Abstract
The effects of seven substrates for the cultivation, yield and protein content of the mushroom, Pleurotus tuberregium (Fries) Singer were investigated. The experimental design used was completely randomized design (CRD) of 7 treatments and 10 replicates. The highest fresh weight yield was obtained from mushrooms grown in river sand and sawdust mixture (T6) while the least was from those grown in top soil mixed with sawdust (T4). Oil palm fruit fibre (OPFF) substrate (T3) produced no fruit bodies at all. Protein analysis of the mushrooms revealed that those grown in river sand alone (T1) had the highest protein content while fruit bodies harvested from sawdust substrate alone (T2) had the least protein content. River sand plus sawdust substrate (T6) is recommended as the best substrate for the production of P. tuberregium in view of the fact that it produced the highest fruit body weight and its protein content was not significantly lower than that of river sand alone (T2). Key words: Mushroom, Pleurotus tuberregium, substrates, protein.
Highlights
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruit body of a fungus, typically produced above ground or on a substrate (Boa, 2004; Oei and Nieuwenhuijzen, 2005; Stevenson and Lentz, 2007)
Protein analysis of the mushrooms revealed that those grown in river sand alone (T1) had the highest protein content while fruit bodies harvested from sawdust substrate alone (T2) had the least protein content
The results indicated that river sand substrate (T1) mushrooms had the highest stipe height (6.62 cm) and the mixture of top soil and fermented sawdust substrate (T4) mushrooms had the least stipe height (0.96 cm) and no growth at all (0.00 cm) in the fermented Oil palm fruit fibre (OPFF) substrate (T3) (Table 1)
Summary
A mushroom is the fleshy, spore-bearing fruit body of a fungus, typically produced above ground or on a substrate (Boa, 2004; Oei and Nieuwenhuijzen, 2005; Stevenson and Lentz, 2007). The sclerotium is often of a dark brown colour externally and white inside. It is popularly used in Nigeria as food and/ or medicine (Oso, 1977a, 1977b; Isikhuemhen and LeBauer, 2004). The protein value of mushrooms is twice that of asparagus and potatoes, four times that of tomatoes and carrots and six times that of oranges (Adejumo and Awosanya, 2005; Jonathan et al, 2006). Apart from being a relatively much cheaper source of protein compared with animal proteins, mushrooms could hold special attraction and may be recommended for people with cholesterol-related ailments (Adejumo and Awosanya, 2005; Jonathan et al, 2006)
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