Agrodok-Series No. 41 - Small-Scale Mushrooms Cultivation 2
Agrodok-Series No. 41 - Small-Scale Mushrooms Cultivation 2
Agrodok-Series No. 41 - Small-Scale Mushrooms Cultivation 2
41
sustainable agriculture in the tropics. AGRODOK booklets are available in English (E),
French (F), Portuguese (P) and Spanish (S). Agrodok publications can be ordered from
AGROMISA or CTA.
Small-scale mushroom
5. Fruit growing in the tropics P, F, E
6. Simple construction surveying for rural applications P, F, E
7. Goat keeping in the tropics P, F, E
Small-scale mushroom
cultivation - 2
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, photocopy,
microfilm or any other means, without written permission from the publisher.
Foreword 3
Contents
1 Introduction 6
2 Biology of mushrooms 8
2.1 Fungi 8
2.2 Life cycle of fungi 9
2.3 Temperature ranges of cultivated mushrooms 12
3 Mushroom farms 13
4 Spawn production 17
4.1 Availability of spawn 17
4.2 Clean environments 19
4.3 The sterilisation process 22
4.4 Preparation of media 23
4.5 Preparation of slants 24
4.6 Cultures 26
4.7 The starter culture 26
4.8 Tissue cultures 28
4.9 Mother spawn 30
4.10 Preparation of the final spawn 33
5 Composting 35
9 Marketing 63
Further reading 66
Useful addresses 68
Appendix 1: Formulas 72
Glossary 82
Contents 5
1 Introduction
Since time immemorial people have gone into fields and woods to
pick edible mushrooms. Nowadays some species of edible mushrooms
can also be cultivated as cash crops.
Certain species are rather easy to grow while others demand more spe-
cific cultivation methods and temperature. In general the life cycle of
a crop is rather short (varying between some weeks and a few months)
When the cropping cycle has been completed the spent mushroom
substrate (SMS) can be used as a soil conditioner.
Introduction 7
2 Biology of mushrooms
2.1 Fungi
Mushrooms (Fungi) are very different from plants. Plants can use en-
ergy from the sun directly through chlorophyll. Fungi lack this ability;
they depend on other organisms for food. They absorb nutrients from
the organic material in which they live. The living body of the fungus
is not the fruiting body above ground, but it is the mycelium that is
found under ground or inside plants or wood.
Fungus ecology
Fungi depend on other organisms for their food. Three modes of living
can be recognised:
? Saprophytes: such as Rice Straw Mushrooms, which degrade al-
ready dead material.
? Symbionts: living together with other organisms (especially trees)
in a close, mutually beneficial relationship.
? Parasites: fungi that live at the expense of other organisms.
Saprophytes
Saprophytic fungi need organic matter to decompose. In nature they
will grow on fallen leaves, animal droppings, or stumps of dead wood.
Some are specialised in breaking down the hairs of animals, while
others may decompose birds' feathers. Saprophytes break down com-
plex organic structures of plants and animals in order to feed on them.
Spawn run
The mycelium will colonise the compost and use the available nutri-
ents. This is commonly referred to as spawn run. When some nutrients
Biology of mushrooms 9
run out, or when the weather changes, the mycelium will reach a dif-
ferent phase: the reproductive stage. A temperature of about 25° C is
optimal for the spawn run of most species. The environment can also
enhance the growth of the desired mycelium: a high CO2 concentra-
tion is favourable for mycelial growth (but not for cropping).
Biology of mushrooms 11
actually the less favourable condition for vegetative growth that will
stimulate the mycelium to fruit.
Farm layout
Before planning the layout it is essential to decide whether compost
preparation will take place at the farm. If this is the case, keep in mind
that storage of basic materials as well as the composting site itself
should be located as far away as possible from the growing rooms.
Mushroom farms 13
ing rooms and by wetting the bamboo-leave mats on the roof and the
walls of the farmhouses.
Floors
Often, low cost growing houses are built just on bare ground. It is bet-
ter to have a slightly tilted, cemented or concrete floor. These floors
can be cleaned well and drain-water can flow out easily. Take good
care that the drainage system of each room is not connected to another
room, as diseases can spread easily through the draining pipe.
For the same reason it is wise to frequently collect waste and contami-
nated material and to have them destroyed immediately after collect-
ing.
