Growth, Yield and Yield Related Parameters of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) as Affected by Proportion of Coffee Husk and Wheat Bran

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted in order to evaluate growth, yield and yield related parameters of oyster mushroom as affected by proportion of coffee husk and wheat bran.
 Methodology: The mushroom culture was grown on malt extract agar and the spawn was prepared on yellow color sorghum grain. The substrate was sterilized and inoculated with (10%) spawn. The experiment was laid in completely randomized block design in triplicate. The data collected were analysed by using SPSS software version 20.0 and were compared by LSD at (p≤ 0.05). The shortest days for complete mycelium colonization, primordia formation and first maturation of oyster mushroom after substrate inoculation were (19), (21.66) and (28.33) respectively from T3RI. The largest cap diameter (12.18cm) was observed from T3RI, maximum number of bunches (4.66) recorded from T5RI. T3RI. The longest incubation to 1st harvest was recorded for T7RI (44.33) days. In this study, the fresh weight of the 1st harvest was (354g) to (393g). The highest total flush weight was (806.33g/500g) T3RI and highest biological efficiency (161. 26%) T3RI. 
 Findings: The finding of this study put forward that Pleurotus ostreatus grow on locally accessible agro processing by products and has the potential to secure food self insufficiency of low income community.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: In this experiment, converting coffee husk alone or together with different proportion of wheat bran resulted in highest growth, yield, yield related parameters and biological efficiency of the oyster mushroom. Form all the substrates and substrate composition tested in this investigation T3RI, coffee husk, wheat bran in the ratio of 90:10 gave maximum in all the parameter evaluated; as a result this composition of substrate mix ratio need to be evaluated for farm, pilot and large scale production of oyster mushroom in the dry coffee processing areas.