A Series of Presentation By Mr Allah Dad Khan Master Trainer in Mushroom Technology Former DG Agriculture Extension KPK , Visiting Professor the University of Agriculture Peshawar Pakistan

2. Importance of Mushroom
Cultivation
Presentation By
Mr.Allah Dad Khan

10. Importance
• Mushroom cultivation can directly improve
livelihoods through economic, nutritional and
medicinal contributions. However, it is
essential to note that some mushrooms are
poisonous and may even be lethal, thus the
need for extra caution in identifying those
species that can be consumed as food.

11. Importance
• Mushroom cultivation can help reduce
vulnerability to poverty and strengthens
livelihoods through the generation of a fast
yielding and nutritious source of food and a
reliable source of income.

12. • Since it does not require access to land,
mushroom cultivation is a viable and
attractive activity for both rural farmers and
peri-urban dwellers.

13. Nutrition
• Mushrooms both add flavour to bland staple
foods and are a valuable food in their own
right: they are often considered to provide a
fair substitute for meat, with at least a
comparable nutritional value to many
vegetables

14. • The consumption of mushrooms can make a
valuable addition to the often unbalanced
diets of people in developing countries. Fresh
mushrooms have a high water content,
around 90 percent, so drying them is an
effective way to both prolonge their shelf-life
and preserve their flavour and nutrient

15. • Mushrooms are a good source of vitamin B, C
and D, including niacin, riboflavin, thiamine,
and folate, and various minerals including
potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium,
iron and copper. They provide carbohydrates,
but are low in fat and fibre, and contain no
starch

16. • Furthermore, edible mushrooms are an
excellent source of high quality protein
(reportedly between 19 percent and 35
percent), and white button mushrooms
contain more protein than kidney beans. In
addition to all the essential amino acids, some
mushrooms have medicinal benefits of certain
polysaccharides, which are known to boost
the immune system

17. Medicinal Value
• Medicinal fungi have routinely been used in
traditional Chinese medicine. Today, an
estimated six percent of edible mushrooms
are known to have medicinal properties and
can be found in health tonics, tinctures, teas,
soups and herbal formulas. Lentinula edodes
(shiitake) and Volvariella volvacea (Chinese or
straw mushroom) are edible fungi with
medicinal properties widely diffused and
cultivated.

18. • Shiitake are said to have antitumour and
antiviral properties and remove serum
cholesterol from the blood stream. Other
species, such as Pleurotus (oyster), Auricularia
(mu-er), Flammulina (enokitake), Termella
(yin-er) and Grifola (maitake), all have varying
degrees of immune system boosting,
lipidlowering, anti-tumour, microbial and viral
properties, blood pressure regulating, and
other therapeutic

19. Income benefits
• Mushroom cultivation activities can play an
important role in supporting the local
economy by contributing to subsistence food
security, nutrition, and medicine; generating
additional employment and income through
local, regional and national trade; and offering
opportunities for processing enterprises

20. Livelihood opportunities
• Trade in cultivated mushrooms can provide a readily
available and important source of cash income - for
men and women and the old, infirm and disabled alike
The role played by women in rural mushroom
production can be very significant. Certain parts of the
mushroom cultivation process, such as filling
substrates in containers and harvesting, are ideally
suited for women’s participation. Several programmes
have enhanced women’s empowerement through
mushroom production by giving them the opportunity
to gain farming skills, financial independence and
selfrespect

21. • Small-scale growing does not include any
significant capital investment: mushroom
substrate can be prepared from any clean
agricultural waste material, and mushrooms
can be produced in temporary clean shelters.

22. • They can be cultivated on a part-time basis,
and require little maintenance.

23. • Indirectly, mushroom cultivation also provides
opportunities for improving the sustainability
of small farming systems through the recycling
of organic matter, which can be used as a
growing substrate, and then returned to the
land as fertilizer

24. • Through the provision of income and
improved nutrition, successful cultivation and
trade in mushrooms can strengthen livelihood
assets, which can not only reduce vulnerability
to shocks, but enhance an individual’s and a
community’s capacity to act upon other
economic opportunities.

