The 8 most popular mushroom cultivation techniques

The Fungal kingdom is said to be one of the most diverse groups of organisms on Earth. Here's the fundamental life cycle of a mushroom. Image sourced from North Spore.

In order to better understand mushroom cultivation as it relates to controlled environment agriculture (CEA), it is crucial to first gain a better understanding of the fungal kingdom and the fungal life cycle.

The primary role of fungi in the ecosystem is decomposition, or scavenging for dead and decaying organic matter and regenerating it back into organic life. In short, fungi are the "recyclers'' of the natural world.

The fungal life cycle starts when "spores" land on a suitable substrate and propagate to form "hyphae". When two sexually compatible hyphae fuse together, they form dikaryotic (two nuclei) "mycelium," which is the root-like structure of fungi that is responsible for secreting digestive enzymes externally to break down its substrate. After digesting the substrate and under the right environmental conditions, the mycelium forms "primordia" that eventually enlarges to become a fruiting body known as the "mushroom." At full maturity, the mushroom caps "sporulate" and release spores back into the environment, thus allowing the cycle to repeat itself.

Mushroom cultivation is the art and science of harnessing mycelium, the root-like structure of fungi, to promote the growth of mushroom fruiting bodies. 

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Written By: Justin Hyunjae Chung

Editor's Note: This is an investigative article from Agritecture's Agriculture Technologist on the core principles of and primary techniques for mushroom cultivation. Justin's professional experience in the topic is supported by his Master's in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Arizona's Controlled Environment Agriculture Center (CEAC), where his thesis revolved around vertical farming and specialty mushroom cultivation. Learn more about mushroom cultivation in Justin's last article.

Photo: Mushrooms fruiting on Mt. Lemmon in Arizona, during the monsoon season in 2019. Foraged by Dr. Barry Pryor. Courtesy of Agritecture

Source: HortiBiz