Oyster mushrooms grown at the Horticulture Research Institute at Palandu

Ranchi, Oct. 24: The Horticulture Research Institute at Palandu on the outskirts of the capital is gearing up for an awareness drive on mushroom cultivation.

Ajit Kumar Jha, the institute’s research associate, said Jharkhand lags behind other states in mushroom cultivation. “The state can be developed as very conducive place for mushroom cultivation. But a lot of effort needs to go into it,” he said.

Mushroom cultivation requires special care, he said. Mushroom seeds are not easily available in markets, which could be a reason why its cultivation is not very popular. At present there are very few places from where one can get the mushroom seeds.

Among the few places where seeds are available are the Ramakrishna Mission, Horticulture Institute and the Birsa Agricultural University.

There are various kinds of mushrooms — oyster mushroom, button mushroom, milky mushroom, Volvaretta and Macrolapiola. The rarest variety in Jharkhand is the button mushroom. However, button mushrooms are the most popular.

“Cultivation of button mushrooms is difficult as it needs temperatures between 10 to 15 degrees to grow. The farmers have to make a lot of preparations to create the required conditions for growth. As a result they generally stay away from it,” Jha said.

Scientists of the institute, however, warned of the poisonous species of mushrooms.

“People should stay away from mushrooms growing in the open. Some of them are poisonous and can even cause death. They can be identified by their bright colours,” a scientist said.

Research centre director R.P. Tiwari said making mushroom cultivation popular was a difficult task. “India lags way behind other countries when it comes to mushroom cultivation. China is the leader in the field. Large-scale mushroom cultivation is done in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Solan. Jharkhand can also be a leading cultivator of mushrooms, but there is a lack of awareness,” he said.

Tiwari said mushrooms are very nutritious and also have medicinal value. The protein-rich product is beneficial for diabetics and for those who suffer from obesity. It is also good for pregnant women and a boon for those with high blood pressure.

Scientists of the institute said they were preparing a programme to spread awareness regarding mushroom cultivation among farmers.

“An elaborate set up is needed for production, marketing and packaging of mushrooms. It is a big challenge. But we are prepared for it. Farmers can earn a lot though mushroom farming,” they said.