Cultivation of Pleurotus Ostreatususing Alternative Substrate

Abstract

The research experiment was carried out to investigate the cultivation of Oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatuson different residues such as corn cob, paper waste, and grass waste. The experiment was conducted with an objective to find out low cost substrate and supplement for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus. The data was analyzed on various aspects like mycelium growth, colonization, and appearance of pinhead, mushroom yield, biological efficiency, size and number of fruiting bodies.Mycelial extension was also measured weekly during spawn running. Altogether nine treatments of mixture of selected substrates with supplement were tested. The treatments were grass waste, paper waste and corn cob mixed with chicken manure, rice bran and also was left alone. The study results showed that corn cob is the best among all the substrates when it is supplemented with rice bran.