Oil palm fruit fibre promotes the yield and quality of Lentinus squarrosulus (Mont.) Singer, an edible Nigerian mushroom

Abstract

Agricultural production and the agro-food industry furnish large volumes of solid wastes, which when unutilized could lead to environmental pollution. An attempt was made to utilize wastes from the oil palm and timber industries for the cultivation of Lentinus squarrosulus, a Nigerian edible mushroom. Mahogany sawdust (MSD), Gmelina sawdust (GSD), oil palm fruit fibre (OPFF) and oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB) significantly influenced crop cycle time, yield, nutritional properties and market quality of the mushroom. The shortest crop cycle time achieved (47 days) was with Gmelina sawdust. Oil palm fruit fibre proved a better substrate for the production of mushrooms with higher yields and protein content (30.10 g/kg substrate and 27.42%). Yield and protein content of harvested mushrooms were strongly correlated with the nitrogen content of the substrates. Fruit bodies with the lowest fat content were harvested from Gmelina sawdust. Fat contents of the mushrooms showed a positive and significant correlation with the cellulose content of the waste. Oil palm fruit fibre yielded the highest quality mushrooms, with 26% in the >7 cm group while GSD and OPEFB had 0% in the same quality group. Considering the desirable characteristics of yield, protein content and market quality, OPFF proved to be a good substrate which could be exploited for large scale production of L. squarrosulus.

Effects of Mineral Composition of Different Wood Wastes in Ibadan on Proximate Composition of Lentinus Squarrosulus (Mont.)

“…Effect of different wood wastes on the growth parameters of L. squarrossulus: The fresh mean weight (9.13 kg -19.00 kg) of L. squarrosulus obtained from this study in table 3 is greater than the result (1.98 -7.26), provided by Osibe and Chiejina, (2015). The pileus diameter value (3.03 cm -4.64 cm) obtained was similar to the report (3.01 -5.76), given by Chiejina and Osibe, (2015), but higher than the findings of Nwanze, et al, (2005), who reported a range of 1.07 cm -4.37cm…”

“…The L. squarrossulus with the least moisture content indicated that it can be easily sundried, smoked and stored soon after harvest. The value obtained in this experiment is very low when compared to the values (12.28 -13.33) documented by Chiejina and Osibe, (2015), but can be likened to (9.88 -10.67) described by Nwoko, et al, (2018). More so, it was greater than the value (6.87 -8.75%) obtained when P. ostreatus was cultivated on the same substrates .…”

“…Crude fiblre (%): It was reported in this work that the crude fibre value was from 10.80 -16.10% with P. altissima giving the highest while V. paradoxa giving the least. This is greater than the account (4.58 -5.40%) given by Chiejina and Osibe (2015). Nevertheless, it can be compared to 11.21 -14.63% attested by Joshua, et.…”

Effect of different substrates on the growth and protein content of oyster mushroom (<i>Pleurotus florida</i>)

“…It has been estimated that the number of mushrooms on earth is about 140,000 yet only 14,000 (10%) are known (Hawksworth, 2001). One of the values of commercial cultivation of mushrooms, especially in a developing economy like Nigeria, is the availability of large quantities of several agroindustrial wastes which can serve as substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms (Banjo et al, 2004;Chiejina, 2015). A substrate is any substance that can facilitate mycelia growth.…”