Farm hygiene
On a mushroom farm, hygiene is of vital importance. Since chemical
control of pests and diseases is not feasible in small-scale mushroom
cultivation, the only preventive measure is hygiene, and to some ex-
tent disinfection. This goes for a spawn production unit, the site for
substrate production, the incubation rooms as well as for the produc-
tion units.
Farm location
Therefore checking a suitable site for a mushroom farm is very impor-
tant. The surroundings of a farm should be clean and free from possi-
ble contamination from insects, moulds etc. This means that building a
new farm close to other mushroom farms should be avoided. Insects
and diseases from these farms could easily spread to the new farm.
The spawn laboratory should be separate from the growing site. The
growing rooms ought to be separated by closed (plastic) walls to keep
the different stages of cultivation apart. As a matter of fact no incuba-
tion or spawn running should take place in the same room where the
mushrooms are harvested.
All these measures are necessary to avoid pests such as flies and mites
as well as diseases spreading from these waste dumps. If the spent
mushroom substrate is to be used for gardening soil, it should be
transported as soon as possible and not be stored at the mushroom
farm.
Mushroom farms 15
Figure 6: An example of a low-cost mushroom shed made from
plastic with bags placed on the floor
Spawn production 17
Figure 7: From tissue culture to crop - various steps in mushroom
cultivation
Spawn production 19
Inoculation rooms
The interior of the inoculation room should consist of non-
biodegradable materials. All the surfaces should be smooth and easy
to clean. Shelves should be designed in such a way that the floor be-
neath can be cleaned easily.
Shelves are typically made of
metal or Formica. UV light, to be
switched on during non-working
hours, will help to destroy con-
taminants.
Inoculation cabinets
These simple inoculation cabinets
are widely used all over the
world. They can be constructed
cheaply from locally available
materials. The front glass pane Figure 8: A simple homemade
can be opened to fill the cabinet inoculation cabinet showing a
with the sterilised media. The in- front glass pane that can be
side is to be disinfected by clean- opened and holes (with cloth
ing with a 10 % Clorox solution, a sleeves attached) for handling
2% Formalin solution or 70% purposes
ethyl alcohol.
Take care when using chemicals. Some of them are poisonous and/or irritat-
ing to nose and eyes. Cautiously follow the instructions to ensure safe use.
In many countries neither HEPA filters nor the specific ventilators are available
and have to be imported.
Figure 9: A Laminar Air Flow system (left) and cross section of the
same LAF system (right)
Spawn production 21
So keep in mind that a good inoculation cabinet is generally better
than a poorly constructed and inadequately positioned LAF system.
The filters and ventilators are the heart of any Laminar Air Flow sys-
tem, but other factors have to be considered too: the operating per-
sons, their skills and their hygiene, and the construction of the ducts
and filters, to ensure that no contaminated air can be sucked in.
Each one of these undesired agents, which are called contaminants, is capa-
ble of spoiling substrates that have not been properly sterilised or that have
greasy appearance been inoculated under unhygienic conditions.
The simplest pressure cookers blow out steam when the pressure is
too high. The pressure inside will then often drop below 1 atmosphere
overpressure, causing the media to boil.
? Wash and weigh the potatoes and cut them into small pieces.
? Boil for about 15 to 20 minutes until they are soft.
? Remove the potatoes.
? Add water to the broth to make exactly 1 litre.
? Add the dextrose and the agar. Be sure to add the right amount of
sugar and agar, otherwise the medium will become either too soft or
too hard.
? Stir occasionally and heat gently until the agar has melted. The agar
should be hot when poured into the test tubes or bottles otherwise it
will become lumpy.
? Fill about one fourth of the test tubes.
? Then seal the tubes or bottles with cotton plugs.
Spawn production 23
4.5 Preparation of slants
After filling the test tubes or bottles with the medium (see figure 11,
picture 5), they must be sterilised (see figure 11, picture 6) before they
can be used. The most commonly used sterilisation units in small-
scale laboratories are pressure cookers, but autoclaves can be used as
well.
Procedure
? Pour water into the pressure cooker to the level of the rack.
? Place the bottles/test tubes in the racks with a plastic covering to
prevent water from wetting the cotton plugs.
