fruiting: Cut open polythene bags, introduce fresh cross-ventilation, maintain 80 to 90 percent relative humidity, and provide indirect light.
- Harvesting: Pick mature mushroom clusters by twisting at the base when cap edges are flat but not curled upward; beds yield 2 to 3 flushes.
Official source
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Directorate of Mushroom Research (ICAR-DMR) ↗Related on KisanPe
Common questions
What is oyster mushroom spawn?
It is the pure vegetative mycelium of Pleurotus mushrooms grown on sterilized cereal grains, serving as mushroom seed.
Which grain is best for producing oyster mushroom spawn?
Wheat and sorghum (jowar) grains are the most widely used substrates for oyster mushroom spawn production.
How long does the spawn run take for oyster mushrooms?
Complete colonization of the straw substrate typically takes 15 to 20 days in a clean, shaded room.
What humidity is needed for oyster mushroom fruiting?
Maintain relative humidity between 80% and 90% during the cropping and fruiting phase.
General guidance, not personal advice. For your farm, ask your local Krishi Vigyan Kendra or agriculture officer.
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