DMR Milky-985 (Milky Mushroom)
A milky mushroom strain identified as high-yielding by ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research (DMR), Solan following three years of multi-location cultivation trials — a research-backed alternative to the older, widely used APK-2 strain.
Quick facts
- Crop
- Mushroom
- Type
- Spawn (released strain)
- Season
- Zaid / summer
- Maturity period
- 3–4 weeks to first flush
- Expected yield
- Identified as a high-yielding strain in ICAR-DMR multi-location trials (2017–2020)
- Suitable soil
- Grown on pasteurised paddy straw, not soil
- Release
- Identified as a high-yielding strain by ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research (DMR), Solan, based on 2017–2020 multi-location trials
About this variety
DMR Milky-985 is a milky mushroom (Calocybe indica) strain identified as high-yielding by ICAR-Directorate of Mushroom Research, Solan, following three years (2017–2020) of cultivation trials carried out at multiple locations across India. Like other milky mushroom strains, it is grown on pasteurised paddy straw with no compost step, and is spawned specifically to fruit through the hot summer months (roughly April–June) when oyster and button mushroom both slow down — giving a grower running a shed near year-round a genuine third-species option alongside the more established APK-2.
Key characteristics
Yield & maturity
Maturity period
3–4 weeks to first flush
Expected yield
Identified as a high-yielding strain in ICAR-DMR multi-location trials (2017–2020)
Actual yield depends on sowing time, soil, irrigation, weather, seed quality and crop management.
Pest & disease considerations
Major diseases
- Selected specifically for consistent, high-yielding performance across locations in trial conditions
Advantages & considerations
Why farmers may choose it
- Research-backed selection from a genuine multi-location, multi-year ICAR-DMR trial programme
- Fruits through the summer heat gap the way other milky mushroom strains do, on the same simple straw substrate as oyster mushroom
Things to consider
- Newer and less widely distributed than APK-2 — spawn availability may be more limited outside DMR's own supply network
- Needs the same genuinely warm conditions (30–35°C) as any milky mushroom strain to fruit well
Suitable regions
States this variety is recommended for — check locally, since a state can have more than one recommended zone.
- Himachal Pradesh
- Bihar
- Odisha
- Tamil Nadu