- Oyster mushrooms can be cultivated on various agricultural waste substrates like wheat straw, rice straw, and banana leaves. The substrates are soaked, boiled, and cooled before being spawned with oyster mushroom mycelium. - The spawned substrates are placed in bags or trays in a controlled environment with high humidity, temperatures between 15-30°C, and fluorescent light to allow mycelial growth and pinhead formation. - Mushrooms are harvested by hand before the caps curl, with multiple flushes produced over subsequent weeks. Total yield is typically equal to 100% of the dry substrate weight. Care must be taken to properly identify wild mushrooms before consumption due to toxicity risks.

1. Growing Oyster Mushroom
Dr. Ishrat Naz
Department of Plant Pathology
The University of Agriculture, Peshawar
Khyber Pakthunkhwa

2. Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)
• Pleurotus ostreatus, the oyster
mushroom, is a common edible
mushroom.
• It was first cultivated in Germany as a
subsistence measure during World War.

3. Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus)
• The oyster mushroom is one of the more commonly sought
wild mushrooms, though it can also be cultivated on straw
and other media.
• Oyster mushrooms are saprophytic as they obtain there
nutrients by decomposing various agricultural by-products.

4. Oyster Mushroom Classification
Phyllum: Basidiomycota
Class: Basidiomycete
Order: Agaricales
Family: Tricholomataceae
Genus: Pleurotus

5. Species of Oyster Mushrooms
P. ostreatus
P. florida
P. pulmonarius
P. columbinus
P. Sapidus
P. populinus
P. ferulae
P. fossulatus
P. nebrodensis
P. abieticola
P. eryngii
P. albidus
P. cornucopiae
P. citrinopileatus
P. euosmus
P. djamor
P. flabellatus
P. salmoneo-stramineus
P. salmonicolor
P. opuntiae
P. calyptratus
P. cystidiosus

6. Natural Growth

7. Natural Growth

8. Mushrooms
• The higher, fleshy fungi
bloom into a visible umbrella
like fruiting body, are called
mushrooms.

9. Edible and Non-edible mushrooms
• There are about 10,000 different species of which at
least 1,290 are reported to the edible. Mushrooms are
used as food as well as medicine.

10. Nutritional Value
• Source of protein (25-35% on dry wt., basis)
• Source of vitamins-Thiamin, riboflavin, Niacin
• Very low fat contents
• Lowers cholesterol and triglycerol levels as well as
very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) in blood
plasma.

11. Medicinal value
• Anti-tumor (tumor reduction and control)
• Immune response (boost bodies ability to fight disease)
• Anti-inflammatory (relief tension due to muscle inflammation)
• Antiviral (as an immune response)
• Antibiotics (as an immune response)
• Lower cholesterol and triglycerol levels as well as very low-
density lipoprotein (VLDL) in blood plasma

12. Golden oyster, Pleurotus cornucopiae

13. P. citrinopileatus

14. Pink oyster, Pleurotus flabellatus

15. King Oyster, P. eryngii

16. Cultivation
Technology

17. Substrates
• Saw Dust
• Wheat straw
• Rice straw
• Cotton Boll
• Dry Banana Leaves
• Corn Cobs
• Cotton Waste

18. Substrates
Wheat straw Shitake mushrooms on wood

19. Substrates

20. Substrates

21. Growing Techniques
• Soaking and fermentation of Substrates
• Filling in trays or bags
• Pasteurization
• Spawning
• Management of crop

22. Addition of water
• The Straw or other materials are chopped and
partly shredded and then mixed with water.
The optimum water content is about 70%.

23. Soaking and fermentation of Wheat straw
• Soaking of wheat straw
• Lime 2-4% is added.
• The mixture is piled up and covered with plastic sheet for 4-6
days.

24. Soaking in Tank

25. Fermentation

26. Containers for cultivation
• Oyster mushroom can be grown in plastic or
polypropylene bags as well as in vertical or horizontal
trays..

27. Advantages and Disadvantages
• The advantage of cultivation in trays is that the
mechanization can be applied and the cultivation
requires less labour.
• The advantage of cultivation in plastic bags is that the
growing is used more efficiently and in small areas
more substrate can be placed. The yield per unit area
is higher than growing in trays.

28. Filling

29. Heat treatment (Sterilization and
pasteurization)
• In order to destroy the vegetative form of competing
microorganisms, the substrate is subjected to
sterilization or pasteurization.

30. Hot water treatment
• Wheat or Rice straw can be treated with hot water
(65°C ± 5°C) for 10 minutes to one hour. The excess
water is drained off and discarded.

31. Steaming in drums
• Sterilization by steaming at 100°C in drums is more
acceptable because cost is low.
• Steam the bags for 1-2 hours depending upon the
substrate and volume.

33. Pasteurization by using steam generator
• Substrate filled bags or containers are placed in a
room. Steam is introduced into the room from steam
generator and the bags or containers are kept at 58-
60°C for 4-6 hours.

34. Pasteurization by steam generator

35. Spawning
• Mixing of spawn into the substrate is called
spawning.

36. Grain spawn
• After the heat treatment is completed and the
substrate is cooled down to 20-25°C it can be
inoculated.
• Pure culture grain spawn is commonly used. The
quantity of spawn can be varied from 1-1.5% on the
wet weight of the substrate.

37. Method of spawning
• Through spawning: Spawn is mixed through out the
substrate.
• Surface spawning: Spawn is placed on top of the
substrate. It is generally recommended for bag
cultivation.

