A practical guide to growing mushrooms in IndiaA joint educational initiative by MushroomWale & DMR Solan ↗
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Button mushrooms

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Contents · choose a chapter or topic
Start here
  1. 01Button mushrooms
  2. 02What you need before starting
Understand the basics
  1. 03The mushroom is not the whole organism
  2. 04One reading is not the whole room
  3. 05Humidity is not the same as watering the crop
When something goes wrong
  1. 06Describe the problem before naming a disease
The process
  1. 07Receive the correct starting stage
  2. 08Separate spawn run and casing
  3. 09Read the fruiting transition
  4. 10Harvest, grade and reset
In the field
  1. 11Know exactly what compost you are buying
  2. 12Know exactly what compost you are buying · continued
  3. 13Three purchase stages and the work still required
  4. 14Separate the jobs of compost and casing
  5. 15Separate the jobs of compost and casing · continued
  6. 16Write it in your farm notebook
  7. 17Manage the transition to pins as a sequence
  8. 18From observation to an evidence-based check
  9. 19Plan harvest, later flushes and the reset
  10. 20Plan harvest, later flushes and the reset · continued
  11. 21A useful batch comparison
  12. 22Where the field guidance comes from
Button Mushroom Fundamentals
  1. 23Button Mushroom Fundamentals
  2. 24What you are growing
  3. 25The stage ladder
  4. 26Two temperatures, two jobs
  5. 27Compost is food, casing is a trigger
  6. 28Read the numbers in context
  7. 29Read the numbers in context
  8. 30Walk one grow room and name its stage
  9. 31Avoid these mistakes
  10. 32Check your understanding
  11. 33Check your understanding
  12. 34Check your understanding
  13. 35Words used in this lesson
  14. 36Sources and field reference
Production Systems
  1. 37Production Systems
  2. 38Seasonal: the winter does the cooling
  3. 39Controlled: the room replaces the season
  4. 40Same biology, different tolerances
  5. 41What the norms say about scale
  6. 42Read the numbers in context
  7. 43Read the numbers in context
  8. 44Build a one-page site profile
  9. 45Avoid these mistakes
  10. 46Check your understanding
  11. 47Check your understanding
  12. 48Check your understanding
  13. 49Words used in this lesson
  14. 50Sources and field reference
Compost Fundamentals
  1. 51Compost Fundamentals
  2. 52Selective means the competitors starve
  3. 53The nitrogen corridor
  4. 54Water, air and gypsum
  5. 55Judging the finished product
  6. 56Read the numbers in context
  7. 57Read the numbers in context
  8. 58Grade your local raw materials
  9. 59Avoid these mistakes
  10. 60Check your understanding
  11. 61Check your understanding
  12. 62Check your understanding
  13. 63Words used in this lesson
  14. 64Sources and field reference
Phase I
  1. 65Phase I
  2. 66What Phase I is for
  3. 67Pre-wetting and stacking
  4. 68Turning: why and when
  5. 69Temperature is the instrument
  6. 70Read the numbers in context
  7. 71Read the numbers in context
  8. 72Run a three-point temperature log on a heap
  9. 73Avoid these mistakes
  10. 74Check your understanding
  11. 75Check your understanding
  12. 76Check your understanding
  13. 77Words used in this lesson
  14. 78Sources and field reference
Phase II
  1. 79Phase II
  2. 80Three jobs in one tunnel
  3. 81The peak and its ceiling
  4. 82Conditioning: where the ammonia goes
  5. 83Uniformity, then evidence
  6. 84Read the numbers in context
  7. 85Read the numbers in context
  8. 86Plot a Phase II curve and mark the release gate
  9. 87Avoid these mistakes
  10. 88Check your understanding
  11. 89Check your understanding
  12. 90Check your understanding
  13. 91Words used in this lesson
  14. 92Sources and field reference
Spawn & Spawning
  1. 93Spawn & Spawning
  2. 94What spawn actually is
  3. 95The gate before you spawn
  4. 96Rate, mixing and fill depth
  5. 97Hygiene on the day
  6. 98Read the numbers in context
  7. 99Read the numbers in context
  8. 100Read the numbers in context
  9. 101Plan and run one spawning day
  10. 102Avoid these mistakes
  11. 103Check your understanding
  12. 104Check your understanding
  13. 105Check your understanding
  14. 106Words used in this lesson
  15. 107Sources and field reference
Spawn Run
  1. 108Spawn Run
  2. 109What is happening inside
  3. 110The climate that suits spreading
