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...
... middle of paper ...
...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.
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.
The fungus sclerotinia sclerotiorum over winters as sclerotia either in the soil or in stubble at the soil surface (Morton and Hall, 1989). If the weather (moisture and temperature) is favorable, small mushroom-like structures called apothecia will be produced on the sclerotia. Each sclerotia can several apothecia. Apothecia can produce millions of spores called ascospores. Ascospores will be released in air when the apothecia is mature. Some ascospores land on canola plants and infect dead canola tissues like fal...
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
Sorrento has several agricultural productions that includes citrus fruit, wine, nuts and olives. Although it is most famous for the production of limoncello, a digestif made from lemon rinds, alcohol, water and sugar.
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...
Ganoderma lucidum, otherwise known as the Reishi or Mannentake has been heralded by Asian cultures for many centuries. It is a polypore mushroom of corky or woody texture that appears to have a coat of varnish on the top. It is a shelf mushroom that grows on dead and dying trees. There are many varieties of Reishis. Akashiba is the red Reishi, the most potent; Kuroshiba--the black Reishi; Aoshiba--the blue Reishi; Shiroshiba--the white Reishi; Kishiba--the yellow Reishi; and Murasakishiba--the purple Reishi. (www.canited.com/w-reshi.htm) The Reishi mushroom is attributed with many health stimulating properties from general good health and recuperation, to longevity, sexual prowess, wisdom, and happiness. In certain cases it is used as sculptural artwork. Under certain conditions the fruiting body takes on what is referred to as an "antler" shape, that to some is aesthetically pleasing. According to Paul Stamets, this is a result of elevated carbon dioxide levels in the surrounding environment. Reishis may prove useful to the fight against cancer as well. More and more research is being conducted about compounds, in reishis, that stimulate the immune system.
Janick. J. (2011). Center for New Crops & Plant Products - Department of Horticulture and
Meadows, H, Donella.. "Our food, our future." Organic Gardening. 01 Sep. 2000: 53. eLibrary. Web. 25 Feb. 2014.
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.
As the population of the world increases, so does the need for food. This population increase is going to put a strain on the food available as well as other resources. The resource strain created by the increased population has gathered the attention of both researchers and academics alike. Such theorists have created many ways to remedy this food strain through means of altering our foodways to be less wasteful and more sustainable, discovering new or modifying existing foodstuffs that are easier to grow and are more nutritious, and also creating new, more efficient agricultural methods and equipment. One of these ways, however, has been at work recently. There has been a global trend of discovering and consuming “superfoods,” foods that
Aquaponics produces the biggest, best, and most diverse fruits and vegetables in the smallest amount of space. Unlike normal gardening and farming, Aquaponics is not limited to seasons or climate, which means all types of fruits and vegetables can be produced year round. When farmers can produce any plant, any where, at any time, the produce can be picked at the peak of its ripeness, which is when it looks and tastes the best, and since farme...
Vegetables grown in Okinawa are rich in polyphenol and vitamin c due to the volcanic
Imagine Italian cuisine without tomato as an ingredient or your favorite pasta without any tomato sauce. It sounds extraordinary to think that at one point in history Italian cuisine didn’t have tomato as a staple food. After the European exploration of the Americas, numerous amounts food we introduced into Europe, Eurasia and Africa. This helped evolve the Mediterranean diet as well as traditional Italian cuisine (MacLennan and Zhang, 131.) What makes Italian cuisine popular around the world today is that most dishes are made with a small number of ingredients; cooking methods are simple and the recipes are healthy. This is a perfect mix for the food lover, and the upcoming cook with hopes to become a chef. This is why traditional Italian cuisine has influence my pursuit into the culinary field. (”Italian Food Made Easy; Traditional Fare Just Like Mama Used to Make,” par. 1-11.)
There is an increased demand for organic food restaurants in the recent years and many people are leaning in more for organic produce items. There are many organic restaurants for those that want to eat healthier. There has been a high demand in recent years for organically grown food according to statistics from the USDA reports. In 1990 sales of organic food and beverages grew from $1 billion, to $21.1 billion in 2008 and are on track to reach $23 billion in 2009. The considerable increase in demand can be attributed to the common belief that organically produce food are healthier for human health, and also best for our ecological community (Crinnion 4). Organic farming management relies on developing biological diversity in the field to disrupt the habitat for pest organisms for maintaining soil fertility (Crinnion 6). Since bagged fertilizer is not used, organic farming reduces the amount of groundwater pollution and soil erosion while increasing the biodiversity of animal, plant, and microbial life in a given biome. In the past, people who made food choices based on health, nature, and ethics experienced ridicule and were known as extremists, while those with chemical based diets
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