Stipe Length Research Articles

Utilization of Agro-Industrial Wastes and Organic Supplements for Cultivation of Blue Oyster Mushroom

Mushroom cultivation is a cost-effective biotechnological approach for converting diverse lignocellulosic wastes into nutritionally rich food. Hypsizygus ulmarius is a high yielding mushroom gaining popularity nowadays. In the present study the suitability of various available agro-industrial wastes and supplements for the cultivation of H. ulmarius was evaluated. Results indicated that among the seven locally available substrates, wheat straw substrate was found to be the best substrate as the highest yield (744.08 g/0.6 Kg dry substrate) and biological efficiency (124.00 %) were obtained. Number of sporophores was more in wheat straw substrate while stipe length was longest in pine needles and cap diameter was recorded maximum in maize straw. Moreover, yield was also recorded more in wheat straw supplemented with cotton seed hull significantly followed by the same substrate when added with gram flour and rice bran. However, lowest yield was obtained when no supplement was added in wheat straw. Bangladesh J. Bot. 52(1): 179-185, 2023 (March)

Effect of Wheat Straw along with Different Botanicals on Growth and Yield of Pleurotus florida (Oyster Mushroom)

The present investigation entitled “Effect of wheat straw along with different botanicals on the growth and yield of Pleurotus florida (Oyster mushroom)” was carried out in the Mushroom Crop Room and Research Laboratory, Department of Plant Pathology, SHUATS, Prayagraj. The experiment was conducted by using wheat straw as base substrate with different leaves. The experiment’s objective was to evaluate the effect of cultivation, substrates viz., wheat straw, bamboo, jamun, beal, drumstick, maize and banana leaves respectively, for the growth and yield of Pleurotus florida (Oyster Mushroom) on different combinations of substrate. The Experiment was conducted during July 2021 in a Completely Randomized Block Design (CRD) with five replications and seven treatments. Spawn running, appearance of pinhead and formation of mature fruiting body took less time i.e. 16 days, 18 days and 20 days respectively on T6 (Wheat straw + Maize leaves) in comparision to other treatments. Width of pilus and length of stipe showed significant increase i.e. 9.46 cm and 7.67cm respectively, were recorded on T5 (Wheat straw + Banana leaves). Significant yield i.e. 469.87 gram was recorded on T5 (Wheat straw + Banana leaves). Wheat straw substrate with banana leaves were proven to be the best economical substrate with B:C of 1.73.

Role of Mushroom Pathogen Trichoderma harzianum Rafai in the Reduction of Growth Yield, Nutrient Quality, and Morphometric Measurements of the Fruiting Body of Pleurotus ostreatus EM-1 From Seven Oyster Mushroom Cultivation Farms in Ghana.

The cultivation of edible mushrooms such as Pleurotus ostreatus commonly known as oyster mushroom has been undertaken by both commercial and cottage industry entrepreneurs in Ghana with appreciable success. However, the presence of competitors and potential pathogens in the substrate militate against increased yield and quality of fruiting bodies. The most prevalent pathogen Trichoderma harzianum in the compost for cultivating P. ostreatus is responsible for the green mould disease. In this study, in vitro pathological effects of spiking Triplochiton scleroxylon sawdust substrate with T. harzianum on pinhead emergence, percentage formation of fruiting bodies, weight of fruit body, yield, Biological Efficiency as well as morphometric data of stipe length, stipe diameter, cap diameter as criteria for reduced growth performance of P. ostreatus were investigated. The effect of the pathogen on the nutritional and elemental composition of the oyster mushroom were determined with the view of assessing the quantitative changes of nutritional and elemental composition of the mushroom using standard methods. Growth substrates inoculated with T. harzianum reduced pinhead formation; number of fruiting bodies formed, percentage conversion of pinheads, weight of fruiting bodies, and reduced morphometric measurements of stipe length, stipe diameter, cap diameter with all three flushes of the mushroom. Total yield of fruiting bodies in all three flushes in the T. harzianum-inoculated bags decreased by 67.4%, 68.5% and 83.3% respectively with the concomitant reduction of total yield by 52.3% and Biological Efficiency by 52.8%. Some of the control bags (uninoculated bags) also performed poorly as a result of contamination by T. harzianum, indicative of inadequate sterilization. Fruiting bodies of P. ostreatus grown in uninoculated compost contained Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Na, P, and Zn in contrast with the absence of Na, and Zn in the infected bags. There was a reduction in fat, crude fibre, crude protein, and carbohydrates of the fruiting bodies grown in the contaminated bags. On the other hand, total ash content was doubled in the carpophore from the T. harzianum spiked contaminated bags. The pathogen therefore has adverse effect on the production and marketing quality as well as the nutritional value of the fruiting bodies

