Eight lignocellulosic by-products were evaluated as substrates for cultivation of the oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus ( Jacq. ex. fr) Kummer. The yields of mushroom on the different substrates were 183.1, 151.8, 111.5, 87.8, 49.5, 23.3, 13.0 and 0.0 g for composted sawdust of Triplochiton scleroxylon, rice straw, banana leaves, maize stover, corn husk, rice husk, fresh sawdust, and elephant grass, respectively. The biological efficiency (BE) followed the same pattern and ranged from 61.0% for composted sawdust to 0.0% for elephant grass. The yield of mushroom was positively correlated to cellulose ( r(2) =0.6), lignin ( r(2) =0.7) and fibre ( r(2) =0.7) contents of the substrates. Based on the yield and BE of the substrates tested, rice straw appeared to be the best alternate substrate for growing oyster mushrooms.
The spawn run period, time for first appearance of mushrooms, number of flushes and biological efficiency (yield) of eight different strains of oyster mushrooms grown on composted sawdust of Triplochiton scleroxylon K (Schum) were studied. The spawn run period on the compost bags for the strains ranged from 40-48 days. Plewotus citrinopileatus strain PCB showed very poor and patchy growth and the mycelium never fully colonised the substrate. This indicates that the different strains of the mushrooms utilize the given substrate at different rates. The time for first appearance of mushrooms ranged from 4 to 35 days. With the exception of P. burundii strain HK-51, which produced only one flush, all strains produced at least three flushes. Pleurotus eous strain Kapak, the highest yielding strain produced six flushes. With all the strains flush 1 gave the highest yield of 63.9g, and flush 6 the lowest yield of 0.9g. Pleurotus eous strain Kapak gave the best yield and biological efficiency whilst P. burundii strain HK-51 produced the least yield. P. citrinopileatus strain PCB did not produce any fruiting bodies during the period of study. Significant differences (P<0.05) in yield of the different species of mushrooms were recorded.
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