Compost Production for White Button Mushroom

Dr. B. Vijay
Directorate of Mushroom Research
Solan
A.bisporus is a temperate mushroom and requires 16 -
18C for its fructification. Its cultivation can be divided
into under mentioned heads
• Production or procurement of spawn
• Production of compost
• Spawning
• Casing
• Raising of crop
 Compost
• It is the product of fermentation brought about by
the variety of organisms.
• These organisms degrade the straw & convert
soluble form of nitrogen into microbial cell
substances
• This degraded straw along with microbial cell
substances is preferentially utilized by the A.
bisporus mycelium.
• Compost is very selective in nature
• properly prepared compost should support the A.
bisporus growth at the practical exclusion of
competitors.
 Table-1: Processes of composting and their attributes;

Attributes Long method Short method Indoor method

Days required for 28-30 16-20 10-12

compost
preparation
Selectivity Partial Complete Complete

Average yield 10-15 18-25 20-30

(kg/100kg
compost)
Effect on Polluting Moderately Non polluting
environment polluting

Av.compost 1.75-2.0 tons 2.0-2.5 tons 3.0-3.5 tons

production / ton
of straw

Average final N 1.75-2.0 2.0-2.2 2.2-2.5

% in compost
Infrastructure Out door Covered Prewetting area
required/ 20 tons composting yard composting yard (60x40ft) + 2
out put compost (60x40 ft.) (60x40 ft) + 1 phase-1 bunkers
tunnel (36x09x12ft) (45x10x10ft) + one
phase–II tunnel
(36x09x12 ft)

Man days required/ 30-35 20-25 15-20

20 tons compost
out put

Power Nil Around 700-900 800-1000

requirement/ 20 KW
tons out put
compost

handling Nil Turner, filling line, filling line, hopper

equipments hopper regulator, regulator, Bob cat.
required Bob cat .
(Large farm)
(> 500TPA)
 MATERIALREQUIRED FOR COMPOST

Long method
Wheat straw/ Paddy straw(equal quantity) 300kg
Calcium Ammonium Nitrate 9 kg
MOP 3 kg
Super phosphate 3kg
Urea 4 kg
Wheat Bran 25 kg
Gypsum 15 kg
 Short Method
• Wheat straw = 1000kg
• Wheat Bran = 100kg
• Chicken manure = 500kg
• Urea = 15kg
• Gypsum = 40 kg
Facilities required
 Flow Chart Compost
(LMC)
Wetting of the Straw Wetting of the ingredients

Mixing Straw + Ingredients (Moisture72-75%)

Pile Formation

Ist Turning

IInd Turning

III Turning, add Gypsum

IV,V,VI and VII Turnings

Spawn
Break Open The Pile
Or
Treat it with 1.5 liters of formaldehyde + 50 gms. Bavistin +
40 liters of water/ ton of compost

Again make a heap and cover with poly sheet

Remove the sheet, shake the compost and spawn

 Chemical pasteurization of compost -- For one tone
of ready compost
•This technique is employed at 28th day when compost is
finally ready
•Take 1.5 liters of formaldehyde and 50 gms. of Bavistin
•Dissolve these chemicals in 40 liters of water
•Thoroughly spray this chemical solution in compost
•Make a heap and cover it for 2 days with polythene sheet
•Remove the cover shake the compost and spawn
•Very effective technique for yellow mould control
 Attributes of a good compost

• Should be dark brown to black in color

• N level should be between 1.5 - 1.75%
(long method)
• Moisture % between 64 - 68%.
• Should not be greasy.
• pH should be between 7.2 - 7.8.
• Free from insects pests and nematodes.
 Shortcomings of LMC

• dry matter loss of ingredients is more.

• Invaded by many pests/competitors/diseases and hence
not perfectly selective.
• Frequent sprays of insecticides and fungicides are
required.
• Most of the ammonia is lost in the atmosphere resulting
in low final N content of compost.
• Low yields.
• Not environment friendly.
Short method
 Facilities required for short method
compost production

• Pre-wetting area and covered composting yard.

• Pasteurization tunnels.
• Stacking boards.
• Blower with ventilation duct.
• Multi-probe digital thermometers.
• Ammonia and oxygen meters (optional).
• Boiler.
Short method of composting (SMC)
Consists of two phases:

• Phase-I: Outdoor composting for 10 -12 days.

