Cultivation techniques of shiitake (A medicinal mushroom with culinary delight)

Abstract

Over the past few years, a great interest has been developed in the world around the cultivation and consumption of shiitake mushroom. These meaty-tasting fungi are a product of the Orient world. Production of shiitake mushroom has increased faster than any other specialty mushroom with the proven therapeutic benefits. With its increasing popularity, shiitake became the leading contributor to the world mushroom production. Since this mushroom is grown in small quantities in India, the dried shiitake is fetching high price in the urban and semi urban markets. Shiitake mushroom cultivation in India is still at budding stage and the farmers who entered into its cultivation can tap the huge potential in the domestic market. Shiitake mushrooms could potentially be a very important in future food supplies and in new dimensions of sustainable agriculture and forestry. This publication describes the techniques for shiitake mushroom production both on natural logs and artificial bag logs. It describes the common techniques based on the experimental findings, as well as insights collected from the growers in India and China. In addition to the production methods, this publication also gives an overview on the pharmacological properties of shiitake and discusses the methods for genetic improvement for those interested in mycological research.