A Laboratory Method to Obtain Fruit from Cased Grain Spawn of the Cultivated Mushoom, Agaricus Bisporus

SUMMARY

A laboratory procedure to obtain mushrooms by casing (covering) grain spawn (aseptic) with a layer of non-sterile soil is described. Fruit of the white, intermediate, and brown mushroom varieties were consistently and conveniently produced by use of the method. Mushrooms were obtained also by casing commercially available grain spawn. Fruit production from such spawn, however, was less reliable than from the specially-prepared spawn. In addition to being a new and alternate means to evaluate spawn, the method is useful for study of the physiology, genetics and diseases of the cultivated mushroom.