Looking for ways to spice up your usual dinengdeng or inabraw for an everyday healthy and safe meal for the family? No worries! The cold, damp weather these remaining months of the year is apt and conducive for growing oyster mushroom!

Oyster mushroom is rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins, and minerals. Like soya, it is recommended by nutrition experts because it is a good alternative to meat. Proven by researches, oyster mushroom can aid in controlling hypertension, diabetes, and cancer.

It is easy to grow, too! And this has been proven by individuals who have tried growing mushroom for household consumption and for some livelihood venture giving the family additional source of income. Growing mushroom also helps safeguard the environment since agri-wastes can be used anew for this purpose.  With research, it is now possible to produce oyster mushroom using rice straw, rice bran, sawdust, rice husk, or a combination of such. Instead of burning or disposing these farm wastes, opt to use them as materials for growing mushroom and have a grab of them for the whole year!

While Ilocanoes savour natural mushrooms sprouting in nature during the cold, damp weather or after a long rain, these mushrooms are available in the market for only a limited time. Good news that this can now to grown in the household and produced year-round to add flavour and appetite to kids and adults alike.

Try this Oyster Mushroom Production technology inscribed in the IEC material, Agpatubotayo iti Kuditdit. You can use this technology to prepare your own fruiting bags especially if inputs are readily available in the farm or in the community.

Dagiti Kasapulan iti Panagaramid iti Pagpatubuan iti Kuditdit 

• Garami, nagragadian ti kayo, ambuligan, ken dadduma pay a kaarngi a materiales iti aglawlaw 
• Isagana ti supot nga agrukod iti 8”x18” pulgada a poly-propylene, PVC a tubo nga agrukod iti ¾ a pulgada ken naputedputed iti 2 a sentimetro, lasam a pagyuperan ken paglutuan, spatula, ken pagsungrod

Panagaramid iti Pagpatubuan

• Yuper ti garami, ambuligan, wenno nagragadian ti kayo iti las-ud ti agpatnag. Pamagaan dagitoy sakbay a tadtaden. 
• Ilaok ti 200 gramo a brown nga asukar knen 100 a gramo nga apog iti kada 27 a kilo a nagragadian ti kayo. Lungnguopen iti makalawas. 
• Paglaoken ti 7 a parte  ti garami wenno ambuligan ken 3 a parte ti nagragadian ti kayo. Dagitoy ti maaramat a pagmulaan iti kuditdit. Ikarga ti maysa a kilo ti naglalaok a materiales iti 6”x12” a selupin wenno 1 ¼ a kilo iti 8”x18” a plastik a selupin. Sedseden. 
• No napunnon ti supot, yusok iti pungto ti plastik ti PVC a tubo santo ikulpi ti supot. Kalpasanna, reppeten iti lastiko. 
• Serraan iti kapas ti abut ti supot tapno awan makastrek a mikrobio a mabalin a mangdadael kadagiti pagpatuboan. Dagitoy ti maawagan iti fruiting bags. 

Panangisagana iti Pagpatubuan 

Lutuen dagiti inaramid a pagpatuboan tapno bumassit ti bilang dagiti makadadael nga organism iti uneg daytoy. Kalpasan ti proseso, agtalinaed dagiti naimbag nga organismo iti unegda tapno saanda a madadael. Kastoy ti aramiden:

• Ikabil iti uneg ti dram dagiti fruiting bags sa mantineren ti kapudot ti uneg ti dram iti 90-95°C iti las-ud ti 4 nga oras. Iti kasta, matay dagiti makadadael a mikrobio iti unegna. 
• Adawen ken pabaawan dagiti fruiting bags. 

Panagmula

• Mabalinen a mulaan dagiti fruiting bags kalpasan a mabaawanda. Pagsisinaen dagiti nagtitipkel a bin-i ti kuditdit (grain spawn) iti uneg ti botelia babaen iti kutsara. 
• Agarup 20-30 a binukel ti grain spawn ti imula iti kada fruiting bag. Aramiden daytoy iti nadalus a lugar tapno awan makastrek a dakes a mikrobio kadagiti pagpatuboan. 
• Ikabil dagiti namulaan a fruiting bags iti nadalus ken nasipnget a lugar.
• Bay-an nga agtubo dagiti ramut (mycelia) dagiti kuditdit iti uneg ti fruiting bag iti las-ud ti makabulan. 