38. Spawning

39. Spawned bag

40. Through Spawning

41. Tying
• The mouth of the bags is tied loosely with thread or
rubber bands.
• Small holes should be made in bigger plastic bags.
• Plastic foil is used for covering the trays.

42. Incubation
• The spawned bags are then kept preferably in a dark
room until the mycelium has fully penetrated the
substrate downward. It takes about 3-4 weeks.
• During spawn running stage the temperature is
ranged between 25-28°C.

43. Incubation

44. Spawn running

45. Fructification or cropping
• Fructification or fruit-body formation is started as
soon as the substrate is fully impregnated with
mycelial growth.
• Ventilation, temperature and relative humidity play
important role.
• By means of ventilation the temperature is decreased
to desired level.

46. Some methods of fructification
• Remove plastic foil immediately after the completion
of mycelial growth and the desired temperature of
fruiting is attained.
• Wait pin heads have been formed underneath the
plastic before it is removed.

47. Temperature
• The optimum temperature for pin-head formation and
development of fruit-body of different Pleurotus
species is ranged between 16-26°C.

49. Co2 concentration
• Although the mycelium can tolerate a high
concentration of Co2.
• When the CO2 concentration is higher than 600 ppm
(0.06%), the stipe (stem) elongates and the growth of
the cap is prevented.
• Co2 is reduced by the introduction of fresh air into the
growing room.

50. Elongation of stem

51. Light
• For the growth of mycelium, cultivation in a dark
place is better than in a bright place.
• Growth of fruit bodies requires light to 50-500 lux
intensity.
• A lack of light can also lead to very small pinheads
and mushrooms with long stems.

52. Relative humidity
• Desired relative humidity during the formation of
pinheads should be 90-95%.
• It should be lowered to 80-85% during the
development of fruit bodies.

53. Further cultivation cares
• The substrate should be protected from dehydration
by sprinkling water.
• Too little water dehydrates the substrate.
• Too much watering encourages green mold and
rottening of mushrooms.

54. Production trend
• The mushroom produce in flushes.
• The first flush gives higher yield.
• There are total 3-5 flushes.
• The interval between the flushes is 8-12 days.

55. Cost Effectiveness
• Avg prod of 300 bags: 20kg/week
• Total prod of a cycle: 140 kg
• Kohat market price: Rs. 200/kg
• Price of 140 kg: Rs. 28000
• Wheat straw 3 mnds: Rs. 300
• Plastic bages 3kg: Rs. 300
• Spawn: 20 liters: Rs. 2600
• Misc. (labour etc.): Rs 6000
• Total Rs. 9200
• Net Profit: 28000-9200= 18800/7 weeks
Or Rs. 383 per day.

56. Pin head formation

57. Further Development

58. Vertical containers

59. Cropping

60. Cropping

61. Cropping

62. Cultivation on wheat straw beds

63. White Oyster, P. ostreatus

64. White Oyster, P. ostreatus

65. Grey tree oyster, P. ostreatus

66. Harvesting Stage
• Oyster mushroom should
be harvested before the
mushrooms show slightly
curled edges.

67. Mature mushroom
(curled edges)
• When mushroom shows
curled edges, it starts to
discharge spores, called
sporulation stage.
• Harvesting at this stage is
not recommended

68. Fig.1. Sciarid fly and larva. Fig.2. Phorid fly and larva.
Fig.3. Cecid fly and larvae.

69. SUMMARY
• The paddy straw, leaves of different crops and empty
corn cobs needs chopping in to small pieces of about
3-5 cm. Threshed wheat straw, cotton waste, saw
dust, cotton bolls and empty millet heads or so, may
directly be used. All substrates needs soaking in water
for 24 hours. After soaking, boil the same in water for
about half an hour, so that substrate become moist
and insect pests and other microbes present in the
substrate may be killed. After this, take out the straw
from water and spread on the inclined cemented
floor, for cooling as well as removing of excess water
from the substrate. When the temperature drops
down to about normal and moisture content becomes
about 80%, the spawn be mixed.

70. SUMMARY
• The spawned substrate may be filled in polythene
bags and be placed in spawn running room under
controlled temperature, humidity and light. This
mushroom requires 80 to 95% humidity, 15 to 30OC
temperature and white florescent light for growth
and development. When pinheads (initial growth of
fruiting bodies) of the mushrooms appear, open the
mouth of the bags or cut at place, to facilitate the
growth of fruiting bodies. Sort out the contaminated
bags and destroy them away from the growing space,
burning of such bags is safe for remaining crop.

71. HARVESTING, YIELD OF MUSHROOMS
• Most of the mushrooms are harvested through picking by hand.
The harvesting of oyster mushroom could be done with the help
of sharp knife or blade, at the base of the stipe. If there are many
pinheads around the mushrooms, cut that mushroom very
carefully, so that the near by pins do not be disturbed. Any mature
mushroom (harvested or diseased), their stalks and refuse or solid
portions left in the bed should be removed and destroyed, to
minimize risk of diseases and pests.
The mushrooms yield the crop in cycle and subsequent flushes can
be harvested till the conversion of waste in to mushroom or up to
contamination or till attack of insect pests or diseases.
Approximately, the mushrooms yield equal to 100% of substrate
dry weight.

72. BE Careful…….
• The wild mushroom must not be eaten unless it is
identified by experts because some mushrooms
are edible while others are poisonous.