2025-07-16

"The training was very beneficial. Thanks to the organisers," shared Nataraja, one of the participants.

Mushrooms are well known for their unique taste, flavour, and exceptional nutritional profile. Edible mushrooms are rich in a wide range of nutraceutical compounds such as polysaccharides, dietary fibres, terpenes, peptides, glycoproteins, alcohols, mineral elements, unsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidants.

TIES recently conducted an intensive training session on mushroom cultivation, attracting 84 enthusiastic participants. A major highlight of the programme was the introduction and practical demonstration of pellet-based mushroom bed preparation—an innovative and sustainable alternative to traditional methods.

The training was structured into two comprehensive segments: a theory session and a hands-on workshop. The theoretical component covered key topics such as an introduction to mushrooms, tissue culture, mother spawn and spawn production, bed preparation techniques, and post-harvest technologies.

What truly set this training apart was its special focus on using pellets as a growing substrate. Compared to conventional straw beds, pellets are cleaner, more compact, and significantly reduce the need for cleaning, chopping, etc. This makes the method more efficient, less labour-intensive, and scalable. Many participants welcomed this new approach, citing lower contamination risks and reduced workload as key benefits.

The sessions were led by experts including Dr. Punnen Kurian, Director of TIES; Prof. Sunny Jose, retired Head of the Department at St. Xavier’s College, Vaikom; and Ms. Arya Shaji, Project Assistant at TIES. During the hands-on workshop, each participant had the opportunity to prepare their own pellet-based mushroom beds, reinforcing their theoretical learning with practical experience.

This training was part of TIES’ ongoing capacity-building initiatives aimed at promoting environmentally friendly and economically sustainable farming practices. The programme was efficiently coordinated by Sarath Babu N B, Jijomon P P, Limna Alena Baby, Christeena Babu, Sruthy Shaji, and Vandana N V from the TIES team.