Panagpatubo iti Kuditdit

• No adu ti naaramid a pagpatuboan, yakar dagitoy iti nalawlawa a lugar. 
• No naan-anayen ti pannakalungnguop dagitoy, mangrugidan nga agtubo kalpasan iti 30-70 nga aldaw. Ipayangyang dagitoy. Masapul a nalamiis ti pagpatuboan ken addaan iti kadam-eg a 90-95 a porsiento. Masapul ngarud a kanayon a sibugan ti pagpatuboan. 
• No lukatan dagiti fruiting bags, ikkaten ti kapas ken kartiben ti supot agingga iti PVC a tubo. Kalpasan a nalukatan dagitoy, mangrugi metten nga agtubo dagiti kuditdit iti 2-3 nga aldaw. Aguray pay iti 2-3 nga aldaw sakbay nga agapit. 
• Ap-apan ti uring a taep ti sirok dagiti fruiting bag. Tumulong ti uring tapno agtalinaed ti lamiis, dam-eg, ken bangle ti lugar a pagpatuboan. 

Panagapit

• Agapit iti nasapa nga oras iti bigat. Mabalin met ti agapit iti malem no kasapulan. 
• Adu ti maapit no kanayon a nalamiis ti lugar ken no masibsibugan ti pagpatuboan. 
• Saanen a sibugan dagiti kuditdit no mabalindan nga apiten. 
• Mabalin a pagapitan ti fruiting bag iti saan a nababbaba ngem tallo a bulan. 

Various production technologies have also been forwarded by government institutions depending on the available production materials in the locality. These technologies are also available online and in electronic publications of these agencies and organization.

Fruiting bags of oyster mushroom are also available for sale at the Oyster Mushroom Production Project of the University, located in the Minuyungan Project near the University Training Center (UTC). For IEC materials on Oyster Mushroom Production, copies can be readily obtained in the

For bountiful harvests in the peak fruiting season, mushrooms can also be made into delectable snacks and dishes such as mushroom embutido, vacuum fired mushroom, crispy mushroom, mushroom sisig, and others conceived by the mind.

The Mushroom Production project of the Extension Directorate was established to serve as show window of the feasibility of growing oyster mushroom for household consumption and livelihood enterprise. For years, it has helped community organizations including the BJMP-Batac for the continual improvement and rehabilitation of its detainees. After their detainment, their learning have been instrumental in helping them establish their source of food and livelihood in their respective communities. Recently, an Oyster Mushroom Production training was conducted this September in response to the request of a group of agri-preneurs. Oyster mushroom was also featured in the recent Uong-Balat Festival of the ILAARRDEC where varied mushroom products and livelihood stories were highlighted to inspire the public.

• CHED Chairperson Agrupis to be featured in MMSU-PhilRice paddy art

  JUL 07, 2025

  By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM CorrespondentA tribute to a Philippine higher education champion.Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU), in partnership with the Department of Agriculture–Philippine Rice Research Institute (DA-PhilRice), is set to feature Commission on Higher Education(CHED) Chairpe... [view more]
• MMSU draws 1K enrollees for SOA program on sustainable vegetable farming

  JUN 25, 2025

  By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM CorrespondentA new season of MMSU School-on-the-Air (SOA), a radio-based educational program, kicked off on June 24 and 25, drawing 1,000 enrollees from various towns in Ilocos Norte for this year’s edition focused on regenerative vegetable farming for enhanced and s... [view more]
• 34 extension programs undergo MMSU in-house proposal review

  JUN 11, 2025

  By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM CorrespondentThirty-four extension programs and projects were presented and reviewed during the 2025 In-House Proposal Presentation held from June 4 to 5 at the ILAARRDEC One-Stop Information Shop.The proposals were evaluated by Dr. Marlowe Aquino, planning director; Dr. S... [view more]
• MMSU partners with Pinili LGU for local governance extension project

  JUL 08, 2025

  By Michael VisayaTo empower residents and their leaders through capacity-building activities, the Local Government Unit of Pinili in Ilocos Norte partnered with MMSU through a memorandum of agreement (MoA) on July 3 at the Ferdinand E. Marcos Hall.Signed by MMSU President Virgilio Julius Manzano, Jr... [view more]
• NBERIC webinar opens with biomass session

  MAY 07, 2025

  By Joycel Lagrio, STRATCOM CorrespondentThe Mariano Marcos State University-National Bioenergy Research and Innovation Center (NBERIC) launched its bioenergy webinar series, Straight Direct Talks, with an opening session on biomass held via Zoom on April 29.Dr. Aymerick Eudes, a scientist from the L... [view more]