105
used, net profit of the indoor practice was 4.6 $US m
−2
about 9 times higher than
that of the outdoor practice. However, RSM is commonly cultivated in rural areas,
near the rice fields to reduce the cost of transporting the rice straw. So, outdoor
mushroom growing is still widely done in Vietnam.
6.5 Pest and Disease Problems
RSM is very sensitive to the environment including temperature, sunlight, water,
oxygen (O 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Sudden changes in temperature may hamper or even stop mushroom growth. Sunlight is needed from the sphere to the egg
stages. With a lack of sunlight, vitamin E will be significantly reduced, vitamin D
will not be available, and melanin pigment (black pigment) will not form in RSM.
Green mold (Verticillium fungicola), orange mold (Neurospora spp.), plaster
mold (Scopulariopsis fimicola), acne mushroom (Selerotium rolfsii), etc. are the
typical diseases that affect RSM. These diseases can be prevented or treated by
using lime water with a 0.5–1% concentration and applied by watering on the
affected area. Gypsum disease can be treated with potassium permanganate
(KMnO 4 ) or acetic acid (40%). If the disease is severe, it can be treated by fungicides, such as Benomyl 0.1%, 7% Zineb, or Validacin (for acne).
6.6 Preservation and Consumption of RSM
RSM can be used and processed into many different products but it is easily damaged during harvesting and primary processing. The selection of appropriate technology for product storage and processing on a scale that is compatible with
production conditions will promote the cultivation of mushrooms and help stabilize
consumption.
RSM spoils very quickly and can be stored at most for 3 days at temperatures
between 10 and 15 °C or in controlled atmosphere packaging (Jamjumroon et al.
2012) it loses moisture in 4 days, resulting in a 40–50% loss of mushroom weight
when stored under normal ambient temperature. Thus, other methods are used for
longer storage, one of which is dried RSM. However, sun drying often changes the
color and taste of the product. Furthermore, RSM exposed to the sun outdoors is
susceptible to microbial contamination. The drying process takes 24 h at 30 °C. The
drying temperature can start at 40 °C and then gradually increase over 8 h to
45 °C. Raw materials of dried mushrooms can be left or cut in half. If cut in half,
they must be pretreated before drying. Blanching for 3–4 min in hot water or
4–5 min in hot steam helps mushrooms keep their color better during storage. When
RSM is dried at 60 °C for 7 h, the moisture content may reach 5%. Dried mushrooms can be stored or pulverized for use in spices. Other methods recommended
for RSM preservation include air-conditioning packaging with storage media
6 Rice-Straw Mushroom Production
used, net profit of the indoor practice was 4.6 $US m
−2
about 9 times higher than
that of the outdoor practice. However, RSM is commonly cultivated in rural areas,
near the rice fields to reduce the cost of transporting the rice straw. So, outdoor
mushroom growing is still widely done in Vietnam.
6.5 Pest and Disease Problems
RSM is very sensitive to the environment including temperature, sunlight, water,
oxygen (O 2 ), and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ). Sudden changes in temperature may hamper or even stop mushroom growth. Sunlight is needed from the sphere to the egg
stages. With a lack of sunlight, vitamin E will be significantly reduced, vitamin D
will not be available, and melanin pigment (black pigment) will not form in RSM.
Green mold (Verticillium fungicola), orange mold (Neurospora spp.), plaster
mold (Scopulariopsis fimicola), acne mushroom (Selerotium rolfsii), etc. are the
typical diseases that affect RSM. These diseases can be prevented or treated by
using lime water with a 0.5–1% concentration and applied by watering on the
affected area. Gypsum disease can be treated with potassium permanganate
(KMnO 4 ) or acetic acid (40%). If the disease is severe, it can be treated by fungicides, such as Benomyl 0.1%, 7% Zineb, or Validacin (for acne).
6.6 Preservation and Consumption of RSM
RSM can be used and processed into many different products but it is easily damaged during harvesting and primary processing. The selection of appropriate technology for product storage and processing on a scale that is compatible with
production conditions will promote the cultivation of mushrooms and help stabilize
consumption.
RSM spoils very quickly and can be stored at most for 3 days at temperatures
between 10 and 15 °C or in controlled atmosphere packaging (Jamjumroon et al.
2012) it loses moisture in 4 days, resulting in a 40–50% loss of mushroom weight
when stored under normal ambient temperature. Thus, other methods are used for
longer storage, one of which is dried RSM. However, sun drying often changes the
color and taste of the product. Furthermore, RSM exposed to the sun outdoors is
susceptible to microbial contamination. The drying process takes 24 h at 30 °C. The
drying temperature can start at 40 °C and then gradually increase over 8 h to
45 °C. Raw materials of dried mushrooms can be left or cut in half. If cut in half,
they must be pretreated before drying. Blanching for 3–4 min in hot water or
4–5 min in hot steam helps mushrooms keep their color better during storage. When
RSM is dried at 60 °C for 7 h, the moisture content may reach 5%. Dried mushrooms can be stored or pulverized for use in spices. Other methods recommended
for RSM preservation include air-conditioning packaging with storage media
6 Rice-Straw Mushroom Production