Brin Berge
April 2014
The Future of the Portobello Mushroom (agaricus bisporus) as an Environmentally Sustainable and Nutritious Food Source
Introduction
Agaricus bisporus is the scientific name for the Portobello mushroom. The Portobello mushroom is one of the most widely cultivated and consumed edible mushrooms in the world. It is the most common edible mushroom in the United States, and has been since 1800. 50%Fifty percent of Portobello mushroom cultivation occurs in Pennsylvania. The industry brings in about 800 million dollars per year.
The cultivation of the Portobello mushroom displays a unique homothallic method of reproduction, which is advantageous in that it can breed any spore that lands on a suitable substrate. The mushroom is cultivated in 6 phases: composting (phase I), composting (phase II), spawning (phase III), casing (phase IV), pinning (phase V) and cropping (phase VI). The cultivation requires little land and can grow on substrates of industrial and agricultural waste. During cultivation, the farmer must take precautions in order to avoid conditions (such as soft rot) that affect the quality of the mushroom in storage and delivery. Furthermore, different supplementation during the cultivation process can prevent issues with yield, shelf life, quality and flavor of the mushroom. Postharvest browning is one of the main issues beyond cultivation. In order to properly preserve and distribute the mushrooms, measures such as modified atmosphere packaging, coating, washing, refrigeration, and ozone treatments have been researched to improve the process.studied.
In terms of nutrition, the pPortobello mushroom is a nutritious and ecologically desirable agricultural product. Its composition shows that it is a goo...
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...bello mushroom could, beyond its benefits as a food source, help preserve and sustain the environment.
VII. Conclusion
Based on the information that we know about the reproduction, cultivation, preservation, distribution, nutrition and ecological impact of the Portobello mushroom it becomes very clear that this is a very important agricultural crop. Research regarding the mushroom is relatively unexplored in every topic covered throughout the paper. Therefore, it is important that we spend time studying pPortobello mushrooms with respect to ways in which we can improve our understanding, practices and technologies in order to exploit them as efficiently as possible in the future. If we do so, Portobello mushrooms may prove to be one of the most promising solutions to the agricultural and, ecological and food crises that industrial food production has caused.
Sordaria fimicola belongs to the kingdom of fungi and is part of the phylum Ascosmycota. This fungus habitat is in the feces of herbivores. As many fungi Sordaria have one life cycles which is haploid/ diploid. It is commonly exits as a haploid organism, but when the mycelium from two individuals meets, the result is a diploid zygote. This diploid zygote which undergoes meiosis forms eight haploid ascospores . The ability of Sordaria to make 8 haploid ascospores is what makes it unique and important for the laboratory exercise done in lab.
All over this planet from the ocean floor to the forests and jungles some form of Fungi can be present. Though they can be found in many different forms such as mold yeast, the most commonly known is the Mushroom. Found in the wild on dead plant and animal matter, the mushroom is nothing more then the fruit of a fungus spore and can be a nutrisous food. There is a specific Genus of these Fungi that have a unique chemical inside of them. Psilocybin or its chemical name Dihydrogen Phospate is a naturally occuring compound with strong Psychoactive properties.
Given the spiritual nature of this mushroom, it also served as a mystical element that was meant to accompany the Shaman in the afterlife. For this purpose, the sporophores of this mushroom were carved as jewelry and it was either painted, or coated in a protective substance, and then it was placed at the Shaman’s head at his grave site, as it was considered to play a key role as his “grave guardians”. Additionally to protecting the Shaman’s burial site, this mushroom was also meant to warn people that the site was occupied by spirits and thus they shouldn’t approach
Nagaland of India contains one of the world’s hottest chilies – the Naga King Chili (Bhut Jolokia). The author of the article, Mary Roach, arrived to Nagaland to experience the Hornbill Festival, in particular, to watch the Naga King Chili-Eating Competition. She aimed to find out and understand the pleasure and pain the Capsicum genus brings to the people who consume it. The Naga King Chili Pepper varies in heat, but can score extremely high on the Scoville heat unit. The contestants of the chili-eating contest began to suffer from the effect of the capsaicin in their digestive tracts. Some experienced hot flashes and unbearable heat from within, others, like the winner of the contest, vomited at the end of the competition. Some competitors were only able to eat a few of the Naga King Chili, however, others ate up to fourteen chilies. Tolerance for capsaicin, according to the article, is largely built on practice. Only a small part is due to genetics. Capsaicin damages pain receptors over time, so if someone continuously eats hot chili peppers, the pain receptors in their nerves will slowly degenerate and become less sensitive. Mary Roach was able to sample the Naga King Chili in small doses, which brings out the wonderful flavors that would otherwise be overwhelmed by the heat of the capsaicin.
Although considered faster and cheaper, this approach to providing other alternative resources to food is slowly but significantly drying up our plant and is compromising human health. Because of the increa...
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Reshetnikov S., Wasser S., Duckman I., & Tsukor K. (2000). Medicinal value of the genus Tremella Pers. International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms 2 (3): 345–67
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