Preliminary Development of Mycelium Based Sustainable Construction Material Out of Agricultural Waste

Agriculture, with its allied sectors, is India's largest source of livelihood. Since independence, this sector has been one of the key contributors to the economic upliftment of the country. Being an agro-based economy, primarily the technological innovations, infrastructural developments and policies framed by the government were focused on improving traditional farming methods, crop yields, fertilizers production, knowing weather and soil conditions etc., for the betterment of the farmers. Simultaneously, with the upliftment of the agriculture industry, issues related to improper management of crop residue and deliberate burning down of agricultural waste are surfacing as a prominent environmental challenge. Burning of crop residue accounts for a significant contributor to India’s total GHG (Green House Gas) emissions. The recent events of burning Parali (Rice Husk) in the northern states have had a worsening effect on the Air Quality Index (AQI) of the Delhi & National Capital Region (NCR). To prevent the burning of crop residue, various research and development works are being conducted to provide a better alternative of burning residue. Research on creating wealth from agricultural waste has explored various technologies and methods for managing the waste through the preparation of the handmade paper, Biochar, soil-less plantation, mushroom cultivation etc. Based on the study of mushroom cultivation using crop residue and agricultural waste in construction, this paper reviews the prospects of creating mycelium-based sustainable construction material out of agricultural waste.