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Growth of Pleurotus Ostreatus on Different Textile Materials for Vertical Farming

Summary

Scientists grew oyster mushrooms on different types of knitted fabrics to develop a new vertical farming method for growing food in small spaces. They found that coating the fabric with nutrient agar (a gel-like substance) was essential for mushroom growth, and surprisingly, the mushrooms grew equally well on both natural fabrics like cotton and synthetic fabrics like acrylic. The dried mushroom-fabric combinations became stiff and rigid, suggesting potential use in creating sustainable, bio-based materials for various applications.

Background

Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium has diverse technical applications beyond nutrition, including packaging materials and wastewater treatment. While traditionally grown on sawdust and wood, recent studies have explored mycelium growth on nanofiber substrates. This study extends investigation to knitted textile fabrics to enable mushroom cultivation in vertical farming systems.

Objective

To investigate the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus on different knitted textile materials and stitch dimensions, and to determine optimal methods for nutrient application via agar medium for potential vertical farming applications.

Results

Dip-coating fabrics with agar significantly enhanced mycelium growth compared to fabric-only substrates, contrary to previous nanofiber studies. No significant differences in growth rate or mycelium morphology were observed among different textile materials or stitch sizes when adequate agar was present. Cotton and cotton/linen fabrics absorbed more agar than acrylic fabrics. Dried mycelium-textile composites demonstrated stiffness, suggesting potential technical applications.

Conclusion

Pleurotus ostreatus successfully colonizes various knitted textile substrates when provided with adequate nutrient agar via dip-coating, supporting the feasibility of vertical textile-based mushroom farming. Future research should investigate composite mechanical properties and optimize drying processes for bio-based material applications.
  • Published in:Materials (Basel),
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 31311088, DOI: 10.3390/ma12142270
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