Efficacy of different agricultural by product substrates and moisture content on mycelial growth of Pleurotus cornucopiae

Abstract

Increasing demand for edible mushroom has led to investigation into the suitability of agricultural waste as substrates for commercial production. The objective of this research experiment was carried out to evaluate the effect of four different substrates (Banana leaf, Sugarcane bagasse, Saw dust and Paddy straw) and combination of six different substrates (Banana leaf + Saw dust, Banana leaf + Sugarcane bagasse, Banana leaf + Paddy straw, Sugarcane bagasse + Saw dust, Saw dust + Paddy straw and Sugarcane bagasse + Paddy straw) on the growth and yield of Pleurotus Cornucopiae with five moisture levels (50±2% to 90±2%) and radial growth. Highest mycelial growth rate was recorded in substrate sugarcane bagasse and combination of banana leaf + sugarcane bagasse (1:1) at 70±2%. Therefore the use of those agricultural by products showed itself viable for Pleurotus cornucopiae mushroom mycelium growth due to its availability and low cost, besides decreasing discards to environment.