Performance of Various Agroforestry Wastes for the Cultivation of Elm Oyster Mushroom Hypsizygus ulmarius (Agaricomycetes) in India and Its Biochemical Constituents

<i>Hypsizygus ulmarius</i>, a species with high biological efficiency, is multi-nutrient and is a medically good source of myco-chemicals. A study was carried out to evaluate different types of spawn to produce <i>H. ulmarius</i> utilizing various agroforestry wastes. Among seven different grain substrates evaluated, pearl millet grains were found to be the best substrate for spawn production as it supports much faster (11 d) and enhanced growth of <i>H. ulmarius</i>. A minimum period (13.67 d) was recorded for the complete spawn run, time taken for the first flush (20.33 d) along with the maximum number (38.33) of sporocarps produced in the wheat straw substrate. The longest stipe length (6.40 cm) was however, recorded in pine needles while the maximum (9.10 cm) cap diameter was found in maize straw substrate spawned with pearl millet grains spawn. Out of seven locally available substrates evaluated for production and yield parameters of <i>H. ulmarius</i>, maximum yield (640.00 g/0.5 kg dry substrate) having 128 percent biological efficiency was obtained when the wheat straw substrate was used significantly followed by wheat and maize grains spawn on the same substrate. Minimum time for spawn run, maximum number of sporocarps, maximum yield and biological efficiency was recorded in wheat straw substrate showing the best production substrate for <i>H. ulmarius</i> using pearl millet grains spawn. The results showed that agroforestry wastes can be alternatively used as potential substrates for cultivating <i>H. ulmarius. H. ulmarius</i> contain high amounts of proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fibers, unsaturated fatty acids, enzymes, and plenty of minerals among the commercially cultivated species. This mushroom has a good profile of vitamins, including B<sub>1</sub> (thiamine), B<sub>2</sub> (riboflavin), B<sub>3</sub> (niacin), A (retinol) and C (ascorbic acid), all of which are suitable for diet formulation and act as sources of energy.

Growth Performance of Varieties of Bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) Seedlings in Earthworm-Bioturbated Soil and Crab-Bioturbated Soil

Earthworms and crabs are known to influence the physicochemical state of their respective soil habitats through their bioturbation actions. While earthworm-bioturbated soils have been well documented to positively affect plant growth, not much is known about the effects of crab-bioturbated soil on plant growth. In this study, we compared the growth performance of four varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris (bean) seedlings in earthworm-bioturbated soil, crab-bioturbated soil, and unbioturbated soil collected within the same proximity of a wetland habitat. Seeds of Phaseolus vulgaris were planted in replicates in each soil type, and allowed to grow for 15 days. Physical growth was measured using a metre rule. Biochemical growth parameters were measured using standard procedures. The differences in stipule length of bean seedlings grown in all the soil types were generally not significant (p > 0.05). However, seedlings grown in earthworm-bioturbated soil and crab-boturbated soil recorded significantly higher (p < 0.05) stipule weight, relative to those grown in unbioturbated soil. Bean seedlings grown in earthworm-bioturbated soil recorded the highest and significant (p < 0.01) concentrations of chlorophyll, total sugar, starch, nitrogen, and crude protein, relative to those grown in crab-bioturbated and unbioturbated soils. This was followed by seedlings grown in crab-bioturbated soil which recorded significantly higher (p < 0.01) concentrations of these biochemical parameters, relative to those grown in unbioturbated soil. The significantly higher biochemical and marginally better physiological growth recorded for seedlings in bioturbated soils indicate that earthworms and crabs both contribute significantly to wetland productivity, through their bioturbatiion activities.

