EFFECT OF GLIDING ARC DISCHARGE PLASMA ON GERMINATION AND PRODUCTION OF OYSTER MUSHROOM (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Abstract

An experiment was conducted at plasma lab of the Central Department of Physics, Tribhuvan Univer sity, Kirtipur Kathmandu Nepal to study the effect of cold plasma on the germination and production of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) by gliding arc discharge. The treatment includes four dif ferent methods for 10 samples on two replicate. Control, spawn treated with plasma, plasma activated water used for spraying and substrates treated with plasma. The main parameters measured during the experiment were the colonization and fruit appearance periods, the length and diameter of the stem and cap (pileus) diameters; the fresh weight of the first and second harvests of mushrooms, and the biological efficiency of various treatment methods. Among the different treatments of plasma, the time for colonization and fruit appearance was found to be faster than control. The length of stem was highest for spawn treated with plasma for three minutes, but the diameter of the stem was found to be the highest for treatment four minutes plasma treated water used and the diameter of cap found most significantly highest for spawn treated with plasma for three minutes. Similarly, the production and biological efficiency were found to be significantly highest in the case of spawn treated with plasma for two minutes, followed by substrates treated for ten minutes with plasma , and eight minutes of plasma activated water used respectively. Plasma treatment on oyster mushroom can play a significant role in the growth and production of mushrooms.