55. • Mushrooms, though classified as vegetables
in the food world, are not technically plants.
They belong to the fungi kingdom and
although they are not vegetables,
mushrooms provide several important
nutrients.

56. The Importance of Mushroom Cultivation
• Nutritional value
• Protein content, 3-7% when fresh and 25- 40%
when dry. Contain all essential amino acids,
amides and lysine.
• Medicinal value
• Consumption of mushrooms slows down the
spread and effect of cancer, heart disease,
HIV/AIDS (by boosting immune system).
• Income generation and
• Employment creation.

57. Advantages of Mushroom Growing
• Use of idle structures,
• Involvement of small initial capital,
• Possible production all the year round
• Use of Agricultural waste as substrate- mostly
waste materials from farms, plantations or
factories.
• Is a Biodegrader hence environmental con-
server.

58. • Consumption benefits of mushrooms.
• Contain all essential amino acids
• Has Vit.C, cynocobalimin (Vit,B12) content
found only in animal products
• Low in sodium ideal for people with heart and
kidney ointments.
• Have iron, calcium, potassium, phosphorus
and folic acid.

59. • i) Cap (pileus)- Colour (white,
grey, yellow) and shape
(umbrella, kidney, cap) depend
on species
• ii) Stype (stem)- Stype is stem
like structure that supports the
pileus and transports nutrients
from the substrate to other
parts of mushroom.
• iii) Gills -tissues that produce
spores.
• iv) Mycelia- absorbs nutrients
from substrate

60. • 1) Cancer
• Mushrooms contain just as high an antioxidant capacity as carrots,
tomatoes, green and red peppers, pumpkins, green beans, and
zucchini.4
• Selenium is a mineral that is not present in most fruits and
vegetables but can be found in mushrooms. It plays a role in liver
enzyme function, and helps detoxify some cancer-causing
compounds in the body. Additionally, selenium
preventsinflammation and also decreases tumor growth rates.2
• The vitamin D in mushrooms has also been shown to inhibit the
growth of cancer cells by contributing to the regulation of the cell
growth cycle. The folate in mushrooms plays an important role in
DNA synthesis and repair, thus preventing the formation of cancer
cells from mutations in the DNA

61. • 2) Diabetes
• Studies have shown that type 1 diabetics who
consume high-fiber diets have lower blood
glucose levels and type 2 diabetics may have
improved blood sugar, lipids and insulin levels.
One cup of grilled portabella mushrooms and one
cup of stir-fried shiitake mushrooms both provide
about 3 grams of fiber.
• The Dietary Guidelines for
Americans recommends 21-25 g/day for women
and 30-38 g/day for men.

62. • 3) Heart health
• The fiber, potassium and vitamin C content in
mushrooms all contribute to cardiovascular
health. Potassium and sodium work together in
the body to help regulate blood pressure.
Consuming mushrooms, which are high in
potassium and low in sodium helps to lower
blood pressure and decrease the risk ofhigh
blood pressure and cardiovascular diseases.
• Additionally, an intake of 3 grams of beta-glucans
per day can lower blood cholesterol levels by 5%.

63. • 4) Immunity
• Selenium has also been found to improve
immune response to infection by stimulating
production of killer T-cells. The beta-glucan
fibers found in the cell walls of mushrooms
stimulate the immune system to fight cancer
cells and prevent tumors from forming

64. • 5) Weight management and satiety
• Dietary fiber plays an important role in weight
management by functioning as a "bulking
agent" in the digestive system. Mushrooms
contain two types of dietary fibers in their cell
walls: beta-glucans and chitin which increase
satiety and reduce appetite, making you feel
fuller longer and thereby lowering your overall
calorie intake.

