Fungiculture Totally Explained

Everything about Fungiculture totally explained

Fungiculture is the process of producing food, medicine, and other products by the cultivation of mushrooms and other fungi.
The word is commonly used to refer to the practice of cultivating fungi by leafcutter ants, termites, ambrosia beetles, and marsh snails.

Introduction

Mushrooms are not plants, and require different conditions for optimal growth. Plants develop through photosynthesis, a process that converts atmospheric carbon dioxide into carbohydrates, especially cellulose. While sunlight provides an energy source for plants, mushrooms derive all of their energy and growth materials from their growth medium, through biochemical decomposition processes. This doesn't mean that light is an unnecessary requirement, since some fungi use light as a signal for fruiting . However, all the materials for growth must already be present in the growth medium. Mushrooms grow well at relative humidity levels of around 95-100%, and substrate moisture levels of 50 to 75%. . Appalachia also produces edible wild mushrooms, including chanterelles and morels . Pickers may sell directly to distributors, restaurants, or sell their harvest through roadside stands wherever a natural supply of mushrooms is plentiful.
   While there may be concern that harvesting wild mushrooms may exploit or damage a natural environment, harvesting wild mushrooms is different from harvesting wild plants, fishing or hunting animals. In these last three cases, removing individuals decreases the ability of a wild population to reproduce, since fewer adults remain. Removing adults leaves fewer individuals capable of reproducing and reduces genetic diversity.
   Harvesting wild mushrooms removes only fruiting bodies and their attached spores. However, the fruiting bodies (mushrooms) have likely dropped spores before harvest time. While truffles also represent the fruiting body of a larger underground network, they're an exception, since they rely on animal spore dispersion.
   Additionally, reproduction and propagation can still occur by propagation of the parent mycelium. Harvesting removes none of the parent mycelium, which remains intact underground.

Outdoor logs

Mushrooms can be grown on logs placed outdoors in stacks or piles, as has been done for hundreds of years . Sterilization isn't performed in this method. Since production may be unpredictable and seasonal, less than 5% of commercially sold mushrooms are produced this way [19] . Here, tree logs are inoculated with spawn, then allowed to grow as they'd in wild conditions. Fruiting, or pinning, is triggered by seasonal changes, or by briefly soaking the logs in cool water

Indoor trays

   Indoor growing provides the ability to tightly regulate temperature and humidity while excluding contaminants and pests. This allows consistent production, regulated by spawning cycles.
   Specific time spans and temperatures required during stages 3-6 will vary respective to species and variety. Substrate composition and the geometry of growth substrate will also effect the ideal times and temperatures.
   Pinning is the trickiest part for a mushroom grower, since a combination of carbon dioxide concentration, temperature, light, and humidity triggers mushrooms towards fruiting

coffee pulp or grounds

Nut and seed hulls

Cottonseed hulls

Cocoa bean hulls

Cottonseed meal

Soybean meal

Brewer’s grain

Ammonium nitrate

Urea Mushrooms metabolize complex carbohydrates in their substrate into glucose, which is then transported through the mycelium as needed for growth and energy. While it's used as a main energy source, its concentration in the growth medium shouldn't exceed 2%. For ideal fruiting, closer to 1% is ideal. . Biological controls for insect sciarid and phorid flies have also been proposed .
A recent epidemic of Trichoderma green mold has significantly affected mushroom production: "From 1994-96, crop losses in Pennsylvania ranged from 30 to 100%" [4].

Production regions in the United States

Pennsylvania is the top-producing mushroom state in the USA, and celebrates September as "mushroom month". The borough of Kennett Square is a historical and present leader in mushroom production. It currently leads production of Agaricus-type mushrooms, followed by California, Florida and Michigan. Other mushroom-producing states:

East: CT, DE, FL, MD, NY, PA, TN, and VT.

Central: IL, OK, TX, and WI.

West: CA, CO, MT, OR, UT, and WA. Vancouver, BC also has a significant number of producers. [16]

Further Information

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