Edible mushroom production in the Americas

SÁNCHEZ JE; ZIED DC; ALBERTÓ E.

Shangai

Conferencia; 9th International Conference on Mushroom Biology and Mushroom Products; 2018

The Americas comprise an entire continent in the Western Hemisphere. Since ancient times, mushrooms have been known in this continent, specially, in several regions from Mexico, Guatemala and Brazil among others. Although mushrooms have been used for different purposes there, in none of those countries were edible mushrooms cultivated until recently. The first countries to cultivate edible mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) in the Continent were the USA, Canada and Mexico which are nowadays by far the most important edible mushroom producing countries in the continent. Mushroom production is mainly devoted to Agaricus bisporus (ca. 90%) and Pleurotus spp, although some others like Lentinula edodes, A. subrufescens and Ustilago maydis have localized areas of production. There is a steady trend of growth on mushroom production in the Americas, although big differences from the point of view of technology, organization and production are observed between countries.