(90% chemical process 10% biological)

• Phase-II: Pasteurization and conditioning of the

compost inside the tunnel under definite set
of conditions (90% biological oxidation
&10% chemical)
Purpose of pasteurization and
conditioning
• It reduces the time of composting

• It converts ammonia into microbial protein

• It conditions or sweetens the compost under definite

set of temperature and aeration

• It kills or inactivates insects/pests/diseases

• In SMC more compost per unit weight of ingredients

is produced

• SMC increases the yield of mushrooms.

 Characteristics of the compost after phase-I and
before Phase-II

• Brownish throughout. Pieces of straw gleaming

and wet.
• Straw rather long but can be broken with some
force.
• Properly hydrated, around 72 - 75% moisture;
when squeezed drops of water appear between the
fingers.
• Very heavy smell of ammonia. pH approximately
around 8.2 - 8.5
• Still sticky and slimy, hands get dirty and wet.
• Actinomycetes (fire fangs) not so apparent.
• Nitrogen content between 1.5 - 2.0%; ammonia
concentration around 800 - 1000 ppm.
Front End Loader
Multipurpose mobile loader
• Mushroom farm
(compost and raw material
transportation, mixing,
compost turning, compost
filling)
• Agricultural operations
( preparation , construction
work, landscaping,
excavating, loading and
unloading the trucks)
• Other work
(Augur, Rotary cutter,
Grader, Snow blade,
Trencher - digging, trenching,
grading, cutting)
Head Filling Machine
 Blower

• Centrifugal force
• pressure: <2.5kg/cm2
• Pasteurization tunnels
Air flow rate: 150-175
m3/ton/hr
• Pressure: 800-100 mm

Casing chamber showing blower on back side

 Characteristics of the compost after
Phase-II
• Dark brown in color, full of thermophilic fungi
and actinomycetes.
• It is soft, straw breaks rather easily.
• Moisture around 64 - 66 %. No liquid oozes
when squeezed firmly.
• Pleasant sweet smell.
• No stickiness. Hands stay clean and dry.
• N content > 2%
• Ammonia below 10 ppm.
 Advantages of bulk pasteurization
• More compost per unit size of the room can be
treated at time.
• The cost of pasteurization in tunnel is less.
• Same tunnel can be utilized for spawn run in
bulk, which gives effective use of the space.
• Yield per unit weight of compost is generally
higher.
 Flow Chart Compost (SMC)

Phase I
-4 Day Mixing straw + chicken manure, proper wetting
and stacking
-2 Day Break open the stack , add water, turn and
restack
0 Day Add other ingredients and make high aerobic
stack
+2 Day First turning

+4 Day IInd Turning

+6 Day IIIrd Turning and add gypsum

+8 Day IV Turning (may fill the tunnel)

+10 Day Filling Day (Phase – I Over)

 Phase II

+2 Day PPC at 45 - 52°C

+3 Day Kill at 59 C for 4-6 hours

+4 Day POPC at 45 - 48°C

+6 Day POPC over and cool the compost to 25°C

+7 Day
( Phase II Over) Spawning
Production of Environment
Friendly White Button
Mushroom Compost
 Indoor Composting

Need is felt to control the composting

operation in such a fashion so that there is
a least possibility of environmental
pollution resulting in an end product in
shortest possible time suitable for the
growth of mushroom mycelium.
 Indoor Composting

Selection of the raw materials for indoor

composting is very critical and should have
the following qualities:

• High bulk density.

• Good structure and texture.
• Perfectly mixed raw materials.
• Well balanced chemical composition.
• High level of nutrients.
Composting Schedule

-4 day: Mixing and wetting and of the ingredients out doors

-3 day: Turning, trampling by Bobcat and thorough mixing of the ingredients,

addition of water.

-2 day: High aerobic heap

0 day: Filling in the phase-I tunnel

+ 3 day: Emptying the tunnel, turning and mixing of the compounding mixture and r
re-filling the compost in another phase-I tunnel

+6 day Phase-I operation over and compost transferred to phase-II tunnel

+ 12 day: Phase-II operation over

Advantages of indoor Composting

 No need of costly machinery

 Requirement of composting yard is reduced to1/3
 No emission of foul smell
 Number of labour and cost of production reduced
 Raw materials are prepared in just few hours on
their arrival and can be kept in the tunnel.
 Duration of composting greatly reduced.
 Higher yields.
 Disadvantages of indoor composting

 Low bulk density of compost

 Aesthetic look of the compost is not good

(brown in colour)

 Since turnings are less, initial superior blend

of raw materials is critical
Directorate of Mushroom Research
(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)
Chambaghat, Solan – 173213 (HP) INDIA

Phone : 01792-230767, 230451

Fax : 01792-231207
Email: directordmr@gmail.com
Website : www.nrcmushroom.org