Yield Performance and Economics of Grain Based Spawn on Tricholoma giganteum

Earlier only Pleurotus spp., Agaricus bisporus, Volvariella volvacea and Calocybe indica were cultivated by the growers in India. The sequence of whole year mushroom production breaks due to unavailability of mushroom for production during summer season except Calocybe indica and Volvariella volvacea, but due to the pungent and bitter taste of Calocybe indica and bad shelf life of Volvariella volvacea are not accepted successfully by the farmers. Tricholoma giganteum was proved the best mushroom for summer season having a pleasant taste and good shelf life as compared to C. indica and V. volvacea and at par of Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus).

Considering the above facts 5 local isolates of T. giganteum were tested for yield performance. The present studies include yield performance and economics of grains based spawn on Tricholoma giganteum. Altogether five isolates [CIP-12, CIP-17, CIP-18, CIP-19 and CIP-20] of T. giganteum and one isolate [CI-01] of Calocybe indica as a control were evaluated against the effect of two different grains [wheat and maize grains] for spawn production and their yield performance and economics of production was also studied.

Out of two grain substrate i.e. maize and wheat grain, wheat grain was observed most suitable substrate for spawn production with minimum days for complete colonization observed by CIP-19 and CIP-20 (13 days) followed by CIP-18 (14 days), CIP-12 (15 days), CIP-17 (16 days) and CI-01 (17 days), However complete colonization on maize grain substrate took too much time as compare to wheat grain substrate with minimum 23 days and maximum 27 days for complete colonisation.

Maximum yield was observed on wheat grain-based spawn followed by maize grain-based by all T. giganteum isolates. As regard wheat grain-based spawn CIP-20 gave maximum yield 76.4 kg /100 kg dry substrate, followed by CIP-19 and CIP-17, CIP-12, CIP-18 and minimum yield was obtained by CI-01 (58 kg /100 kg dry substrates), However, yield performance of maize grain-based spawn, CIP-12 gave maximum yield 57.2 kg /100 kg dry substrate followed by CIP-20, CIP-17, CIP-18, CIP-19, and minimum yield was recorded by CI-01 (50.2 kg /100 kg dry substrate).