? Then close the lid firmly.
? At the beginning of the process the air vent should be open in order
to allow the air to escape. Some minutes will pass between the mo-
ment of boiling and steam escape.
? Close the air vent. A pressure gauge shows the pressure rise.
? Sterilise under pressure for 20-30 minutes.
? Do not open the air vent before the pressure cooker has cooled
down completely to room temperature!
? Open the pressure cooker and take out the test tubes or bottles.
To increase the surface area, the test tubes are placed in an inclined position
(e.g. on a ruler or a rolled towel) when the agar is still fluid.
Take care that the agar does not touch the cotton plug, in order to prevent
contamination.
Do not move or handle the test tubes until the agar has solidified to
prevent that a small portion of the agar should solidify at the other
side of the slant or too close to the plug.
Spawn production 25
4.6 Cultures
The first steps in spawn production are performed on artificial media.
These should contain sufficient nutrients for the mushrooms to grow,
like saccharides and a solidifying agent (agar or gelatine). The myce-
lium grows on the surface of the medium and will later be used to in-
oculate larger amounts of grain substrate. Test tubes or Petri dishes (or
flat whiskey bottles) are used as culture containers.
Instead of working with cultures, one could also try to purchase small amounts
of good quality mother spawn to prepare the final spawn.
To prevent the spawn culture from degenerating stick to the following rules:
? Never transfer from one mother culture more than eight times.
? Neither use mother cultures on agar for longer than two years.
Spawn production 27
4.8 Tissue cultures
(See figure 13.)
Only in the case that the starter culture cannot be purchased from a spawn
producer or a laboratory, the mother culture should be produced from tissue
cultures
Spawn production 29
4.9 Mother spawn
Mother spawn can be used to inoculate either grain spawn or a second
generation of mother spawn.
Spawn production 31
Kinds of grain
Different grains can be used such as wheat, rye, millet, rice or sor-
ghum. First boil the grain, then drain, fill containers and sterilise.
The moisture content of the grain, after boiling, should be around
50%. If it is higher, mycelial growth may be faster, but the danger of
wet spot bacteria is also greater. If it is drier than 35% mycelial
growth will be rather slow.
Sterilisation
Sterilise the spawn containers in an autoclave. The length of time de-
pends on the autoclave, the way the spawn containers are packed
(dense or loose) and the size of the containers. For instance, two hours
for 500 g containers; three to four hours for 3-kg bags. The spawn
containers should be properly cooled down before taking them out of
the autoclave.
Shake once (after eight days) or twice during the incubation period (or every
three or four days) to distribute the mycelium evenly and to prevent kernels
from sticking together.
Storage
Keep the spawn in the refrigerator and only take it out when needed.
Spawn production 33
Figure 16: Once the mycelium is full grown (see magnified detail)
the content of the bags is ready to spawn the compost in the beds
Materials
Farm waste such as wheat straw, rice straw or pressed sugar- cane (ba-
gasse) is generally used as basic organic material for composting.
Check which sources are available in the region and make sure that
there is a constant supply of good quality basic materials. Good qual-
ity straw means: the straw is dry and not rotten. To ensure a good mix-
ing the straw should not be stacked in bundles or bales, but should be
cut to a size of about half a meter.
Mixing is the most important part of compost preparation. Most of the com-
plaints about poor compost are related to poor mixing.
Composting 35
In the case of bagasse, it is important that it ages in the open field be-
fore usage, so that sugar residues will leach out by rain, thus prevent-
ing harmful fungi, which feed on these sugars, from growing.
Last but not least, once the materials are piled up, aeration of the heap
of organic materials is an important procedure. Aeration is vital to en-
sure a proper decomposition and to avoid unwanted anaerobic and
smelly processes. It is for this reason that the organic material should
have a good structure. Neither should it be too compact when piled up.
Recipe 1
1000 kg of straw-rich stable manure or straw mixed with chicken ma-
nure, thoroughly mixed with 10 kg of chalk.
Water is added until it leaks out of the pile.
Composting 37
If storage of basic materials and composting takes place close to
growing rooms, pests and diseases can easily spread towards these
growing rooms. Although it will cost more labour and effort to move
the compost into the growing rooms, the result will be an improve-
ment of farm hygiene. This extra effort for transportation is minor
compared to the risks, costs and losses that come with a heavy crop
infestation caused by neglecting the basic rules of farm hygiene.
