Question

Cultivation of mushroom involves the following steps. Sort the following in correct order.

• A. Composting
• B. Spawning
• C. Casing
• D. Harvesting
• E. Preservation

Answer 1

Mushroom cultivation begins with the process of composting. Here, the compost is prepared by mixing wheat or paddy straw, chicken manure, organic and inorganic fertilizer in certain proportions and is kept at ${50}^{\circ }C$ for about a week. In spawning, mushroom seeds consisting of mycelium are introduced into the compost, and are allowed to spread. Then during casing, a thin layer of soil is spread over the compost. The casing is now constantly watered, and after about 2 to 6 weeks, the mycelia grow, tiny pin heads start appearing and then finally the full grown mushrooms are obtained. Mushrooms are highly perishable products. Hence, it is important to increase their shelf life for preservation.