The pleurotus is a lignocellulosic mushroom that can be fed on barley, or else, on agro industrial residues.   During its lifetime it goes through two stages with different environmental requirements. These are: the incubation stage and the fructification stage. There are two systems used for production.

Extensive production on tree trunks

This system of production is developed outdoors. Thus, the environmental conditions of the seasons determine the cycle of life of the mushroom. Soft woods, such as Salix or Populus, are used for growing the fungi. The most common technique for sowing (inoculation) is slicing the trunk 5 cm beneath the top surface, removing the slice, inserting the inoculums, and finally replacing the trunk slice on the inoculated surface by nailing it. The trunks spend the whole summer in the stage of incubation. The best season for fructification is autumn. The lifetime of a given trunk oscillates from 2 to 3 years, depending on its diameter.

Intensive production on artificial soil

During the last thirty years, research on superior inoculation techniques allowed the commercialisation of the mushroom in the western part of  the world. Producers of the mushroom who work on artificial soil in the Argentinean province of Neuquen, have an approach of production based on the developments made by the Centre of Research and Services for the Production of Comestible and Medicinal Mushrooms. As mentioned above, the mushrooms may be fed on any agro industrial residues,  such as husks of sunflower seeds or those of peanuts, fruit skins, etc. These residues go through a process of sterilization or pasteurisation meant to eliminate invasive organisms identified as competitors. Afterwards,  this artificial soil is sowed and packed. Fifteen days later, the soil is ready for growing mushrooms. Once the soil is exhausted, it is discarded and reutilised to feed worms. Thus, obtaining an optimal organic amendment.