Relative performance of Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) on agroindustrial and agricultural substrate.

Abstract

Mushrooms are fleshy, spore-bearing reproductive structures of fungi grown on organic substrates and for a long time, have played an important role as a human food due to its nutritional and medicinal properties. However its productivity in Rwanda remains low because of limited modern and sustainable production techniques despite its small land requirement and the use of locally available organic substrate. A study was conducted to examine the growth and yield performance on Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using different organic substrates namely, elephant grass, cotton seed husks, sugarcane bagasse, corn cobs, beans straw, mixture of bagasse + maize cobs (1:1) and bagasse + beans straw (1:1) to determine the substrate that could optimize production. The substrates were treated with the spawn of edible mushrooms before incubation. The experimental units were arranged in randomized complete block design (RCBD) with four replications both at incubation and cropping chamber. Data gathered were number of days for complete mycelia growth, stem height (cm), stem circumference (cm), cap diameter (cm) at harvesting, days to harvesting in the cropping chamber and total edible yield (kg). The substrates significantly (p ≤ 0.05) influenced both growth and yield of mushroom differently. Cotton seed husks not only showed a maximum yield of 118 kg/m 2 but influenced greatly stem circumference (49.0%), mushroom height 69% and cap diameter (16.6%) compared to the control (elephant grass). It is suggested therefore that cotton seed husks should be recommended to farmers as the best substrates for maximum production.