Use off agricultural byproducts for cultivation of oyster mushrooms at seed production and fruit production stages

Abstract

Mushroom cultivation is a profitable agribusiness and use of low cost agricultural byproducts helps in improving the economic status of the farmer. The performances of two varieties of Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus), American oyster and Lanka oyster at seed production were studied in different spawn substrates along with paddy {Oryza sativa) as the standard medium. Finger millet (Eleucine coracana), bajiri (Seteria italica\ refused tea (Camellia sinensis), banana stems {Musa accuminata) and aricanut soft stem (Araca catechu) were used as different media alone or mixed with saw dust (Albezia molloccana) as 1:1 ratio. In another study with fruit production, three compost mixtures, including saw dust, paddy straw and saw dust: paddy straw 1:1 ratio were used as the common media along with other ingredients. The mycelial growth, time taken for fruiting body formation and mushroom yield during two harvests were recorded. Significantly weak mycelial colonization was observed with paddy. Finger millet alone or in the ratio of 1:1 with saw dust showed better growth of the fungus compared to other media tested. There was a significant variation in mycelial growth corresponding to each variety with each compost combination in the cropping media experiment. The highest mycelial growth was recorded in American oyster on saw dust while the lowest was recorded in Lanka oyster on rice straw. Pin head formation in saw dust medium in both species and harvests was comparatively high. Maximum yield was recorded in sawdust + rice straw medium grown with American oyster in both harvests (133.067 g and 108.137 g, respectively) while rice straw alone supported the lowest yield with both American oyster and Lanka oyster. It can be concluded from the experiment that finger millet as the most suitable substrate for spawn production and saw dust as the most suitable cropping substrate of both mushroom varieties.