Strategic Approaches for Outdoor Cultivation of Paddy Straw Mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) as Intercrop Under different Cropping Systems

The present study aimed to selectpotential strainof Volvariella volvacea suitable for outdoor cultivation in different cropping systems like Banana, Maize, Coconut, Coconut+Banana where such suitable microclimate prevails. Among the different strains of V.volvaceatested, the strain Vv-19-06 obtained from Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan,performed considerably superior with higher bioefficiency of 17.44 and sturdy sporophores at egg stage and storage life of 1.1 days under refrigerated condition.Moreover, the morphogenesis of button stage to matured mushrooms were extended up to 1.8 days and the opened mushroom were retained on the bed for another 1.6 days, which is an added advantage.Cultivation of paddy straw mushroom as intercrop in Banana, Maize, Banana+coconut and Coconut cropping systems proved successful with spawn running completion ranging from 8 to 10.3 days, pinhead formation ranging from 9.3 to 11.6 days and harvestable button/egg stage appeared ranging from 11 to 12.6 days. The bioefficiency was comparatively better in all the cropping systems, which ranged from 19.4 to 20.6 %, with a total cropping cycle of 20.5 to 22 days.The indoor cropping system, which requires additional cost for infrastructure, also recorded bioefficiecy of 21.3 in a cropping cycle of 17 days. In all the cropping systems tested, the B:C ratio worked out to be 1:2.3 to 1:2.5 as in indoor cropping system proving that paddy straw mushroomcould be promoted for the outdoor systemin Maize, Banana, Banana +coconut , Coconut cropping systems as intercrop as it fetches additional income to rice-growing farmers.