Effects of different agricultural wastes on yield and quality in Pholiota nameko cultivation

Pholiota nameko is commonly consumed in the Far East but not yet known or grown in Türkiye. Therefore, in this study, determination of the cultivation conditions of P. nameko in different substrate mixtures and the effect of these substrates on yield and quality were investigated. In this research, six different substrate mixtures were used: 2 oak sawdust + 1 wheat bran (C), 2 peanut waste + 1 wheat bran (O1), 1 oak sawdust + 1 peanut waste + 1 wheat bran (O2), 2 almond shell + 1 wheat bran (O3), 1 oak sawdust + 1 almond shell + 1 wheat bran (O4), 2 wheat straw + 1 wheat bran (O5) and 1 oak sawdust + 1 wheat stalk + 1 wheat bran (O6). During the study, mycelia development time, biological efficiency rate (BE), total yield, mushroom weight, cap diameter, cap thickness, stipe diameter, stipe length, dry matter, pH and moisture content (in growing mixtures) were determined. pH and moisture content were recorded in three different periods; after sterilization, after mycelia development time and after harvest. As a result of the study, the fastest mycelial growth was obtained from the control group, with 14.25 days. The highest total yield and biological efficiency were obtained from O1 medium with 216.26 g kg-1 and 49.11%, respectively. The highest amount of dry matter was recorded in O4 with 12.23%.

Physiological changes and gene responses during Ganoderma lucidum growth with selenium supplementation.

Ganoderma lucidum basidiomycota is highly appreciated for its health and nutrition value. In the present study, Ganoderma lucidum was cultivated as selenium transformation carrier, and the physiological changes and gene responses by selenium supplementation were revealed through high-throughput RNA-Seq technology. As a result, selenium supplementation increased the stipe length and the cap size, but decreased the cap thickness of G. lucidum. Mineral salt supplementation could greatly promote the formation of triterpene acids and selenium in G. lucidum. The highest yield was gained in the treatment with selenium content of 200 µg/g. Subsequently, the tissues of G. lucidum at budding and mature stages in this treatment group were sampled for transcriptome analysis and compared to those of a control group without selenium supplementation. A total of 16,113 expressed genes were obtained from the transcriptome of G. lucidum, and GO-annotated unigenes were mainly involved in molecular functions and KEGG-annotated ones were highly expressed in ribosomal pathway. Furthermore, genes involved in carbon metabolism pathway were most promoted by selenium at budding stage of G. lucidum, while gene expression was the highest in the pathway of amino acid biosynthesis at mature stage of G. lucidum. Specially, selenium-related genes in G. lucidum, such as GL23172-G, GL29881-G and GL28298-G, played a regulatory role in oxidoreductase, antioxidant activity and tryptophan synthesis. The results provide a theoretical basis for further study of selenium-enriched mushrooms and aid to development of Se-enriched foodstuff and health products made from fungi.

Growing Pleurotus ostreatus (ex. Fr) Kummer Using Gamma Radiation in Southern Ghana and its Associated Pests

Pests have been implicated in causing severe damage to food crops including mushrooms, thereby increasing the incidence of postharvest loss. This study investigated the various pests involved in the cultivation of gamma radiation aided cultivated Pleurotus ostreatus. Pests were isolated and identified by the procedure described by the Entomological Society of Canada. Cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus was achieved by pre-treating composted sawdust substrates and spawn preparation with a gamma radiation dose of 15 kGy from a Cobalt 60 source (SLL 515, Hungary) at a dose rate of 1.7 kGyh-1 in air. A total of five pests were recorded while cropping, namely; Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly), Blatta germanica (cockroach), Archachatina marginata (giant snail), and Doratogonus meridionalis (millipede) and Cryptophlebia leucotreta (False codling moth). The predominant pest was Drosophila melanogaster (Fruit fly) (97%). Results recorded over four flush periods were 378g, 0.63, and 63% for Total yield, biological yield, Biological Efficiency (%), respectively. The average stipe length and pileus diameter were recorded and showed no statistical differences (p&gt;0.05) observed in the different weeks. Other growth parameters (mushroom size, total number of primordia, total number of fruitbodies etc.) recorded showed some significant differences (p&lt;0.05). Pests identified contributed to yield reduction and product quality.

