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Development of a consortium-based microbial agent beneficial to composting of distilled grain waste for Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation

Summary

Scientists developed a special mix of five beneficial bacteria found in grain waste composting to speed up the process of preparing grain waste as growing substrate for oyster mushrooms. This microbial treatment made the composting hotter and faster, allowing oyster mushroom roots to grow quicker on the substrate. While the final mushroom harvest was similar in quantity, using this microbial treatment allowed farmers to harvest mushrooms about a week earlier. This method offers a practical way to recycle grain waste into valuable mushroom crops.

Background

Pleurotus ostreatus is widely cultivated worldwide as an edible mushroom. Distilled grain waste (DGW) from spirit production is a potential substrate for mushroom cultivation but contains components that restrict mycelial growth. Developing a cost-effective composting approach could facilitate rapid colonization and DGW recycling.

Objective

To develop a consortium-based microbial agent from indigenous bacteria isolated from DGW composting to accelerate the composting process and facilitate Pleurotus ostreatus colonization on DGW substrate.

Results

Microbial agent inoculation increased composting temperature (73.2 vs 71.2°C) and extended the thermophilic phase. Metagenomic analysis showed enhanced microbial metabolisms including xenobiotic biodegradation and terpenoid metabolism. Faster P. ostreatus colonization was observed with higher ergosterol content and lignocellulase activities in microbial-inoculated compost. Final mushroom yield was similar between treatments but harvesting occurred 5-7 days earlier with inoculation.

Conclusion

The consortium-based microbial agent containing five indigenous microorganisms shows application potential for composting DGW and facilitating P. ostreatus cultivation, providing an alternative method for sustainable DGW recycling.
  • Published in:Biotechnology for Biofuels,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: PMID: 34920748, DOI: 10.1186/s13068-021-02089-4
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