Cultivation practice of Shitake Mushroom.

Substrate used for spawn

A. Mother grain spawn

1. Wheat/rye grain + 1.5% gypsum
2. Cotton seed hull 40%, saw dust 38%, wheat bran 20%, sugar 1% and gypsum 1%

B. Planting spawn

1. Saw dust 78%, rice/wheat bran 16%, sugar 1.5%. corn flour 1.7%, ammonium sulphate 0.3%, calcium superphosphate 0.5%, gypsum 2%.

Materials required

– Wood log

– Drilling machine of 1-2 cm diameter

– Paraflim wax

– Pinus latex

– Bamboo stick 30cm length

– Muslin cloth

– Spawn

Drilling in wood and spawning procedure

– 2.5cm deep hole is made by drilling in log with 1-1.5 cm diameter driller. 5 cm in each side of the log is left and the spacing of 10 cm holes is made.

– Distance between two lines should be 5cm and holes made in first line should be in

between the second line.

– Spawn are made small balls and are inoculated in the holes.

– After gentle pressing holes are sealed with wax.

Management of bed log

– Bed log after spawning are stacked one after another up to the height of 1 to 1.5 m. in cold months 1.5 months and in hot months 1 month bed log are stacked in that position.

– After 1 to 2 months, bed logs are placed in scissor position up to 1-1.5 m height inside the thatch roof.

– After 4 months, turnings of bed logs are done so that upper log are placed at bottom and bottom logs are brought at the top

– After 6-7months bed logs are removed from stacking and placed in straight position.

–  At this stage, the fungus mycelium colonizes completely and irrigation should be given to maintain enough moisture.

–  Inside thatch roof enough light, moisture and temperature are essential.

– If proper growing environment is available primordial starts to initiate.

– After 6 to 10 days of primordial formation mature mushroom are developed.