Pendugaan Pengaruh Tetua Betina dan Daya Gabung pada Persilangan Kopi Robusta

Breeding programs need genotypic variation to make a selection and create a promising variety. Hybridization in plants produces genetic variations in the offspring to select Robusta coffee as superior planting material. The maternal-effect and combining ability help determine the next breeding strategy. This study aimed to determine the maternal effect and the combining ability on the morphological characters of branches and leaves of Robusta coffee diallel crosses. The study involved six groups of F1 offspring and their reciprocals from three parents, namely clones BP961, Q121, and BP409, which were planted singly side in the Kaliwining Experimental Garden, Jember, East Java. The estimation of female parental effect was analyzed using a &lt;em&gt;t&lt;/em&gt;-test, and combining ability was analyzed using diallel analysis method III. The analysis results showed that the female parental effect occurred on the character of the internode length in all cross combinations and did not occur on stipule length, petiole length, leaf length, and leaf width. The parent of the cross that can be the best combiner was parent BP961 for the petiole length and leaf length, parent Q121 for stipule length and internode length, and parent BP409 for leaf width character.

Impact of Inorganic Chemicals on Growth and Yield Potential of Pleurotus sajor-caju

The experiments on Impact of Inorganic Chemicals on Growth and Yield Potential of Pleurotus sajor-caju were conducted during October–November 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 in Completely Randomized Design at Mushroom Research and Development Centre, Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture and Technology, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India. Among all the treatments, minimum 11 days required for spawn running in the combination of Wheat straw+NPK 5 mg+CaCO3 6 mg. Similarly, the minimum number of days required for pin head formation and harvesting days were also noticed in T5 treatment (wheat straw+5 g NPK+6 g CaCO3), representing 15 and 20 days respectively. The treatment T5 produced maximum number of fruiting bodies where combinations were given as wheat straw+5 g NPK+6 g CaCO3.The maximum stipe length and width of pileus were also recorded maximum in treatment T5, showing 7.9 cm and 13.5 cm against 2.8 cm and 6.6 cm respectively in case of control. Yield potential, total yield and biological efficiency of Pleurotus sajor-caju were also found maximum in treatment T5, representing the values 500, 450, 370, 300 and 250 g yield bag-1 at 1st , 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th flushing stages, respectively. On the other hand, the maximum biological efficiency was recorded in T5 (wheat straw+5 g NPK+6 g CaCO3) treatment, showing 37.40% against 25.68% in case of treatment T1 (Control). Result showing that treatment T5 (wheat straw+5 g NPK+6 g CaCO3) performed better than all treatments.

PRODUCTION OF Pleurotus ostreatus CULTIVATED IN SUBSTRATES MADE FROM TWO INVASIVE WEEDS

The species Pleurotus ostreatus is an edible mushroom with a high commercial value, cultivated for its ease and adaptability in substrates based on agro-industrial waste. The plant species Solanum elaeagnifolium and Salsola kali are two invasive weeds that spread rapidly in crops, ruderal or urban areas, representing high-cost agricultural losses and environmental impact. The hypothesis of this research was that at least one of the weeds would increase the production and quality of P. ostreatus. The objective was to evaluate the biological efficiency and carpophore productivity of P. ostreatus with the use of substrates elaborated and combined from S. elaeagnifolim and S. kali. The fungal cultures were carried out with substrates generated from mixtures of weeds and using wheat straw as a control; from these combinations, seven treatments and four replicates were obtained in a completely randomized design. The carpophores obtained were measured for the width and length of the pileus and stipe, total production (g), biological efficiency (%), and proximate analysis of the harvested mushrooms was performed. Maximum production was 23.30 mushrooms, with minimum of 3.67 carpophores. The width and length of the pileus were 8.30-11.70 cm and 8.40-11.40 cm, respectively. The stipe length variable showed widths of 1.40-2.30 cm and lengths of 2.80-6.20 cm. The weights obtained were up to 358.33 g, with a minimum of 95.10 g. Proximate analysis showed carpophores with the following composition: 82.25-91.37 % moisture; 1.71 to 13.66 % ash; 15.70 to 20.93 % protein; 0.40 to 1.55 % lipids and 8.60-17.7 % dry matter. The variables evaluated showed differences (p ≤ 0.05), being the substrates made with 100 % S. elaeagnifolium the ones with the highest biological efficiency, carpophore production, harvest weight and nutritional value. The species P. ostreatus proved to be efficient in providing substrate for two weeds, as well as producing carpophores with high protein content.

