Ram Prasad, 2RPK Ray, 1Dayaram .
Mushroom cultivation is an eco-friendly, low-cost, and land-independent enterprise that offers significant opportunities for income generation, employment, nutritional security, and sustainable livelihood, particularly for small and marginal farmers, rural women, and unemployed youth. The present study assessed the impact of mushroom production technology training conducted at the Advance Centre of Mushroom Research, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Central Agricultural University (RPCAU), Pusa, Bihar. A total of 175 participants (84 men and 91 women) attended three seven-day residential training programmes during August–September 2024. Knowledge levels were assessed through pre- and post-training evaluations using a structured questionnaire. The results revealed substantial improvement in participants' knowledge across all components of mushroom production, particularly in suitable substrate selection (92.0%), mushroom types (89.14%), compost preparation (86.28%), spawn production (80.57%), and nutritional benefits (78.28%). More than half of the trainees were landless (50.85%), indicating the suitability of mushroom cultivation as a livelihood option without requiring agricultural land. Participants recommended greater emphasis on practical training, timely supply of quality spawn, training manuals in Hindi, financial support, and improved market linkages. The study concludes that systematic skill development programmes significantly enhance knowledge and adoption of mushroom production technology, thereby promoting entrepreneurship, income generation, nutritional security, and sustainable rural development.