This run-off water (or goody water) can be reused for watering the compost.
Roofing
Above the concrete slab some roofing is recommendable in order to
prevent that the compost heap dries out by sunlight or gets soaked by
heavy rains.
Composting process
Composting is a process of decay caused by microorganisms, which
results in a selective and nutrient-rich substrate suitable for the mush-
room we intend to grow.
This prewetting stage will take about 5-6 days and every day some
more water is added. The practice of wetting should soften the outer
layer of the straw by decomposing its wax layer. Some times prewet-
ting is performed by soaking straw for a few days in a water basin.
Aeration
After the prewetting stage the straw and ma-
nure are thoroughly mixed and stacked into a
pile with a height of 1.5 meter. The inner part
of the pile should not be too dense in order to
enable a good aeration.
A well maintained compost pile produces hardly any bad odours, but will pro-
duce some steam.
When a lot of vapour escapes from the compost pile and temperature
exceeds 60/70 ˚C, the compost is too hot. In that case it is wise to
lower the temperature by turning the heap inside out.
Composting 39
Mixing and Turning
The rate of decay is accelerated by turning and mixing the pile at in-
tervals.
At the first turning add gypsum and also make sure that manure lumps
are broken and the compost is thoroughly mixed
Moisture
Biological processes, such as composting, need water. During the en-
tire process the compost should be kept moist but not wet to the extent
that water is leaking out. On the other hand, when the compost is too
dry, water should be added to get an optimal process. In case rice
straw is used, special attention should be paid to the applied amount of
water, in order to prevent clumps of compost, which will block the
airflow in the heap.
Composting 41
6 Cultivation of Button Mushrooms
(Agaricus spp.)
Most cultivated Button Mushrooms belong to the species Agaricus
bisporus. This species is rather difficult to grow under primitive cir-
cumstances. Therefore small-scale mushroom growers are advised to
grow locally available Agaricus varieties.
Actinomycetes
During the period between peak heating and spawning, white fungal
spots caused by Actinomycetes will develop in the compost. These
fungi will not inhibit the mycelial growth of the mushrooms.
6.2 Spawning
When the temperature has dropped sufficiently (preferably below 30
°C), spawn has to be added and mixed through the compost. This
process is called spawning. Button Mushroom growers generally use
about 6-8 litres of spawn per 1000 kg (1 tonne) of pasteurised com-
post. The spawn has to be mixed homogeneously through the compost
layer.
Mycelium growth
After spawning the mycelium will start to develop. The optimal tem-
perature for mycelial growth is about 25 - 27 ° C. Sufficient moisture
is another important factor for mycelial growth. As a consequence the
Relative Humidity should be very high (RH 95% or higher)
6.3 Casing
The compost layers are now full-grown with mycelium, but they will
not produce a good mushroom crop yet. Therefore, the Button Mush-
rooms need a layer of casing soil.
The casing soil will provide the right bacteria and the right amount of
water, stimulating the mycelium to form a good crop. Watering di-
rectly on the compost would cause rot and, consequently, no mush-
rooms would develop. The casing soil will also serve as a water buffer.
Formula 1
Course peat 4 parts
Limestone 1 part
Formula 2
Loamy soil and coconut fibre mixture
Casing soil can be made from peat. If peat is not available, a good alternative
would be the use of soil without parasites, dug from at least 50 cm deep.
Beware of spraying too much water on the casing soil, in order to prevent wa-
ter from seeping through the casing soil towards the compost and causing rot!
Make sure, however, that the mushroom caps are dry within one hour. Other-
wise bacterial blotch will develop on the mushrooms.
Picking of the mushrooms should be done with clean hands and bruising of
the caps should be avoided.
At the end of the harvesting period, the compost in the growing rooms
has to be steamed again (`cooking out’) in order to destroy the myce-
lium and more importantly to exterminate any adverse organisms.
Ingredients
For compost preparation, rice straw is used and mixed with urea and
gypsum. Rice straw is abundantly available in the region.
Recipe: 100 kg rice straw
5 kg urea
2-3 kg Super phosphate.