Effect of Continuous Iron Pollution on Morphology and DNA Profile of Pleurotus tuber-regium

Aims: Iron, the fourth most abundant micronutrient in the soil has been classified as a metal of environmental concern, the study was to assess the effect of continuous iron pollution on growth and the molecular profile of Pleurotus tuber-regium.&#x0D; Study design: Experimental research design.&#x0D; Place and Duration of Study: The Bells University of Technology, between December 2019 and October 2020.&#x0D; Methodology: P. tuber-regium sclerotia procured locally were seeded into 1 kg soil polluted with 20, 40, 60, and 80 mg kg-1 FeSO4 respectively. Watering was done with the respective Fe solutions for 59 days at the rate of 100ml/48hrs. The Stipe length, pileus diameter, fruitbody weight, and days for fruitbody emergence were recorded for each treatment. The concentration of iron in soil and mushroom was determined by Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer (AAS). DNA extracted from the fruitbodies was subjected to Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) analysis using five RAPD primers and a cluster analysis was performed.&#x0D; Results: Fruiting was achieved in all soils (0, 20, 40, 60, 80 mg kg-1) after 23±0.5, 17±1.0, 50±2.5, 58±1.0, and 59±2.0 days respectively. Iron had no significant effect on stipe length while pileus diameter and fruitbody weight increased only at 20mg kg-1. Iron concentration in the soil and mushroom increased as Fe pollution was increased. The bioaccumulation factor was higher in contaminated soil and was between 0.78 and 1.08. The RAPD primers amplified 53 band sizes ranging from 100 - 700 bp and the DNA was clustered in a major group. The percentage polymorphism was 16.9% indicating a low level of genetic variation.&#x0D; Conclusion: The result indicated that continuous Fe pollution at the stated concentrations did not have any significant effect on the DNA profile of Pleurotus tuber-regium but the morphological growth of the mushroom was enhanced at low iron contamination levels.

Effects of different substrates on production of oyster mushroom in walling of syangja, Nepal

This research was conducted in Agriculture Development Resource Center, Syangja to determine the effectiveness of substrate for the production of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). Completely Randomization Design was used for this research with three replications in which five treatments (substrate) were used i.e.; rice straw, finger-millet straw, saw dust, maize straw and maize cob. Days required for full colonization, first fruiting, harvesting time, total mushroom production, mushroom pileus diameter, and stipe length were observed by taking 5 sample randomly from each treatment. Among the investigated substrate compositions, maize cob required the fewest days (19 days) to complete spawn running, followed by finger-millet straw (21 days), while saw dust required the most days (38 days) to complete spawn running. Finger-millet straw indicated the shortest time (28 days) harvesting, and the maximum yield was found in finger-millet straw (1.05 kg) and highest stipe length (5.3cm) was found in saw dust followed by rice straw (4.8 cm). Among various used substrate finger-millet straw was found to be the best for mushroom production at least in Waling, Syangja.&#x0D; Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.9(1): 11-16, April 2022

First Report Disease of Clonostachys rosea Causing Root Rot on Astragalus membranaceus in China.

