Coco peat:-New substrate in Mushroom farming

  Many Mushroom farmers are not aware of the possibilities of other substrates as an alternative to traditional straws or hay. Sterilization of straw and its preparation for bed require lots of hard work and skill.These issues led to the development of alternate substrates which require less work and skills for producing good quality mushrooms. Coco peat is one of such newly invented substrate which made mushroom bed preparation very easy and simple.

What is Coco peat ?

  Coco peat  is a compressed fiber cake manufactured from coconut fibers.It is easily available in India especially in Kerala.It is available in sterilized form so no need to sterilize it for preparing bed.Just add a calculated amount of water and it will absorb that water and form a suitable substrate for mushroom farming.Bed preparation using Coco peat  is very easy.

Implementation of Coco peat  in Bed preparation

 Add 500gm Coco peat  cake to 1 Ltr of water.It will start to absorb water and form a suitable substrate which can be used for preparing two beds.Form a layer of Coco peat  in 1 inch size and then add spawn on it.Repeat it till  six or seven layers are formed. 

Advantages of Coco peat 

• We can prepare mushroom beds very easily
• No need to do sterilization(as the cakes are prepared after sterilization)
• It can be re-used again by sterilizing
• The waste can be used for growing plants and for preparation of composts
• It is very convenient and hygienic to use Coco peat 

Dis advantages of Coco peat 

• It is costly than straws
• Yield will be less compared to straw

 Coco peat  made it easy for a new Mushroom farmer to start experience the world of Mushroom farming.But we need to keep in mind that it is only an alternate substrate.A well experienced farmer will always prefer straws as they are cheaper and will provide maximum yield.

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