The rice straw is cut in pieces of about 75 cm, wetted for 2 days in
concrete basins and mixed thoroughly with the other ingredients. Then
the straw mixture is piled up in heaps of about 1.5 meter high using a
metal frame to ensure that the compost heaps are neatly packed and
straight sided.
Casing
After the spawn run is complete, a 5 cm layer of casing soil is applied,
using red sandy loam and some coconut fibre.
Temperature control
Wetting these leaf mats by water sprinklers induces evaporation and
therefore will lower temperatures in the growing room. By sprinkling
the floors with wet sand another temperature drop of approximately 5
°C is achieved. No further ventilation or climate control is available.
Outdoor cultivation
In several Asian countries farmers
grow Rice Straw Mushrooms in a
corner of their fields, after harvest-
ing the rice crops and before start-
ing the new rice-growing season.
This outdoor cultivation hardly
requires any investments other
than labour. However, yields are
generally very low, due to pests
and diseases. Therefore, this
method will not be elaborated in
this booklet
Indoor cultivation
Indoor cultivation requires in-
vestments but it will produce a
more reliable yield. Loans can of- Figure 23: Different stages of
ten be obtained from companies or Volvariella spp.; from tiny but-
micro-credit organisations, in or- ton to mushroom. Full growth
der to start a farm. Rice Straw of the mushroom takes only
Mushrooms grow rather quickly, three to four days
compared to other mushrooms
such as e.g. Button Mushrooms.
This guarantees a fast return on investments. Volvariella mainly util-
ises cellulose as a nutrient and therefore higher yields are obtained
from substrates with high cellulose content. For that reason cotton
waste usually is mixed with rice straw.
Formula 1
rice straw 45%
cotton waste 40%
rice bran 10%
lime 5%
Formula 2
dry cotton waste 90-92%
rice bran 4%
limestone
(pH regulator) 4-6%
Substrate preparation
The dry materials have to be moistened thoroughly, for instance by
soaking them in water. Cotton waste may get completely saturated
with water, thus preventing the access of air. It should therefore al-
ways be mixed with another material, such as rice straw, to ensure suf-
ficient aeration. Use the squeeze test to determine whether the sub-
strate materials have absorbed sufficient or excessive amounts of wa-
ter.
Then form piles of at least 1.5 m3 and cover them with plastic to avoid
loss of water and energy; evaporation consumes large amounts of en-
ergy.
Peak heating
The substrate is now ready for heat treatment. Beds in the growing
room are filled with a substrate layer of 10 to 15 cm thick (about 50
kg wet substrate per m2, i.e. approximately 15 kg of dry substrate ma-
terial per m2). Steam is blown into the growing room until the sub-
strate (not the air!) has reached a temperature of 60 °C. The steam
inlet is adjusted to stabilise the substrate temperature for about three to
four hours.
Spawning
Spawning occurs as soon as the temperature drops below 37 °C.
Spawning rates differ among producers, depending on the vigour of
the strain involved. Usually about 1% is used, with upper and lower
ranges of 0.5% and 5% (w/w). Volvariella spp. grows very fast, so 1%
is often sufficient.
Spawn run
Cover the substrate with plastic to keep the temperature high (35 °C)
but not above 40 °C. Volvariella will colonise the substrate in only a
few days. Remove the plastic after three days and ventilate some more
after six days.
Light
Light is also needed for the formation of fruiting bodies. Use white
light or make sure some daylight can reach the substrate as from three
days after spawning. Just a little light is sufficient; 15 minutes of
sunlight or a day/night cycle of 500 lux have been reported to be suffi-
cient. When one can read a newspaper inside the growing room, the
supply of light is sufficient.
Compost
The major basic material for compost production is rice straw
The other ingredients are:
? chicken manure or urea
? cotton waste
? rice bran and
? gypsum.
Composting process
After thoroughly mixing and wetting, the materials are piled on heaps
with a height of about 1.5 meter. In general, the heaps have some sort
of cover to protect against excessive climate conditions and prevent
drying out by the sun or soaking by rain.
Growing houses
Each growing house has 2 rows of 5 shelves high. The distances be-
tween the shelves vary, as well as the thickness of the compost layer,
in order to ensure that the temperature will be the same in all layers.