Astragalus membranaceus is a perennial plant in the family of Leguminosae. It is one of the most important traditional Chinese medicines. Root rot has become a serious constraint to commercial production of this medicinal plant in northeastern, northern and northwestern China. In June 2020, A. membranaceus plants in a field at the village of Sada, Minhe County, Haidong City, Qinghai Province (102°51'30.8″E, 36°19'8.58″N, H:2437m), showed symptoms in the form of a large number of brown longitudinal cracks or turtle cracks in the root, and weak growth potential of the aboveground part, with yellowing and falling off of the leaves in severe cases. Root rot seriously affects the quality and yield of A. membranaceus. The investigation was performed in the area of field was 3,996 m2, and the incidence of root rot reached 10%. Five A. membranaceus root rot samples were collected. To isolate the fungi, rotted root pieces (about 0.5 cm) were obtained with the sterile scissors from the junction of infected and healthy tissues. The symptomatic roots were surface-disinfected with 3% NaClO for 1.5 min and washed three times with sterile water. The disinfected pieces were dried and placed on water agar plate in incubator for 2 days at 25°C. After that the surface of root was moldy, abundant conidiophores and conidia formed. Ten isolates were obtained by single spore isolation technique. The mycelia were white or light yellow on PDA. Primary conidiophores were Verticillium-like with two to three levels. The stipe length measured 41.91 to 97.62 μm. Secondary conidiophores were penicillate with two or three whorls of phialides. The stipe length measured 36.67 to 65.98 μm. Conidiogenous cells are slender cylindrical. Conidia were colorless, round or oval, and aseptate, with an average length and width of 6.5 to 8.5×2.5 to 3.5 μm. Chlamydospores were round or oval, with an average length and width of 9.91 to 16.21×8.07 to 13.64 μm. The identity of ten isolates was confirmed by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) locus using the primers ITS1F/ITS4 (sequence length was 526 bp), the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (EF-1α) gene using the primers EF-1H/EF-2T (sequence length was 567 bp) (O'Donnell et al. 1998), and the sequences included ITS1, 5.8S ribosomal RNA gene, ITS2, and large ribosomal RNA gene using the primers F1/F2 (sequence length was 1010 bp) (Cao et al, 2020). BLAST analysis of all the three sequences of isolates, HQ-1, HQ-1-1, HQ-2-1, HQ-3-1, HQ-4, HQ-6, HQ-6-1, HQ-7-1, HQ-9-1, and HQ-10-1, in the Genebank database resulted in matches of 99.2% or more for Clonostachys rosea (NCBI accession Nos. MZ433169-MZ433178 (ITS), MZ451390-MZ451399 (TEF1-α), and MZ433195-MZ433204 (ITS 1, 5.8 S rRNA, ITS 2, and LSU gene). Ten isolates were inoculated on their host for pathogenicity test. The isolates were grown on PDA six days for sporulation. The healthy semi-annual seeding stage root were inoculated by treating them with 10 mL of conidia suspension (1 × 105 conidial/mL). A group of 10 seedlings of the same age was treated with sterile water to serve as the control. Inoculated root were moved into artificial climatic box at 25℃, relative humidity was 70%, with 12 h light / 12 h dark condition. Typical symptoms first appeared as brown tiny spot about 3 days, extended and cracked for 5-7 days, and mycelia were observed on the surfaces of the lesions. Uninoculated plants remained healthy. Isolates were re-isolated from the symptomatic root, and the colonial morphology of the recovered isolates were the same with the original isolate. The assays were conducted three time (Fig S1). These results showed that these isolates maintained their pathogenicity to their own hosts. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. rosea causing root rot of A. membranaceus in China. Clonostachys rosea has been previously reported to cause root rot of soybeans in the United States (Bienapfl et al, 2012). The disease must be considered in existing management practices, and our finding provided foundation for preventing or curing this disease.

Growth and Yield Performance of Oyster Mushroom Cultivated in Combined Cassava Peels, Coconut Residue and Coffee Waste Substrates

The oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is an edible mushroom that belongs to the class of Basidiomycetes. It has reached sufficient market maturity because of its flavor, shelf-life durability, and protein and fiber content. Besides their nutritional, medicinal, and economic value, they may help the country’s agricultural waste management, bridge environmental issues, and contribute to climate change resolution advancements. A study on different varieties of agricultural substrates derived from waste materials such as cassava peels, coconut residue, and coffee waste was investigated and compared to sawdust, the common substrate for oyster mushrooms. The effects of different substrates on the morphological characteristics of P. ostreatus, percent contamination, and yield parameters were recorded and analyzed using the Analysis of Variance in Completely Randomized Design, and their significant results were compared using Tukey’s HSD. Results showed that different substrate mixtures did not significantly influence the morphological characteristics of P. ostreatus. Moreover, sawdust, the common substrate for oyster mushrooms, showed the lowest percent contamination as compared to other substrate mixtures. Contaminants found in cassava substrates include Trichoderma spp., Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Neurospora spp., and Penicillium spp. 80% of cassava peels combined with 10% coconut residue and 10% coffee waste significantly increased the number of fruiting bodies and produced the heaviest fresh weights of oyster mushrooms. Stipe length and pileus diameter were also significantly influenced by this substrate mixture, which is comparable to the common substrate. However, further research on the varying proportions of these substrate mixtures on the performance of oyster mushrooms is recommended.

