Commercial and Small Scale Cultivation of the Mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing.

Abstract

Abstract The world’s total production of cultivated fleshy fungi is estimated to be about 6 × 10 8 kg/year. Approximately 75% of this production is of one species, the so-called cultivated mushroom or champignon, Agaricus bisporus . Shiitake, Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Sing., is second in importance with about 20% or 1.2 × 10 8 kg. Included in the remaining production of 2.5 × 10 7 kg are species of Volvariella (Paddy straw mushroom), Pleurotus (oyster mushroom), Tuber , (truffles), Auricularia (ear fungus), and Tremella (jelly fungus) (16, 40, 46). Flammulina velutipes (Fr.) Sing. (winter mushroom) also is cultivated commercially. About 1/4 of the world’s production of Agaricus bisporus , 1.3 × 10 8 kg, was produced in the U.S. in 19742. Present farm value of the U.S. mushroom crop is about $123 million. Today, especially in Europe and Asia there is considerable interest in commercial production of cultivated mushrooms other than A. bisporus .