Documentation of Indigenous Knowledge on Mushroom Cultivation

Abstract

Mushroom cultivation in India is being practised for the last four decades. During this period, mushroom growers have
amended several scientifically proven mushroom cultivation practices suiting to their own needs. The collection and
documentation of such locally adopted practices is very important from view point of their validation and further
refinement. Thus, the present study was conducted by involving 400 established mushroom growers, and
research/extension personnel using mailed questionnaire and structured interview schedule. A total of 10 ITKs were
collected on different aspects of button, oyster and paddy straw mushrooms. Majority of the collected ITKs were on
button mushroom, while only a few on oyster and paddy straw mushrooms. The ITKs viz., pasteurization of button
mushroom compost without injecting steam, use of burnt rice husk as casing material for button mushroom, mushroom
growing in mud houses and thatched / sarkanda sheds, cooling system of thatched shed/pakka house, spray of urea and
English wishkey (alcohol) on mushroom beds, bunker system and under stacking aeration system for button mushroom
compost preparation, flat floor method of oyster mushroom cultivation and traditional outdoor and indoor methods of
paddy straw mushroom cultivation were collected. These ITKs need to be validated and refined through experiments,
experts opinion and scientific literature.