Course Profile

Once called Food of the Gods, edible Mushrooms, are still treated as a garnish or delicacy and can be considered as healthy food rich in crude fibre, protein, low fat, low calories, high content vitamins, mineral. In fact, mushrooms also possess multi-functional medicinal properties.Mushroom cultivation technology is environmental friendly. The production of edible and medicinal mushrooms utilizing raw material e.g. paddy straw, cotton wastes, coffee waste, water hyacinth, saw dust, sugar cane, wild grasses and various categories of refuse containing lignocellulosic wastes, could readily be adopted.The potential of mushroom farming in generating new employment opportunities is another positive element emanating from mushroom farming ventures.Initiated by the Botany department, Lady Keane College, a UGC recognized and funded Career Oriented Certificate Course on Mushroom Cultivation was introduced in 2010.

Students Intake: 22
Fees Structure: Rs 500.00
Duration: 3 Months
Activities: A project work on Wild edible mushrooms of the Khasi Hills.

Syllabus

Theory(20Hrs)

• Conceptual frame work: Importance, Mushroom types, Cultivation methods.
• Identification of mushrooms: Microscope; Use, Magnification levels, Use of ocular scale; extraction of spores and their measurement..
• Biology and life cycles of mushrooms: Biology, Body structure, growth, nutrition and formation of fruiting bodies. Life cycles of specific mushrooms.
• Cultivation practice of specific mushrooms: Preparation of substratum, essential practices, identifying problems and caring till harvest.
• Housing requirements: Growing room, maintenance of optical environmental conditions, construction of proper housing, economic consideration and cost.
• Planting material: Spawn culturing: techniques, media preparation, sterilization, equipments used, Laminar flow chamber, autoclave etc.
• Harvesting storing and preservation.
• Marketing: Marketing definition and concept, Marketing planning / strategy, Product implementation, Marketing segmentation major variables, Marketing research (SWOT), Marketing mix, Product life cycle.

Practicals (112hrs)

Oyster cultivation and demonstration of Button mushroom cultivation: Tissue isolation, Sub culturing, Spawn making and fruiting bags production, Processing. Field trip to commercial mushroom farms and scientific institutions.

Objective:

The courses aims at developing skills and making the students become self-reliable and employable besides giving them an edge when they seek employment in other Government and private sectors. That is, when students pass out of the college with their degrees, they also are equipped with additional skills to meet the challenges in future.

Faculty Profile

Co-Ordinator: Mr. K.H.M. Pala, H.O.D.,

Laboratory Assistant:Mr. G. Thongni