SUBSTRATE EFFECTS OF GRAIN SPAWN PRODUCTION ON MYCELIUM GROWTH OF OYSTER MUSHROOM

Abstract

Spawn is pure culture of mycelium growing on a solid substrate such as cereal grain. Mushroom spawn has a fundamental role in global agricultural productivity. Its production has not been adopted by many farmers due to insufficient knowledge of scientific techniques needed for spawn production and mushroom cultivation. Just as seed quality is important to crop production, so is spawn quality to mushroom production. The most frequently used substrate for spawn production in Kenya is wheat and there is need to use the more widely available maize grain as substrate for grain mother spawn production of oyster mushrooms. Maize, wheat and millet grains were used as substrates in four replicates for production of grain mother spawns of Pleurotus ostreatus. Linear mycelium extension was measured, and recorded after every three days. Compost for planting the spawns was prepared and sterilized in an autoclave. The best grain mother spawns from the three grain substrates were planted in four replicates. Mycelia growth in the different bags was compared and recorded. The experimental design used was the completely random design and the data collected were compiled and subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA) using SAS. Separation of the means obtained was done through LSD. The results revealed that linear mycelium growth was significantly (p<0.05) affected by the substrates of spawn production. There was a clear difference in mycelia growth in the grain substrates with maize substrate being the best, followed by wheat, then millet respectively.