Each time we hear about mushrooms,what comes to mind immediately is a fungi which grows above the ground, having an umbrella shape.
During my teens,I was opportuned to go out with my peer group in search of mushrooms. During the research, I happen to pick a mushroom with excitement but to my dismay,I was told that it was a deadly one that have the ability to cause one's death.
While making some enquires, I was meant to understand that there are eatable and non eatable mushrooms. From that period,I started looking out for the deadly ones to crush them with all enthusiasm while I harvest the eatable ones for cooking delicious soups.
Interesting right? Alright.... Fast forward to my high school days,I was given a research to make on mushrooms and this helped to answer some questions I had in mind about them.
One striking thing about them is that they grow seasonally but in this write up,you will know and understand how to cultivate your mushrooms within your vicinity and make money by marketing them.
All the mushrooms cannot be eaten.
Mushrooms can be divided into two:edible mushrooms (ones we can eat) and non-edible (ones that cannot be eaten). The edible ones have nutritional values while the non-edible ones are detrimental to health. Hence, causes death. These are the examples of edible mushrooms: Oyster mushrooms,Button mushrooms called baby or white mushroom,Cremini mushroom which has a slightly deeper flavor, Chanterelles which have bright yellow colour with sweet and peppery flavour that goes well with eggs,porcini mushrooms etc.
Coming to non-edible mushrooms we have death cap(Amanita phalloides),Conocybe filaris,Web caps(cortinarius species),Autumn Skull cap, Destroying Angels,podostroma cornu-damae.
we cannot overemphasize their usefulness.
Mushrooms have high nutritional values,high vitamin content,good protein source,low cholesterol and essential amino acids. They help boost our immune system,lower blood pressure and maybe useful for the treatment of cancer and other serious diseases.
Is that all?
Having known the values of mushrooms and the beauty it adds to creation,I want to tell you that it's not enough. Mushroom production is now an answer to alleviating poverty and creation of job opportunities.
Here,you see bioentrepreneurs exploiting this life science innovation for commercial purposes. Since we are using oyster mushroom as a case study,follow me to know the materials and processes involved.
Materials
Here are the materials needed for the cultivation of your mushrooms.
The substrates:
These are organic materials that support the growth of mushroom mycelia. They include:sawdust which are free from chemicals,corn cobs,maize etc...
the spawn:
These are tissue cultures transferred to bottles containing grains to develop mushroom seeds. The mycelia grow on the grains and ready to inoculate the substrate.
¶Nylon bags or Trays.
A humid environment with the range 80-95%. ¶Autoclave or cooking pot
Cultivation Procedure a. Get your substrate (saw dust) soaked and dry it until no water drops
b. Dry it a bit with sun c. Sterilize the substrate in an autoclave or big cooking pot depending on how big your substrate is after packing them in the nylon bag d. Allow to cool e. Inoculate with your spawn(mushroom seeds) either inside the nylon bag or pour the substrate on the tray and open it sometimes for aeration. f. After between 3-4weeks,check out for fruiting. After fruiting,check out for a full grown mushroom and ready for harvest.
g. Harvest with hands only and unplug the clusters. h. Do not put into plastic bags to avoid easy decay. I. If you are not selling or eating immediately,you can preserve it for at least 7days in the fridge. You can also preserve by drying using solar energy or electrical dryers. j. It can be processed into candies,cookies and snacks aside being processed into sauces and soups. k. Then look out to places where you can sell your mushrooms like local markets, supermarkets,hotels and restaurants.
Conclusion.
Mushrooms are gift to humanity designed to alleviate hunger,cure some illnesses and create job opportunities. By observing the strategies in preservation techniques due to their high perishable tendencies,an entrepreneur will get quality mushrooms and make a good sale.