  4. 111The ceiling and the clock
  5. 112What to observe, daily
  6. 113Read the numbers in context
  7. 114Read the numbers in context
  8. 115Read the numbers in context
  9. 116Mark five bags and track the run
  10. 117Avoid these mistakes
  11. 118Check your understanding
  12. 119Check your understanding
  13. 120Check your understanding
  14. 121Words used in this lesson
  15. 122Sources and field reference
Casing
  1. 123Casing
  2. 124Why a soil layer at all
  3. 125Materials you can get in India
  4. 126Treatment, because casing carries disease
  5. 127Applying an even layer
  6. 128Read the numbers in context
  7. 129Read the numbers in context
  8. 130Read the numbers in context
  9. 131Prepare and test one batch of casing
  10. 132Avoid these mistakes
  11. 133Check your understanding
  12. 134Check your understanding
  13. 135Check your understanding
  14. 136Words used in this lesson
  15. 137Sources and field reference
Case Run
  1. 138Case Run
  2. 139The mycelium climbs
  3. 140Charging the layer with water
  4. 141Reading the layer before you act
  5. 142The change, and what follows
  6. 143Read the numbers in context
  7. 144Read the numbers in context
  8. 145Read the numbers in context
  9. 146Run a case-run water and depth log
  10. 147Avoid these mistakes
  11. 148Check your understanding
  12. 149Check your understanding
  13. 150Check your understanding
  14. 151Words used in this lesson
  15. 152Sources and field reference
Pinning
  1. 153Pinning
  2. 154What venting really does
  3. 155Evaporation is the real trigger
  4. 156Evaporation is the real trigger · continued
  5. 157Read carbon dioxide from the mushroom
  6. 158Read carbon dioxide from the mushroom · continued
  7. 159Soft, moderate or severe airing
  8. 160Read the numbers in context
  9. 161Read the numbers in context
  10. 162Read the numbers in context
  11. 163Plan one venting day
  12. 164Avoid these mistakes
  13. 165Check your understanding
  14. 166Check your understanding
  15. 167Check your understanding
  16. 168Words used in this lesson
  17. 169Sources and field reference
Cropping & Flushes
  1. 170Cropping & Flushes
  2. 171Waves, not a steady harvest
  3. 172Waves, not a steady harvest · continued
  4. 173Fresh air changes with the flush
  5. 174Fresh air changes with the flush · continued
  6. 175What you do between flushes
  7. 176What you do between flushes · continued
  8. 177Yield follows the compost
  9. 178Yield follows the compost · continued
  10. 179Read the numbers in context
  11. 180Read the numbers in context
  12. 181Read the numbers in context
  13. 182Draw your own flush calendar
  14. 183Avoid these mistakes
  15. 184Check your understanding
  16. 185Check your understanding
  17. 186Check your understanding
  18. 187Words used in this lesson
  19. 188Sources and field reference
Climate Management
  1. 189Climate Management
  2. 190Four different temperatures
  3. 191Four different temperatures · continued
  4. 192The machine runs colder than the room
  5. 193The machine runs colder than the room · continued
  6. 194Humidity is a band, not a target
  7. 195Humidity is a band, not a target · continued
  8. 196Match ambition to equipment
  9. 197Read the numbers in context
  10. 198Read the numbers in context
  11. 199Read the numbers in context
  12. 200Find the gap between your sensor and your bed
  13. 201Avoid these mistakes
  14. 202Check your understanding
  15. 203Check your understanding
  16. 204Check your understanding
  17. 205Words used in this lesson
  18. 206Sources and field reference
Watering
  1. 207Watering
  2. 208You water the casing, not the mushrooms
  3. 209You water the casing, not the mushrooms · continued
  4. 210How much: replace what you picked
  5. 211How much: replace what you picked · continued
  6. 212Free water on caps is a disease decision
  7. 213Free water on caps is a disease decision · continued
  8. 214Too wet and too dry both show a face
  9. 215Too wet and too dry both show a face · continued
  10. 216Read the numbers in context
  11. 217Read the numbers in context
  12. 218Read the numbers in context
  13. 219Set a watering routine for one flush
  14. 220Avoid these mistakes
  15. 221Check your understanding
  16. 222Check your understanding
  17. 223Check your understanding
  18. 224Words used in this lesson
  19. 225Sources and field reference
Crop Health
  1. 226Crop Health
