The Potential of Using Cost-Effective Compost Mixtures for Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus spp) Cultivation in Sri Lanka

Abstract

Edible mushroom cultivation is a profitable cottage industry, in which oyster mushroom occu pies a prominent place in Sri Lanka. A good substrate is a key factor that determines the prof itability of the mushroom cultivation. The Department of Agriculture recommends soya flour as a nitrogen supplement for mushroom substrate. Nonetheless production cost could be mini mized if cheaper nitrogen sources could replace the traditional ingredients. Therefore the rela tive efficacy of six compost mixtures, each amended with one of the following nitrogen sources (viz-gliricidia leaf powder, poultry litter and urea) were compared with the standard soya flour amended compost mixture to study their suitability as potential substitute/s. The addition of gliricidia leaf powder and urea were determined by the percentage nitrogen (%N) of each com pound. Percentage N of well-decomposed poultry litter was calculated by using kjeldhal method (Available N =%N*6.25). The experiment was laid in Complete Randomized Design with seven treatments and fourteen replicates. The mycelia growth rate after spawning, mush room yield, and the duration for the first frutification were used as indicators. The results re vealed that the most suitable compost mixtures for higher mushroom yields were those con taining 6.6% poultry litter.