Design and Evaluation of Rice Straw Bag Filling Machine for Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Florida) Cultivation: DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF RICE STRAW BAG FILLING MACHINE

Shashikumar; G Senthil Kumaran; K Raju Yadav; Meera Pandey; C Ramana; L Edukondalu; K Ashok Kumar; Shrinivasa D J

doi:10.56042/jsir.v82i12.862

Authors

Shashikumar Alva’s Institute of Engineering & Technology, Mijar, Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka 574 225, India
G Senthil Kumaran ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560 089, India
K Raju Yadav Alva’s Institute of Engineering & Technology, Mijar, Moodbidri, Dakshina Kannada, Karnataka 574 225, India
Meera Pandey ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560 089, India
C Ramana Dr. NTR College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh 522 101, India
L Edukondalu Dr. NTR College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh 522 101, India
K Ashok Kumar Dr. NTR College of Agricultural Engineering, Bapatla, ANGRAU, Andhra Pradesh 522 101, India
Shrinivasa D J Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221 005, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56042/jsir.v82i12.862

Keywords:

Agitator, Bagging capacity, Oyster mushroom, Pitch length, Screw conveyer

Abstract

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) is a simple, fast, and cost-effective variety for cultivation, requiring minimal substrate preparation time and production technology when compared to other edible mushrooms. Its popularity has soared due to its exceptional culinary taste and flavor, surpassing even the well-known button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). As a result, it has become highly recognized and preferred over button mushrooms in India. However, the current manual bag filling process of wet chopped rice straw substrate for Pleurotus florida cultivation is laborious and time-consuming, with limited bagging capacity. To address this challenge, a rice straw bag filling machine was designed and developed specifically for oyster mushroom cultivation. This machine comprises a main frame, truncated conical hopper, agitator, single flight tapered end screw conveyor, tubular trough, cylindrical drum, chain and sprocket drive mechanism, and an electric motor. The successful evaluation of this machine revealed that, the maximum bagging capacity of 293 bags/h was found at screw speed of 150 rpm and 200 mm pitch length for rice straw substrate.