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Importance of mushroom:

An edible mushroom is a delicacy relished as popular but costly food. In the developed countries, mushrooms have become one of the most important of all the horticultural crops. The production of mushrooms is increasing rapidly throughout the world, which is available all the year round and is used in many kinds of table dishes.
There are about 6000 different species of which at least 1290 are reported to be edible. During 2003, about 1500 million kg of Hygracircus, Shiitake and Pleurotus consumed in the world. About 20-25 thousand kg of morels (Morochella esculenta), normally found in Swat and Kaghan and other hilly areas are annually exported to foreign countries.
Mushrooms are used as food as well as medicine since time immemorial. The edible variety contains a high percentage of protein, all indispensable amino acids, and vitamins B-complex and other biochemical compounds. This vegetable is also a food source of dietary fibre whose quantity present is much higher than the crude fibre. The protein value of mushroom is double that of cabbage, potatoes and asparagus, four times that of tomatoes and carrot and six times that of oranges.

The protein value of crisp mushrooms has been found to be 40-45 per cent comprising all the essential amino acids. Mushrooms are source of niacin (0.4 g) and riboflavin (0.4 mg). They serve as a good source of trypsin enzyme,and are rich in iron, copper, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and folic acid.

They are valuable health food, which are low in calories, high in vegetable proteins, zinc, chitin, fibre, vitamins and minerals. They have a long history of use in traditional Chinese medicine to promote good health and vitality and increasing bodys adaptive abilities.

Specifically, the selected strains of dried mushrooms are used to produce mushrooms capsules and extracts. They are highly concentrated food and unsurpassed for flavour in addition to being a completely satisfying meal.

The mushroom (10-20 per cent) may be put in various sausages, minced meat and vegetables, soups, pastes and bakery products and many other dietary menus. Mushroom can be grown by almost anyone and anywhere. However, cultivation of this edible fungus also consumes agricultural and industrial wastes and produces such as straw and molasses, which is an excellent fertilizer and soil conditioner.

Mushrooms have no colouring matter and so do not need sunlight to obtain the requisite nutrients for survival. They can grow in darkness, where no other crop would easily flourish. A crop of mushroom can be produced in boxes beneath the kitchen sinks and in garden sheds. For large scale cultivation of mushroom, properly designed rooms/spaces are needed, which should provide suitable temperature, humidity and darkness.

Mushrooms are fleshy fungi, which are generally used as delicacy from the time immemorial. It has no colouring matter. It is very tough and an umbrella like fruiting body. It produces microscopic spores, which serve as a means of reproduction, but is not same as that of plant seed. Research reports reveal that mushrooms are rich in food values being food source, and out of 100 g , it contains proteins ( 4.0g), minerals vitamins B12 (0.30 mg), fats (0.4 g), carbohydrates (2.0 g), dietary fibres (3.0 g) and ash (6.0 g) and the vitamin contains are exceptionally high. They also contain folic acid, which is blood- building vitamin and counteracts the pernicious anaemia with all properties.

They serve as a possible source of antibiotics and anticancer agents. They lower the cholesterol level of blood pressure. Mushrooms constitute an ideal source for reducing body weight.

Mushrooms are one of the difficult commodities to grow. Their cultivation in Pakistan is in its teething stage and its pace of development is very slow because of the insufficient public and private sector support. Their cultivation has tremendous potential although, at present time only some wild types are eaten by rural folk. Modern technology has made it possible to grow them under control and semi-control conditions. Nature has gifted us with variety of environmental conditions suitable for their cultivation from sea level to high mountains, where different types can easily be grown round the year.

A simple and economical methodology for cultivation of some known mushrooms has been evolved. The cultivable varieties are; (i) oyster mushrooms grown in a moderate temperature; (ii) paddy straw mushroom ; (iii) Button mushroom, a variety which grows on specially prepared compost and has a distant taste and aroma; (iv)ok-tree mushroom, generally grown on wood logs of oak trees. It can also be cultivated on compost material made from sawdust, rice and wheat barn.

It has been assumed that the different agriculture and industrial wastes may be used as source of food for mushroom cultivation. Mushrooms may also be grown in a variety of places like, caves, ditches, huts, hovels, cottages, cellars, garages, sheds or shelters, bee hive shaped huts, thatched or meted roofs, thick green groves and gardens.

The cultivation needs, i) preparation of substrate and compost; ii) preparation of spawn; iii) seeding of spawn on suitable substrate for mycelium growth and production of fruiting bodies. The species Agaricus rodmani, Phellorina inguinence, Podoxis pistillaris, Lepiota procera, Inocybe ceophylla, Crepidous sp, and Amanita nano are grown in Balochistan, Sindh, Punjab and NWFP of mountainous Swat valley and Murree hilly areas.

In the past many decades, the cultivation was ignored. It is commonly grown in many areas having natural high humidity and low temperature. These areas are suitable for growing white button mushroom. Chinese mushroom is perhaps the easiest and simplest in its cultural requirements and is more suited to conditions in Pakistan, especially in the plains.

Its cultivation can be profitable as a cottage industry which can be marketed in fresh, canned, dried or made into powder or as a soup. Drying of mushroom is essential for market from one city to another or for export purposes. Profitable cultivation on a large-scale requires close attention, experience and skill. If it is developed as a cottage industry in villages and on business lines near towns and cities, the delicacy can become a common diet item to provide cheap source of proteins, vitamins and other nutrients.

Generally, straw and leaves of wheat, paddy, barley, oats straw, banana , sugarcane and maize dried leaves, empty millet heads and corn cobs, cotton wastes, thin sticks and sugarcane baggasse, saw dust, dust logs, straw papers, manure, etc. can be used as mediums for its cultivation. It is a common business for the people of hilly areas of Kashmir, NWFP and Punjab.

A Khumbhi mushroom is very common in the rural areas of Sindh, a white umbrella type known as Khamiri is also consumed by the local inhabitants of Balochistan, Sindh and the Punjab. There are well-cultivated mushrooms, which can be marketed in local and foreign markets.

The common edible mushroom (Agaricus bisporous) accounts for about 80 per cent of the one million ton of mushroom in the world each year, the remainder includes the Japanese forest mushroom. It is necessary to take proper steps to popularize and use of edible mushroom as the items of food and export.


Ajaz Ahmed
Non-timber forest Produce,
NWFP, Forest Department, Peshawar