Optimization of spawn doses and agroforestry-residues as substrates for Pleurotus cornucopiae production

Abstract

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of different substrates and spawn doses on the yield of Pleurotus cornucopiae. In the experiment different spawn doses (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 %) and five agro-forestry waste viz., wheat straw, paddy straw, sugarcane bagasses, maize straw and saw dust were evaluated for the cultivation of P. cornucopiae. The trial was conducted using completely randomized plot design with three replications. Days to spawn run, average number of basidioma and yield as well as biological efficiency of mushroom were observed. The result of this study indicates that maximum yield (517.33 g/2kg substrate) with a biological efficiency of 86.22 per cent was recorded in wheat straw substrate spawned at the rate of 5 per cent spawn. It was found that minimum (14.00 days) time to spawn run and maximum (7.33) number of basidioma was harvested from wheat straw spawned at the rate of 5 per cent.