Mushrooms are the members of plant kingdom. They are edible fungi belonging to the class Hymenomycetes. They are achlorophyllous and depend on organic decays or living plants for their nutrition. Mushrooms are generally saprophytic, but are also parasitic and mycorrhizal. They have heterotrophic mode of nutrition.

Importance of mushroom cultivation:

1. Nutritional Importance:

Mushroom are considered as wholesome food. It contains as twice as the protein of most of fresh vegetable. On the dry weight basis mushrooms are made up of about 30% highly digestible protein.These protein contains all essential amino acid. Being lower calorie food (36 cal/100g), with no cholesterol, high mineral content, rich source of vitamin it is also called as ‘sliming diet’.

2. Economic importance:

In agriculture mushroom production is a viable business. The business of mushroom can be initiated with very little investment and has short pay back period. Small scale mushroom farm don't demand large area for its establishment thus may be a good choice for resource poor farmer and can make handful money for living. Rapid turnover: the payback period of mushroom cultivation is quite short (with exceptions) High profitability: mushroom growing is a profitable business.

3. Medicinal importance:

It is Highly valued in Tibetian and Unani medicinal system of curing. It Contains: Antioxidants, Anticancer, Antiviral, immuno-modulatory, aphrodisiac. For example , Cordyceps has active ingredient Cordymin, Cordycepsidone and Cordyheptapetide which are used as Immunomodulat ory, aphrodisiac.

4. Ecological importance:

Fungi including wild mushrooms play a critical role in nearly every ecosystem. They function as decomposers as well as part of food chain to maintain a healthy ecosystem.They are key in recycling dead vegetation and making the nutrients available for the next generation of plant life. They form symbioses with the vast majority of herbaceous and woody plants, allowing them to colonize poor soils and pull otherwise unavailable nutrients from the soil. Fungi serves as food and habitat for many insects, animals and reptiles .

5. Food security:

Mushroom are best agents to convert wastage materials and plant byproducts directly in to highly valued human food. It don’t demand large area for its production. Thus production of mushroom widely add .

Scope:

1. Due to the geographic diversity many varieties of mushroom are found in Nepal. Though only few are domesticated, there are large numbers of wild mushrooms which are edible and has high nutritional and medicinal value. Very less has been study done regarding this. Many parts of Nepal still remain unexplored for mushroom.

2. Mushroom has a significantly higher rate of economic return, eg. One kg of mushroom could be produced with 28 rupees which could be sold at 80-100 rupees.

3. Due to low initial cost small farmer could also establish mushroom farm which could solve current unemployment problem.

4. Growing vegetarian population could support mushroom industry.

5. Nepal has all the requisities of low cost labour, favourable climatic conditions, plentiful cheap supply of raw substrates, spawns and other inputs to become a leading mushroom producer.

Potentiality of mushroom farming in Nepal:

The mushroom industry is gradually taking root in Nepal but the pace is rather slow because of insufficient scientific support and inadequate training programs. Mushroom cultivation has a special relevance to Nepal because wide variety agricultural and forestry residues are abundantly available with our farmers. In addition, agroclimate of the country is very congenial for cultivation of variety of mushrooms. Awareness for the mushroom among the general public is gradually increasing. Currently, small farm approach is being adopted for the production throughout the country. Mushroom farming as a cottage industry is quite suitable for Nepalese growers because majority of them cannot afford the expensive modern mushroom houses equipped with all environmental controlling gadgets. It has been found that cultivation of Pleurotus spp. has proved to be the most popular among the Nepalese growers because of its comparative ease in cultivation. Its low capital investment and high yields that obtained even under uncontrolled rural conditions. For the advantages of rural employment generation and gainful utilization of natural and farm resources, importance of agrobased experts should be emphasized. Mushroom cultivation is emerging in Nepal, as a promising agrobased enterprise due to flexibility in its operation. Button mushroom

mushroom (Calocybeindica) are the most popular mushrooms in Nepal which have been farming on commercial scale. Bulk of Nepal’s production is from Kathmandu valley. It is also gaining popularity in other parts of country.
Nepal has all the requisities of low cost labour, favourable climatic conditions, plentiful cheap supply of raw substrates, spawns and other inputs to become a leading mushroom producer.

