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R. de LenCultivation of edible and medicinal mushrooms in Guatemala, Central America

Micologa Aplicada International, vol. 15, nm. 1, january, 2003, pp. 31-35,

Colegio de Postgraduados

Mxico

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MUSHROOMCULTIVATIONINGUATEMALA

MICOL. APL. INT., 15(1), 2003, PP. 31-35

31MICOLOGIAAPLICADAINTERNATIONAL, 15(1), 2003, pp. 31-35 2003, PRINTEDINBERKELEY, CA, U.S.A.

http://micaplint.fws1.com

INTRODUCTION

Guatemala is one of the countries where the

Mayan civilization flourished more than

2000 years ago. The famous mushroom

stones were described for the first time by

World Society for Mushroom Biology and Mushroom ProductsSymposium: Prospects of Mushroom Cultivation in Latin America for the XXI Century

CULTIVATIONOFEDIBLEANDMEDICINALMUSHROOMSINGUATEMALA, CENTRALAMERICA

R. DELEN

Planta Productora de Hongos Comestibles y Medicinales,7a. calle 33-26, zona 7, Jardnes de Tikal II, 01007

Guatemala, Guatemala. E-mail: [email protected]

Presented in Cuernavaca, Mexico, February 22, 2002

ABSTRACT

Edible wild mushrooms have been consumed in Guatemala since pre-Columbiantimes. However, mushroom cultivation started until the end of the 1950s with

Agaricus bisporus. This was established on a commercial scale during the 1970s.The cultivation of Lentinula edodesbegan in 1979 using Quercuslogs as substrate;the use of oak sawdust started in 1991. Guatemala currently produces about 68,504kg of A. bisporusand A. bitorquis; 34,020 kg ofL. edodes; and 29,580 kg of

Pleurotusper year. Other mushrooms, such as Flammulina velutipes, Ganodermalucidum, Agrocybe aegerita, Volvariella volvacea, and Pholiota nameko have alsobeen produced experimentally since 1995.

Key words: Edible mushrooms, cultivation, history, Guatemala.

Carl Sapper 14, in 1898. Further studies

made by Lowy 8, 9indicated that the fung

represented in these sculptures played a role

in the Mayan society; however, their actua

use and meaning still remains unknown 13

In 1975, Lowy 10reported the consumption


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R. DELEN

MICOL. APL. INT., 15(1), 2003, PP. 31-35

32

of wild mushrooms that prevails in Guate-

malan communities, and nowadays a variety

of species can be found in popular markets(Fig. 1), such as: Cantharellus cibarius Fr.,C. odoratus (Schw.)Fr., Amanita caesarea

(Scop. : Fr.)Grev., Schizophyllum commune

Fr., Pleurotus levis (Berk. & Curt.)Sing.,

Lactarius deliciosus (L. : F.)S.F. Gray.,L.

indigoSchw. : Fr.,Hypomyces lactifluorum

(Schw. : Fr.)Tul., Laccaria amethistina

(Bolton : Hook)Murill, L. laccata (Scoop.

ex Fr.)Berk. & Broome, Tremella reticulata

Berk., Helvella crispa Scop. : Fr., H.

lacunosa Fr., Polyporus umbellatus Fr., andAgrocybe aegerita(Brig.)Sing. 1, 4, 12, 15 , 16.

Mushroom cultivation in Guatemala be-

gan at the end of the 1950s withA. bisporus

(Lange)Imbach 11. However, it was the

1970s when it was established on a com-

mercial scale, and available in supermar-

kets 3. The Central American Institute forResearch and Technology (ICAITI) began

to carry out research work in 1979 on the

cultivation of edible mushrooms. Pleurotus

flabellatusBerk. & Br. was cultivated us-

ing coffee by-products and citronella ba-

gasse as growing substrates 2. Subse-

quently, the ICAITI and the Veterinary

Faculty of the University of San Carlos de

Guatemala (USAC) studied the use of

wheat straw degraded by Pleurotus sajor-

caju (Fr. : Fr.)Qul. as animal feed for sheep5. In 1979, a small company also started

the production of Lentinula edodes on

Quercuslogs. After 1984, there was an in-

creased interest for cultivating edible

mushrooms, after a lecture given by G.

Guzmn 6.

CULTIVATION

In 1977, the first small farm for producing

A. bisporuswas established, and it has con-

tinued with this activity so far. At present,

four more companies are also cultivating the

white button mushroom. All mushroom

farms use composted wheat straw, supple-

mented with chicken manure, urea and dif-

ferent meals, as substrate. The pasteuriza-

tion method is by means of steam, although

one company pasteurizes the substrate with

the heat generated during composting. An-

other company takes advantage of the

steam produced by geothermal facilities topasteurize the substrate, because it is

located in a volcanic region. The current

production of Agaricus mushrooms in

Guatemala is of around 68,504 kg/year;

70% of this production is consumed within

the country and 30% is exported to El Sal-

vador and Honduras.

Fig. 1. Edible mushrooms sold in a popularmarket at Tecpan, Chimaltenango.


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MICOL. APL. INT., 15(1), 2003, PP. 31-35

33

The first company that produced L.

edodes,established in 1984, used Quercus

logs as substrate. Of its production, 70%was consumed in Guatemala and 30% ex-

ported to Mexico and Panama. The annual

production during those years reached about

37,000 kg; however, it closed down in 1993.

Another company is now producing about

34,020 kg per year of shiitake. Sawdust from

rubber trees (Hevea brasiliensis) is being

used as substrate. Most mushrooms are ex-

ported (80%), while a small proportion

(20%) is marketed in Guatemala (Fig. 2A).

