ABSTRACT
Mushroom culture is a remarkable system of biological manipulation whereby the organisms that are most likely to be harmful are minimized, and those that are beneficial are encouraged. A suitable medium, the compost, is the end product of a complex but controlled biological process involving fungi, bacteria, and actinomycetes. When well prepared, it is a living ecosystem that is suitable for the growth of mushrooms. Mushroom mycelium, once introduced into the compost, affects the system substantially and the development of other microorganisms may be minimized by competition and probably antagonism. However, mushroom compost is not a selective medium in the strict sense, and other fungi introduced at the completion of composting and before mushroom spawn may also grow well, often at the expense of mushroom mycelium. This book is almost entirely about the white mushroom, Agaricus bisporus (also known as A. brunnescens), with occasional reference to the closely related species Agaricus bitorquis. Many readers will have an intimate knowledge of mushroom growing and the different production systems used. This chapter is included for those without such knowledge. A brief description is given of the production processes, the different systems and the overall environment in which mushrooms grow. An additional aid to understanding is the inclusion of a glossary of terms on pages 178–181.