Challenges of mushroom farming in Nepal:

1. There has been a lesser amount of study and research by government sectors or other private organization. No policies have been yet formulated for mushroom farming. It is not yet recognized as commodity by horticulturist. It has been placed under Plant pathology division in NARC because it is a fungi and fungi is one of the disease causing agent in crops.

2. Due to lack of good transportation network, market access is big challenge. Production of any kind of mushroom will first require development of road network. Also the market is mainly limited to urban centers only and is dominated by two kinds of mushroom only. Lack of linkage also acts as hurdle to technology transfer.

3. Currently, two varieties which are produced by farmers fail to compete at international market. The other species which can be exported are yet to be produced at large scale.

4.The farmers are also receiving less training. Many farmers are afraid to start mushroom farming because they do not have knowledge about investment, profits and loss that may be involved in this. Many mushroom farmers also have incomplete knowledge because of which they consider this farming as gambling and its production to be determined by fate. They often find themselves helpless when diseases spread in their farm.

5. There is also lack of awareness among consumers regarding the nutritional and medicinal value of mushroom. Due to this, there is no demand of high value mushrooms, and hence there is no supply.

6. There is also good opportunity for collaboration between community forest and mushroom farming. Shiitake for example, since it is produced from wood logs, can be good source of income for community forestry user groups. Many researchers have seen this as great opportunity. But coordination between these two is yet to be build.

7. Technology transfer is also challenging issue considering the literacy level of farmer and long history of dependency on traditional method. Also very less researchers are involved in this, making technology transfer a more difficult job.

8. The export of mushroom has not gained much interest from businessmen either.

Classification of mushroom:

Corticolous:

Growing on bark of tree as bracket or conk, causes decay and rot of tree. Only few species are edible. E.g. Ganoderma

Coprophillus:

Dung loving saprophytic fungi . It is adoptive to low lignin containing substrates, E.g. Bird nest fungi, Coprinopsis , Psilocybe

Lignicolous:

Prefer substrates with high lignin content. it attacks tree trunks and other high lignin containing substrates and causes their decay. E.g. Armalaria sps

Important cultivated mushroom in Nepal

1. Button Mushroom ( Agaricusbisporus)
2. Oyster mushroom ( Pleurotussajor-caju)
3. Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariellavolvacea)
4. Shiitake mushroom
5. Gyanodarma Mushroom

Important wild mushroom of Nepal:

1. Boletus edulis(Cep, or Bolete)
2. Cantharelluscibarius(Chantharelle)
3. Cordycepssinensis(Yarsagumba in Nepali)
4. Craterellusconnucopiodes(Horn of plenty)
5. Ganodermalucidum
6. Morchellaconica(Morel)
7. Morchellaesculenta(Morel)
8. Tricholomamatsutake(Matsutake )

Identification of edible and poison mushroom / Characteristics of poisonus mushroom:

1) Poisonous mushrooms are brighter in color
2) The mushroom eaten by other animal is safe for human too.
3) Poisonous mushroom changes color when scratched .
4) Mushrooms producing latex are poisonous.
5) Poisonous mushrooms don’t contain veil.
6) While cooking poisonous mushroom with silver spoon, it changes color .
7) Most of poisonous mushrooms have swollen base.

Poisonous Mushroom:

Aminata (Death cap)
Coprinus (Inky cap)
Clitocybe
Inocybe
Psilocybe (magic mushroom)
Claviceps (Ergot)

Types of mushroom:

1. Saprophytic Mushroom :eg. Button mushroom, oysterus etc.
2. Parasitic mushroom :eg. Honey Fungus (Armillariamellea, Armillariaostoyae, etc) 
3. MycorrhizalMushroom :eg. Truffles (Tuber melanosporum, Tuber magnatum, etc)