There is also a small shiitake farm using

oak logs as substrate around the city of

Guatemala. Its production is consumed in

the local market (Fig. 2B).The commercial production of Pleurotus

began in 1986. Initially it was consumed

only by French and Italian residents in Gua

temala. The company uses wheat straw and

coffee pulp as substrates (Fig. 2C). In 1999a second company was established produc

ing P. eryngii(DC. : Fr.)Qul. on sawdus

of rubber trees and corn-cobs. Oyste

mushrooms are normally sold in the

domestic market. The annual production

of Pleurotus is of about 29,580 kg. Mos

Fig. 2A-D. Commercialcultivation of edible

mushrooms in Guate-

mala. A-B: Shiitake

mushrooms cultivated

using sawdust from

rubber trees (A) and

oak logs (B) as growing

substrates. C: Oystermushrooms grown on a

mixture of wheat straw

and coffee pulp. D: Pro-

duction of mushroom

spawn within a mush-

room farm around the

city of Guatemala. D

A

B

C


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R. DELEN

MICOL. APL. INT., 15(1), 2003, PP. 31-35

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production (90%) is consumed in Guate-

mala, while a small proportion (10%) is

exported to El Salvador and Honduras.

The total production of cultivated edible

and medicinal mushrooms in Guatemalahas been estimated to be 132,104 kg per

year (Table 1), includingA. bisporusandA. bitorquis (51.9%), L. edodes (25.7%),

and Pleurotus (22.4%). A total of 76 em-

ployees work in the developing mushroom

industry. Two Agaricus farms in Guate-

mala produce their own spawn, while the

other three import the spawn from the

Table 1. Estimated production of cultivated and medicinal mushrooms in Guatemala (2000).

Species Production Proportion of Typical substrates Number of

(Fresh weight, kg) production (%) Employees

Agaricus bisporus 68,504 51.9 Supplemented wheat straw 46

A. bitorquis and sugar cane bagasse

Lentinula edodes 34,020 25.7 Sawdust from oak and 17

rubber trees

Pleurotusspp. 29,580 22.4 Wheat straw, coffee 13

pulp, corn-cobs

Total 132,104 100 76

Figs. 3-4. Experimental cultivation of edible mushrooms in Guatemala. 3: Ganoderma lucidumcultivated onsawdust from rubber trees supplemented with corn-cobs. 4:Agrocybe aegerita grown on wheat straw.

U.S.A. All Pleurotus and shiitake farms

produce their spawn (Fig. 2D). One farmsells spawn to rural villages for the

cultivation of Pleurotuson local agricultural

by-products (e.g., coffee pulp, wheat straw,

corn-cobs), as well as for shiitake cultivation

on logs for the sustainable management of

the forest.

Training courses have been carried out

since 1990, in order to promote Pleurotus

production in rural villages having traditions

of mushroom consumption. There are three

non-governmental organizations involved

3 4


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MICOL. APL. INT., 15(1), 2003, PP. 31-35

35

in programmes of rural development. Two

work in San Marcos (a diocesan priest, and

Pastoral de la Tierra Interdiocesana),while another works in Huehuetanango

(Asociacin para el Desarrollo de

Huehuetanango).

In 1995, several studies were performed

on the cultivation of Flammulina velutipes

(Curt. ex Fr.) Sing., Ganoderma lucidum

(Leyss.: Fr.) P. Karst., Agrocybe aegerita

(Brig.) Sing., Volvariella volvacea (Bull.:

Fr.) Sing., and Pholiota nameko (T. Ito) S.

Ito et Imai apud Imai. A Thai strain of G.

lucidum has been cultivated on sawdustfrom rubber trees supplemented with corn-

cobs in a mushroom farm from Escuintla,

a tropical region of Guatemala (Fig. 3). Na-tive strains of A. aegerita have been iso-

lated, characterized in the laboratory, and

cultivated on straw (Fig. 4) 7.Mushroom production and consumption

in Guatemala is greater than that of any

other Central American country. Since

1991, the Orthodox Monastery Lavra

Mambr has promoted the use of medicinal

mushrooms. It is being achieved through

capsules and tinctures containingL. edodes,

Grifola frondosa, and several species of

Ganoderma.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author thanks the following persons for their information

on mushroom production: Mrs. Faviola Silva, Estratos

Company; Eng. Florentin Prez, Piln Cosechn; Dr. Fridolin

Birk Myconos; and Mr. Hideo Kojima. Nun Yvonne

Sommerkamp and M.Sc. Isabel Valdez for the text review andtranslation.

LITERATURE CITED

1. Argueta, J. N. 1983. Estudio de los macromicetos de la

Ciudad de Guatemala, Mixco y San Juan

Sacatepquez. Tesis de licenciatura. Facultad de

Ciencias Qumicas y Farmacia, University of San

Carlos, Guatemala. 45 pp.

2. De Len, R., E. Morales, L. de Agreda and C. Rolz. 1983

Coffee by-products and citronella bagasse a

substrate for Pleurotusproduction.Mushroom

Newsletter for the Tropics4(1): 113-116.

3. De Len, R., G. Guzmn and D. Martnez-Carrera. 1988

Planta productora de hongos comestibles (Pleurotu

ostreatus) en Guatemala.Rev. Mex. Mic.4: 297

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4. Flores, R., M. C. Bran and M. Honrubia. 2001. Edibl

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Pp. 22.In: Second international workshop on ed

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