Prevalence, population structure and burrow morphology of the kelp-boring amphipod Sunamphitoe roberta

The recently described amphipod Sunamphitoe roberta lives only on the kelp Ecklonia maxima, where it excavates slit-like burrows along the distal margins of thicker primary fronds. Oval chambers along the bases of these slits may represent feeding areas. As burrowing proceeds, the damage progressively erodes back the frond margins, giving them characteristic attenuated and irregular profiles, and probably impacting secondary frond survival and growth, and hence kelp productivity. A kelp forest in False Bay, South Africa, was surveyed to determine what proportion of kelp was infected as well as which individuals were selected as hosts. Forty kelp heads were also dissected to ascertain numbers of amphipods per host and their size composition, and to document details of burrow structure. Of 305 adult kelps inspected, 117 (38.4%) showed visible amphipod damage. Rate of infestation was not correlated with stipe length but was positively correlated with head circumference and negatively correlated with the proportion of secondary fronds remaining. The 40 kelp heads dissected contained 786 S. roberta specimens. These comprised 154 adults (>8 mm), including 33 ovigerous females, and 632 juveniles (<8 mm). The number of amphipods per host ranged from 1 to 112 (mean 19.7 [SD 25.1]). Size distribution was bimodal, and the largest individual measured 20 mm.

Influence of substrate formulation on some morphometric characters and biological efficiency of Pleurotus ostreatus EM-1 (Ex. Fr) Kummer grown on rice wastes and "wawa" (Triplochiton scleroxylon) sawdust in Ghana.

A study was conducted to correlate the stipe length, cap diameter, and growth yield (fresh weight) of the fruiting body of Pleurotus ostreatus strain EM‐1 using different rice lignocellulosic wastes and “wawa” (Triplochiton scleroxylon) compost: raw unamended rice straw; rice straw amended with 1% CaCO3 and 10% CaCO3; rice straw amended with 1% CaCO3 and 10% CaCO3 supplemented with 5, 10, and 15% rice bran prior to bagging; rice straw and rice husk mixture (1:1 w/w) amended with 1% CaCO3 and 10% CaCO3 supplemented with 5%–15% rice bran prior to bagging; and wawa sawdust amended with 1% CaCO3 and 10% rice bran. The experiment was laid out in a completely randomized design in a well‐ventilated semi‐dark room at 26–28°C and 60%–65% ERH. The fresh weight, length of the stipe, and cap diameter increased differentially in each treatment with an increasing period of composting in the substrates. There was a good coefficient of determination (R 2) among stipe length, cap diameter, and biological efficiency (%). The R 2 among stipe length, cap diameter, and biological efficiency for the different formulated substrates ranged between R 2 = 0.6346–0.9454 and R 2 = 0.570–0.9624, respectively. The highest R 2 was obtained on raw unamended rice straw substrates (stipe length and cap diameter were R 2 = 0.9454 and R 2 = 0.9444, respectively), whereas the lowest correlation coefficient among stipe length, cap diameter, and biological efficiency (%) (R 2 = 0.6346; R 2 = 0.0570), respectively, was recorded on the rice straw and rice husk mixture substrates. The results show a positive correlation in morphometric growth parameters studied on the different formulated substrates.

Population persistence of the perennial kelp Eisenia arborea varies across local spatial scales

Perennial stipitate kelps are globally distributed and individual species can inhabit broad latitudinal ranges, expressingnotably longevous persistence. Despite the foundational role kelps provide to their communities, little is knownabout the variability in persistence of the stipitate kelps at local spatial scales. We studied the population persistence ofEisenia arborea, a heat- and wave force-tolerant perennial stipitate kelp with a distributional range extending from BritishColumbia to south of the range limit of all other northeast Pacific kelps, in Baja California Sur, Mexico. Persistencecharacteristics for E. arborea among sites were compared and used to test the hypothesis that stand persistence varied atlocal spatial scales around Isla Natividad, a Pacific island off the Baja California peninsula with documented spatiotemporalenvironmental heterogeneity. Collected individuals around the island were “aged” using the previously validatedage estimation technique of counting annual cortical dark rings. After detecting no significant differences among sitesin the covariation between estimated ages for collected individuals and stipe length, we utilized in-situ population-levelstipe length measurements to more rapidly predict age structures within six stands around the island. Predicted agestructures, and associated stand densities, revealed persistence characteristics and density varied at local scales and astrong positive relationship existed between stand density and stand mean and maximum ages. We speculate that standsresponded differently to deterministic influences (e.g., the 2014–2016 marine heatwave and / or competition with Macrocystis)resulting in heterogenous local persistence of this foundation species.

First report of Clonostachys rosea causing root rot on garlic in Mexico.

