Mushrooms for the Tropics GROWING PADDY STRAW MUSHROOMS

Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) is the most popular mushroom in the rural areas of the Philippines and was commonly known to Filipinos even before the generation of a technology for its artificial cultivation was launched in the country. This mushroom is called kabuteng dayami or kabuteng saging by Filipinos since it naturally grows on paddy straw and decomposing piles of banana leaves and pseudostems. Commercial mushroom growers, who were at the same time rice farmers used paddy straw and banana leaves. However, due to the intensification of rice production (i.e. from one cropping season to two) as a result of efficient irrigation practices and the availability of high-yielding but short duration rice varieties, most mushroom growers became full time rice growers. Unlike the commercial production of paddy straw mushroom in neighboring countries such as China, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand, production in the Philippines is still a backyard undertaking. Attempts to upgrade its production were made in the early part of the 1990’s with financial assistance from international donors (Tharun, 1993; Ferchak and Croucher, 1993). Still, paddy straw mushroom production has been out paced by the newly introduced Pleurotus mushrooms, despite the abundance of substrates, availability of technology and high market demand. A rough estimate of paddy straw mushroom growers in the Philippines indicates the existence of approximately five hundred growers in the entire country. A number of agencies scattered throughout the archipelago are actively involved in the promotion of paddy straw mushroom cultivation. The participation of these agencies in the dissemination of information varies from research