Pasteurisation
Subsequently the compost in the growing house is pasteurised for 6-8
hours at about 60 C°. Pasteurisation is done by steam produced
through heating oil drums filled with water. The steam is led into the
growing room by a rubber hose.
When the spawn run is complete, more air and light is let into the
growing room to induce fructification. Harvesting will take place 2
times a day, over a period of 2-3 weeks. The yearly production of an
average growing house with a surface of about 100 m2 is approxi-
mately 200,000 kg.
Marketing
Marketing is performed by farmer groups or through middlemen. The
mushrooms are sold on the various markets of Jakarta, where Rice
Straw Mushrooms are in demand. The average grower will have an
income of about € 1,500. In general some of these revenues are used
for school fees or for medical bills.
8.1 Harvesting
Button mushrooms as well as Rice Straw Mushrooms should be
picked at the stage at which they have the highest profitability that is
when the cap is still closed. When picking mushrooms, take care to
gently break them from the substrate or casing soil. Avoid tearing
away chunks of mycelium from the substrate/casing soil. The well-
developed specimens have to be picked very carefully from mush-
room clusters in order to leave the small ones to continue growing.
Since mushrooms can easily be damaged, it is best if handling is kept
to a minimum. Immediate trimming and grading, when picking, and
packaging them in the packages in which they will be sold, ensures
that they are touched only once: at the moment of picking.
When the temperature goes up, the mushrooms will lose water. When
the temperature drops, water will condense inside the package and on
the surface of the mushrooms. This will lead to fast wilting. Make sure
that the mushrooms are cooled down before wrapping or covering
them in plastic in order to avoid condensation within the package.
8.3 Preservation
Preservation of mushrooms is necessary only when harvested mush-
rooms cannot be sold fresh. There are many different preservation
methods but for small farms many of these methods, including the
commonly used canning method, are too complicated and the equip-
ment is too expensive. Therefore, they will not be described here.
Drying by sun
In tropical areas, many edible products are displayed on racks to dry
in the sun. The sun warms up the products as well as the surrounding
air, causing evaporation of the products’ water content. Besides drying
on racks, the drying procedure can be performed in simple construc-
tions, known as sun driers. A sun dryer can function in a direct or indi-
rect way.
Figure 27: Indirect sun dryer and cross section of the same dryer
It is a good idea to finish drying during the warmest part of the day
when the relative humidity is at its lowest. The product can be cooled
in the shade and if the work is done hygienically, the cooled products
can be packaged immediately.
One should know to whom and in which places one will sell one’s
product as soon as, or even before, building a mushroom farm, be it a
simple barn or a more sophisticated construction.
Marketing 63
That means that one will have to explore in advance who the custom-
ers are and where to find them.
For instance:
? Marketplaces
? Delivery to door
? Tourist centres and hotels
? Shops and/or supermarkets
Specific demands
One should realise that each customer group has specific demands
with regard to products, prices and delivery.
Supermarkets
The past few years the percentage of households that buy mushrooms
at the local market and at the greengrocer’s has diminished. In West-
ern Europe and the USA, supermarkets play a predominant role as
sales channels for mushrooms. Most households (90%) buy at super-
markets; a trend that is likely to develop similarly in parts of Africa
and Asia. This means that presentation of the product and proper
packaging become increasingly more important
With this knowledge choices can be made about the type of mush-
rooms to be grown, location, transport to the markets, packaging and
presentation of the products. Who are the customers and what are they
interested in.
Marketing plan
All these points can be laid down in a marketing plan. The more in-
formation is available the better decisions can be made. Calculating
the cost price is most vital; when the cost price is higher than the mar-
ket price it is not beneficial to cultivate these mushrooms. An interest-
ing point in this calculation of the cost price is the cost of labour. It
makes a big difference if the small-scale grower can do this activity in
his spare time or whether he has to hire labour to do the job for him.
Marketing 65
Further reading
The Cultivation of Mushrooms, 1988, edited by van Griensven;
English edition: Darlington Mushroom Laboratories Ltd. Price: ap-
proximately US$ 25, available at CCO, Horst, the Netherlands
All the aspects of Agaricus production around 1987 in The Nether-
lands are treated extensively. The situation in The Netherlands has
changed since then, but the book remains valuable for it’s in depth
treatment of all aspects of mushroom growing. The chapters on breed-
ing, spawn production, compost preparation, organisation, and climate
control are of interest to Agaricus-growers all over the world.