  2. 227Describe before you name
  3. 228Describe before you name · continued
  4. 229Most moulds are compost and casing history
  5. 230Most moulds are compost and casing history · continued
  6. 231The ones that move fast
  7. 232The ones that move fast · continued
  8. 233Insects, counts and the chemical boundary
  9. 234Insects, counts and the chemical boundary · continued
  10. 235Read the numbers in context
  11. 236Read the numbers in context
  12. 237Read the numbers in context
  13. 238Write a proper problem report
  14. 239Avoid these mistakes
  15. 240Check your understanding
  16. 241Check your understanding
  17. 242Check your understanding
  18. 243Words used in this lesson
  19. 244Sources and field reference
Harvest
  1. 245Harvest
  2. 246Readiness is a size and a veil
  3. 247Readiness is a size and a veil · continued
  4. 248How to pick
  5. 249How to pick · continued
  6. 250Grading starts at the bed
  7. 251Grading starts at the bed · continued
  8. 252Heat is the clock
  9. 253Heat is the clock · continued
  10. 254Read the numbers in context
  11. 255Read the numbers in context
  12. 256Read the numbers in context
  13. 257Run one picking round properly
  14. 258Avoid these mistakes
  15. 259Check your understanding
  16. 260Check your understanding
  17. 261Check your understanding
  18. 262Words used in this lesson
  19. 263Sources and field reference
Post-Harvest
  1. 264Post-Harvest
  2. 265Why speed beats packing
  3. 266Why speed beats packing · continued
  4. 267The cooling chain
  5. 268The cooling chain · continued
  6. 269Packing and the air inside the pack
  7. 270Packing and the air inside the pack · continued
  8. 271Know what is not published
  9. 272Know what is not published · continued
  10. 273Read the numbers in context
  11. 274Read the numbers in context
  12. 275Read the numbers in context
  13. 276Time your own cold chain
  14. 277Avoid these mistakes
  15. 278Check your understanding
  16. 279Check your understanding
  17. 280Check your understanding
  18. 281Words used in this lesson
  19. 282Sources and field reference
Farm Hygiene
  1. 283Farm Hygiene
  2. 284Hygiene is a direction of movement
  3. 285Hygiene is a direction of movement · continued
  4. 286Screens, traps and counts
  5. 287Screens, traps and counts · continued
  6. 288The end of a crop starts the next one
  7. 289The end of a crop starts the next one · continued
  8. 290Worker safety and the chemical boundary
  9. 291Worker safety and the chemical boundary · continued
  10. 292Read the numbers in context
  11. 293Read the numbers in context
  12. 294Read the numbers in context
  13. 295Set the hygiene routine for one crop
  14. 296Avoid these mistakes
  15. 297Check your understanding
  16. 298Check your understanding
  17. 299Check your understanding
  18. 300Words used in this lesson
  19. 301Sources and field reference
Basic Economics
  1. 302Basic Economics
  2. 303Start from compost weight
  3. 304Start from compost weight · continued
  4. 305Yield ranges you may use as a check
  5. 306Yield ranges you may use as a check · continued
  6. 307The published cost figures are dated
  7. 308The published cost figures are dated · continued
  8. 309What a scheme actually pays for
  9. 310What a scheme actually pays for · continued
  10. 311Read the numbers in context
  11. 312Read the numbers in context
  12. 313Read the numbers in context
  13. 314Build a one crop sheet you can defend
  14. 315Avoid these mistakes
  15. 316Check your understanding
  16. 317Check your understanding
  17. 318Check your understanding
  18. 319Words used in this lesson
  19. 320Sources and field reference
Practise and review
  1. 321Mistakes to avoid
  2. 322Build a crop-stage handover board
Sources and next steps
  1. 323Keep learning with the field guides

Post-Harvest

Field notes

Why speed beats packing

A picked mushroom keeps breathing, and breathing burns the crop's own weight and quality. ICAR-DMR's post harvest bulletin estimates that mushrooms at 10 C respire about 3.5 times faster than at 0 C.

So the first job is not the box, it is the temperature. The bulletin asks that mushroom temperature be brought down to 4 to 5 C as quickly as possible, from a field heat of 15 to 18 C at picking.

Button mushrooms265

English learning edition · Independent technical review pending. Keyboard: focus the reading page and use ← / →. Page turning does not mark practical competence.