Using Agrowastes in Mushroom Production and Compost Recycling to Control Cucumber Anthracnose Caused by Colletotrichum orbiculare

Abstract

Four types of grains; sorghum, rice, maize and wheat were evaluated as carriers for spawn preparation for mushroom production in winter of 2018. The most suitable spawns used were on rice or wheat grains. Two strains of the Basidio-fungus Pleurotus were cultivated on rice straw separately at spawn ratio 5%. Chemical analysis of fruiting bodies showed that P. sajor-caju recorded 15.1, 7.8, 53.7, 13.6 and 6.49% for crude protein, fat, carbohydrate, fiber and ash, respectively. While chemical analysis of P. florida fruiting bodies recorded 13.9, 5.6, 57.5, 11.3 and 9.87%, respectively for the same components. On the other hand, chemical analysis of rice straw was carried out before and after cultivation of spent mushroom substrate (SMS) which was leftover as wastes from mushroom production through the entire year. SMS was used in greenhouse for cucumber plantation as an organic matter as a soil supplement and cucumber diseases control. Ascending order of inhibition was noticed with increasing filtrate concentration. Pleurotus florida inhibited mycelia growth of C. orbiculare at 42.2, 50.0, 75.6 and 78.9% when media were treated with 25, 50, 75 and 100% concentration, respectively. Extract of P. florida gave a maximum effect of 78.9% inhibition when compared to the other strain which gave 70.0%. All treatments used in this experiment seemed to promote germination percentage from 35% (control 2 = soil + C. orbiculare) to 92% resulted from 100% SMS in case of P. florida SMS compost. Although values of germination percentage were lower in case of SMS produced through mushroom production using the strain P. sajor-caju, it promoted from 40 (control 2) to 93% (100% SMS). Relative effects of SMS were calculated between each two treatments having the same amount of SMS. The maximum relative increment recorded in case of T7 with P. florida SMS which calculate +163 in seed germination, followed by T7 with P. sajor-caju (+132.5). Simultaneously, disease incidence was negatively affected with SMS treatments. The least disease incidence was recorded with T7 with P. sajor-caju which recorded negative value that could be explained by saving weak seeds from decline with boost of some antimicrobial substance.