Further reading 67
Useful addresses
ASEMM
African Society for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms
E: info@asemm.org
Christiaens Group
Witveldweg 104-106-108, 5961 ND Horst, The Netherlands
T: + 31 77 399 9500, E: hvousten@christiaensmachines.com
F: +31773999561, W: www.christiaensgroup.com
The Christiaens Group consists of 3 divisions: Construction, Controls
and Machines. The Christiaens Group is setting up turnkey projects on
Mushroom Cultivation as well as on Waste Management worldwide.
Within the Group there is a long experience in the fields of Building
Construction, Construction of Machinery and Control Systems. Not
only turnkey projects are important but also small-scale projects are
given adequate attention.
CNC
Postbus 13, 6590 AA Gennep, The Netherlands
T: + 31 (0) 485 51 6541, F: + 31 (0) 485 51 7823
E: info@cnc.nl, W: www.cnc.nl
A large number of the Dutch mushroom growers is associated in the
Coöperatieve Nederlandse Champignonkwekersvereniging U.A. Its
cornerstones are the production of full-grown compost and casing soil
for the cultivation of mushrooms through CNC Grondstoffen B.V. and
the canning of mushrooms through Lutèce B.V.
C Point
P.O.Box 6035, 5960 AA Horst, The Netherlands
T: +31 77 3984555, F: + 31 77 3984160
E: info@cpoint.nl , W: www.cpoint.nl
C Point, Training and Consultancy for mushroom growing; trains and
advises mushroom growers and their employees in all aspects of
mushroom cultivation.
Hoving Holland
P.O.Box 9, 9500 AA Stadskanaal,The Netherlands.
T: + 31 599 613390, F: +31 599 619510
E: info@hoving-holland.nl , W: www.hoving-holland.nl
Hoving Holland is manufacturer of machinery and composting sys-
tems for the mushroom industry and exports to many countries. In ad-
dition they construct equipment for organic waste disposal. They are
among the distinguished leading suppliers of global turnkey projects.
ILEIA
Centre for Information on Low External Input and Sustainable Agri-
culture. Promotes exchange of information for small scale farmers in
the South through identifying promising technologies. Information
about these technologies is exchanged mainly through the LEISA
Magazine. All articles accessible on-line.
Contact: ILEIA, Zuidsingel 16, 3811 HA Amersfoort, The Netherlands
T: +31(0)33-4673870, F: +31(0)33-4632410
E: ileia@ileia.nl, W: www.leisa.info
Useful addresses 69
Lenssen Vul- en Sluittechniek b.v.
P.O.Box 6848, 5975 ZG Sevenum, The Netherlands
T: + 31 77 4672157, F: +31 77 4673775
E: lenssen@lvs-bv.nl, W: www.lvs-bv.nl
LVS provides machines and complete production lines in the area of
food processing. Used and new machines and complete production
lines are utilised for suitable and custom-made solutions. Worldwide
assembly, commissioning and service. Highly experienced in mush-
room processing.
Mushroom Business
Reed Business Information bv.
P.O. Box 16500, 2500 BM The Hague, The Netherlands
T: +31 (0)70 441 5060, F: +31 (0)70 441 5902
www.mushroombusiness.com
Mushroom Business is a two-monthly, international trade journal for
the worldwide mushroom industry (growers and suppliers). It features
articles on growing techniques, markets and marketing, cultivation
tips, research, industry news, opinion, and more. The site of Mush-
room Business has links to the major suppliers of mushroom equip-
ment, training etc.
Mushworld: www.mushworld.com
Non-profit organisation devoted to poverty alleviation in the world
through mushroom growing, especially in developing countries.
Mycelia
Veldeken 38, 9850 Nevele, Belgium
T: +32 (0) 9 228 7090; F: + 32 (0) 9 228 8928
E: info@mycelia.be , W: www.mycelia.be
Mycelia produces mother cultures, mother spawn as well as final
spawn in a wide range of edible and medicinal mushrooms. Advises
and Training on Spawn production technology are given on demand.
Mycelia produces autoclavable and gas permeable Micro sacs® for
fermentation processes as well as sterilized, gas permeable Micro
boxes® for the propagation of plants.