Garlic (Allium sativum) is an important crop worldwide and it is widely grown and used in different industries to manufacture food, pharmaceutical, and insecticidal products. (Shang et al., 2019, Velsankar et al., 2020). According to what was reported by SIAP in 2020, more than 87 ha of the crop were lost in Mexico due to various problems, including the diseases that attack this crop such as basal rot, white rot and root rot, among others. During the 2019 fall/winter season, garlic plants of Perla and Piedra Blanca cultivars were collected from Aguascalientes and Zacatecas states in San Antonio Tepezala, Rincon de Romos, and Calera municipalities. The commercial fields encompassed 10 ha with 20% disease incidence and 35% severity, approximately. The sampling focused on diseased plants with symptoms of root rot, foliar wilt, stunting, and small bulbs. The roots of 25 plants were cleaned, and portions of the diseased tissue were cut and disinfected in sodium hypochlorite at 1% for three minutes. They were rinsed twice with sterile water and dried with paper towels. The plant tissue was plated onto potato dextrose agar (PDA) and incubated at 25°C in the dark for 72 hours. Pure cultures were obtained after observing mycelial growth using monosporal culture. We obtained 16 isolates including three identified as Fusarium oxysporum, one as Fusarium solani and another 12 as Clonostachys rosea. The latter isolates were white at the beginning before turning yellow. The mycelia had a felt-like cotton texture. The conidia formed verticillate and penicillate conidiophores. The primary conidia were abundant, hyaline, smooth, and sub-globous. They were 5.1-7.7 X 8.3-8.9 µm (n=50) long and 2.0-2.9 X 3.2-3.5 µm wide (n=50). The conidiophore stipe length ranged from 70 to 180 µm, and the base width was 3.3-5.4 µm. Secondary conidiophores were penicillate and stiped with a length of 58 to 106 µm; the base measured 3.3-6.1µm. The secondary conidia measured 4.1-5 X 5.3-5.6 µm long and 2-2.3 X 2.6-2.9 µm wide (n=50) (Sun et al., 2020). The identity of six isolates was molecularly confirmed by DNA extraction and PCR reactions using ITS1/ITS4 primers and gene TEF 1α EF1-728F/TEF 1α EF1-986R. The resulting products were sequenced and compared with the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) database using BLAST. The results showed Clonostachys rosea at 99.56 and 100% with access numbers MN548399 and KX185000. The sequences were deposited at Genbank database under access number OK263088 and OL700031. Pathogenicity tests were carried out with the following procedure. A conidial suspension of five isolates (5×105 conidia/ml) in sterilized water was prepared from 1-week-old colonies. The garlic cloves were planted after being disinfected with sodium hypochlorite at 1% in sterilized soil. When the healthy garlic plants were 30 days old, we inoculated a spore suspension in soil through irrigation, to 10 plants. Likewise,10 control plants were inoculated with sterile distilled water. After 25 days, the plants were wilted and had dry leaves; their root system showed light-brown lesions and rot. These plants were stunted versus the control healthy plants. The inoculated strain was recovered and was morphologically and molecularly identified as C. rosea, thus confirming its pathogenicity towards garlic. There are reports of C. rosea causing root rot to Fabaceae crops such as Glycine max L. and Vicia faba L., (Bienapfl et al., 2012; Afshari and Hemmati, 2017) in addition to affecting orchid crops (Gastrodia elata) in Korea (Lee et al., 2020). This is the first report of C. rosea causing root rot on garlic (Allium Sativum) in Mexico, thus presenting a potential risk to this crop.

EVALUATION OF THE EFFECT OF DIFFERENT DOSES OF GIBBERELLIC ACID ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD PERFORMANCE OF OYSTER MUSHROOM (Pleurotus Ostreatus)

An experiment was conducted at Dang, Nepal in 2021 to scrutinize the effect of different doses of gibberellic acid on the growth and yield performance of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus). From February to April, seven different dosages of Gibberellic acid (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, and 30 ppm) were tested in Completely Randomized Design (CRD), replicated 4 times with an average daily temperature of 15-28°C and relative humidity ranging from 75-90 %. The oyster mushroom cultivation was undertaken under aseptic conditions, and the growth and development of mushrooms were recorded. Results of the study revealed that the highest yield (2.55 kg/ball), number of fruiting bodies (47), and effective primordia (11), better stipe length (5.132 cm) were found in 10 ppm of GA3 application. The result suggested that GA3 at 10 ppm/packet would be the best possible concentration for the production of Oyster mushrooms.