65. • Nutrients. Mushrooms are a good source of numerous
nutrients. Data presented in Figure 7 demonstrate this
with Crimini mushrooms. They are an excellent source
(contain over 20% of the RDA in a serving) of selenium,
riboflavin (vitamin B2) and copper and are a good
source (contain over 10% of RDA) for niacin (vitamin
B3), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5) and potassium.
Criminis also contain rich amounts of thiamin (Vitamin
B1), zinc, vitamin B6, protein, folic acid, fiber,
manganese and magnesium. On the other hand,
mushrooms are low in fat, sodium and calories.

66. • Vitamin D. Recent research has shown that when UV light is shined on
mushrooms, there is a major boost in the vitamin D2 content of the mushrooms. A
single serving of mushrooms will contain over 800% of the recommended daily
allowance (RDA) of vitamin D2 once exposed to just five minutes of UV light after
being harvested. This may be a convenient way for people who do not eat fish or
drink milk to obtain their daily requirement of vitamin D. Dietary fiber (DF).
Mushrooms contain numerous complex carbohydrates including polysaccharides
such as glucans and glycogen, monosaccharides, disaccharides, sugar alcohols and
chitin. Most polysaccharides are structural components of the cell walls (chitin and
glucans) and are indigestible by humans; thus they may be considered as dietary
fiber. Dietary fiber may help to prevent many diseases prevalent in affluent
societies. Portobello mushrooms contain a higher level of DF than the white
variety of mushrooms. Selenium. A serving (3 ounces) of Crimini mushrooms
provides almost one-third of the RDA for selenium, according to the USDA National
Nutrient Database. Selenium has been shown to decrease prostate cancer by more
than 60% according to findings from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Men with the lowest blood selenium levels were 4-5 times more likely to have
prostate cancer than those with the highest selenium levels and that selenium
levels tend to decrease with age.

67. • Selenium levels can be reliably increased in mushrooms by adding sodium
selenite to mushroom compost. Some commercial supplement makers are
now adding this compound to their delayed release nutrients for
mushroom culture.
• Potassium. Crimini mushrooms are a good source of potassium, an
element that is important in the regulation of blood pressure,
maintenance of water in fat and muscle, and to ensure the proper
functioning of cells. A 3-ounce Portobello contains more potassium than a
banana or an orange. To date, attempts to enhance the potassium content
of mushrooms have met with only limited success.
• Antioxidants. Portobello and Crimini mushrooms are good sources of
antioxidants and rank with carrots, green beans, red peppers and broccoli
as good sources of dietary antioxidants. They are rich sources of
polyphenols that are the primary antioxidants in vegetables and are the
best source of L-ergothioneine (ERGO) – a potent antioxidant only
produced in nature by fungi. Crimini mushrooms contain over 15 times
more ERGO than the previously best-known dietary sources of ERGO.

68. • Mushrooms are the fruiting bodies of
macrofungi. They include both edible/medicinal
and poisonous species. However, originally, the
word “mushroom” was used for the edible
members of macrofungi and “toadstools” for
poisonous ones of the “gill” macrofungi.
Scientifically the term “toadstool” has no
meaning at all and it has been proposed that the
term is dropped altogether in order to avoid
confusion and the terms edible, medicinal and
poisonous mushrooms are used.

69. • Edible mushrooms once called the “food of the gods”
and still treated as a garnish or delicacy can be taken
regularly as part of the human diet or be treated as
healthy food or as functional food. The extractable
products from medicinal mushrooms, designed to
supplement the human diet not as regular food, but as
the enhancement of health and fitness, can be
classified into the category of dietary
supplements/mushroom nutriceuticals (Chang and
Buswell, 1996). Dietary supplements are ingredients
extracted from foods, herbs, mushrooms and other
plants that are taken without further modification for
their presumed health-enhancing benefits.

70. • There is an old Chinese saying which states
that “MEDICINES AND FOODS HAVE A
COMMON ORIGIN”. Mushrooms constitute a
most rapidly growing new food category
which the current health-oriented public is
increasingly enjoying.