PhD

The warm humid climatic conditions and wide diversity in soil types and
pattern favoured a luxuriant growth of a wide variety of fungal flora in Kerala.
In the present study collections were made during south-west and north-east
monsoon periods of 1998-2000 in twenty agro climatic zones of Kerala and
forty two species of Agaricus were collected.
Among the 42 species collected A. abruptibulbus, A. actinorachis, A. altipes,
A. annae, A. arenicolus, A. benesi, A. bernardii, A. bulbosus, A. caroli,
A. chloroconius, A. ingrata, A. lividonitidus, A. mediojuscus, A. microflavus,
A. micromegethus, A. microrubescens, A. moelleri, A. nivescens, A. ochraceous,
A. ochroflavus, A. phaeolepidotus, A. pseudopratensis, A. purpurellus,
A. rubicolus, A. rusiophyllus, A. semotus, A. silvicola, A. simulans,
A. spissarujosa, A. squamuliferus, A. stadii, A. subperonatus, A. trisulphuratus
and A. xantholepis are new reports from Kerala. Among these A. abruptibulbus,
A. annae, A. arenicolus, A. benesi, A. bernardii, A. bulbosus, A. caroli,
A. chloroconius, A. ingrata, A. lividonitidus, A. mediojuscus, A. microflavus,
A. microrubescens, A. moelleri, A. nivescens, A. ochraceous, A. ochroflavus,
A. phaeolepidotus, A. purpurel!us, A. rubicolus, A. rusiophyllus, A. simulans,
A. spissarujosa, A. stadii and A. subperonatus are first reports from India.
A. bulbosus, A. ochraceous, A. ochroflavus, A. microflavus, A. microrubescens,
A. rubicolus and A. spissarujosa are the new reports during the study.
'f.
Most of the collections were obtained during May-June and September-
October months coinciding with the early south-west and north-east monsoon
periods. The species of the Genus Agaricus preferred laterite soils.

Growth of Agaricus species was maximum on complete medium and
they preferred a temperature range between 25 and 30DC and pH 6. The results
of the studies revealed that light did not play any significant role on growth of
the fungi. Among the different carbon sources tried Agaricus spp. preferred
glucose, sucrose and fructose. Agaricus spp. exhibited best growth in organic
nitrogen compared to inorganic sources of nitrogen.
From the study it was observed that wheat gram IS best for the
production of spawn of A. bitorquis and maximum growth was obtained when
incubated at 25 and 30DC.
Spawn run of A. bitorquis was observed in traditional compost and
pinheads started appearing within 30-35 days after spawning. The buttons can
be harvested on fourth or fifth day after pinhead emergence. 400 g of buttons
were obtained from 10 kg compost and this preliminary study showed the
possibilities of commercial cultivation of this excellent mushroom species
under Kerala condition.