Cytogenetic studies among Iranian infertile men: The first 20-year long-term report

Abstract

The present study was conducted to evaluate different substrates for establishment of yield performance of oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ). The substrates were prepared from single or mixture of different agricultural waste materials supplemented with lime and water as additive to each substrate. A total of eight substrates labeled 1 to 8 were prepared. Substrate 4, which is a mixture of palm kernel cake and maize cob, had the highest mycelia growth rate (80%), sprouted 15 days after inoculation and yielded the highest total fresh weight for a period of 10 harvests (2957.5 g). Substrate 3, a mixture of palm kernel cake and sawdust, had 78% mycelia growth rate, sprouted 16 days after inoculation and yielded 2535.7 g fresh mushroom. Substrate 2 is a mixture of maize straw and sawdust and had 75% mycelia growth rate, sprouted 17 days after inoculation and a total of 2207.4 g fresh weight. The mushroom grown in substrates 4, 3 and 2 produced bigger and firmer fruiting bodies, which differed significantly (P < 0.05) from the other substrates. Substrates 1 and 5 which had 50% mycelia growth rate, sprouted 31 and 33 days after inoculation and 1408.8 and 1092.6 g, respectively, were recorded after a period of 10 harvests. Substrate 4, 3 or 2 is therefore recommended for cultivation of oyster mushroom. Keywords: Oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ), mycelial growth, palm kernel cake (PKC), substrate, maturity