Evaluation of different substrate supplements on growth and yield of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida)

Abstract

Six different substrates viz., wheat straw, maize cob, paddy straw, banana pseudo stem, lentil straw and water hyacinth were used with suitable supplements to evaluate the average period of spawn run, pin head initiation, time taken for harvesting of flushes, fruit yield and biological efficiency of Pleurotus florida during crop season 2014 and 2015. During 2014, highest fruit yield (380.3 g/500 g) and biological efficiency (74.3%) were recorded when wheat straw supplemented with rice bran @ 2% of the substrate weight + corn flour @ 25 g/kg prepared straw + gypsum @ 20 g/kg straw among various substrates used. It also performed better in relation to time taken for spawn run (9.3 days), pin head initiation (11.7 days), time taken for harvesting of flushes (Ist flush-20.5, IInd flush-26.7, IIIrd flush-32.9). The second-best treatment was paddy straw supplemented with rice bran @ 2% of the substrate weight + corn flour @ 25 g/kg prepared straw + gypsum @ 20 g/kg. The same experiment was repeated during the crop year 2015. Surprisingly wheat straw supplemented with rice bran @ 2% of the substrate weight) + corn flour @ 25 g/kg prepared straw + gypsum @ 20 g/kg prepared straw was found superior again over other treatments with more or less similar performance. More or less similar pattern observed in rest of the treatments too. The incidence of mould infection in mushroom was also noticed in accordance with the kinds of substrates used during both crop season 2014 and 2015. Lowest incidence of mould i.e. green mould (3.13%), black mould (3.10%) and blue mould (2.42%) was observed on wheat straw when supplemented with rice bran @ 2% of the substrate weight + corn flour @ 25 g/kg prepared straw + gypsum @ 20 g/kg straw. Similar pattern of mould incidence was detected during crop season 2015.