Scelta BV
Heymansstraat 35, 5927 NP Venlo, The Netherlands
T: +31 77 324 10 20, F: + 31 77 324 1029
E: Sales@sceltamushrooms.com, W: www.sceltamushrooms.com
Scelta Mushrooms is responsible for the sales and marketing of (fro-
zen) mushrooms of several partner companies to customers around the
globe. Scelta has a production unit for “added-value” mushroom
products as breaded mushroom snack or pre-fried mushrooms to be
used as a component in ready-made meals. In cooperation with a part-
ner company Scelta produces mushroom flavour products in powder
and liquid form to be used by the food industry.
Useful addresses 71
Appendix 1: Formulas
Formulas for media
Compost medium
300 g dried compost (pasteurised) in 4 litres of boiling water.
After 15 minutes filter the water and add water until you have 4 litres
again.
Then, add 10 gram of agar per litre of water
Malt Agar
0, 4 litres brewery malt solution.
0, 8 litres water
15 grams agar.
Sampling period:
clean room area: 1 hour
workshop area: 10 minutes
Close the Petri dish with adhesive tape and place it in a warm room
(20 à 25 °C) for incubation.
Courtesy of Mycelia
Unhygienic conditions
Unhygienic conditions during inoculation may give rise to a variety of
different fungal contaminants.
Insufficient sterilisation
Insufficient sterilisation often leads to outbreaks of bacteria and/or
unwanted fungi
? greasy appearance on grain spawn
Improper storage
Improper storage refers to spawn that has not been stored properly
(i.e. too warm or too cold), or when substrate in the containers has
dried out
Refrigerated spawn
Refrigerated spawn can be kept for up to six months after complete
colonisation of the substrate.
Courtesy of Mycelia
Formula 1
1000 kg straw rich stable manure or straw mixed with chicken manure
thoroughly mixed with 10 kg of chalk.
Water is added until it leaks out the pile.
Formula 1
Paddy straw 14-28%
Cotton waste 25-45%
Sugar cane waste 12%
Cotton waste/paddy straw mixture 22%
Formula 3
Dry cotton waste 90-92%
Rice bran (supplement) 4%
Limestone (pH regulator) 4-6%
Formula 4
Cotton waste 50-75%
Rice straw 25-50%
Limestone 3-4%
Formula 5
Spent substrate from Agaricus cultivation 50%
Cotton waste 50%
Formula 6
Chopped water hyacinth 50%
Rice straw 50%
Formula 7
Rice straw 40%
Sugar cane waste (bagasse) 29%
Chicken manure 29%
Gypsum 2%
Dash of urea about 0.1%
Glossary 83
Microorganisms: Microscopic organisms which are abundantly pre-
sent in the air and stick to every surface.
(Mother) culture: A pure strain of an edible fungus growing on a me-
dium.
Mother spawn: Spawn that is not used for inoculating substrate, but
for inoculating another batch of spawn.
Mycelium: The network of hyphae that form the vegetative
body of the fungus. Mushrooms are the fruiting
bodies of the mycelium.
Mycorrhiza: A symbiotic relationship between fungi and plant
roots.
Parasite: Organism that lives at the expense of others, usu-
ally causing diseases in its hosts. Ultimately it may
cause the death of its host.
Pasteurisation: Heat treatment applied to a substrate to destroy un-
wanted organisms but keeping favourable ones
alive. The temperature range is 60-80°c. The treat-
ment is very different from sterilisation, which aims
at destroying all organisms in the substrate.
Petri dish: A round glass or plastic dish, with a cover, used for
observing the growth of microscopic organisms.
The dishes are partly filled with sterile growth me-
dium (or sterilised after they have been filled). Petri
dishes are commonly used to grow mycelium that
will inoculate the mother spawn.
Peak Heating: Pasteurisation of the compost in the growing rooms
Pinhead: A term to describe a very young mushroom, when
the cap is pin-sized.
Primordium: The initial fruiting body.
Pure culture: An isolated culture of a microorganism without any
other microorganisms. Pure cultures are essential to
the spawn production process.
Relative humidity: The percentage of moisture in the air compared to
the maximum amount of moisture that the air can
contain at a given temperature and pressure.
Glossary 85