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

Author: mycolabadmin
3/21/2022
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Summary

This study examined how different combinations of agricultural waste materials affect the growth and quality of oyster mushrooms. Researchers tested various recipes using rice straw, rice husks, and sawdust with different additives, composting for different lengths of time. They found strong relationships between mushroom size (cap width and stalk length) and overall yield, suggesting these measurements can reliably predict mushroom quality and help with pricing and grading.

Background

Pleurotus ostreatus is one of the most commonly cultivated mushrooms globally with annual production exceeding 900 metric tons. These oyster mushrooms possess the ability to grow at wide temperature ranges utilizing various lignocellulose substrates through cellulosic and pectinolytic enzyme production. The conversion of agricultural waste into palatable protein and medicinal nutraceuticals through mushroom cultivation is an eco-friendly biotechnological approach.

Objective

This study correlated the stipe length, cap diameter, and growth yield (fresh weight) of Pleurotus ostreatus strain EM-1 fruiting bodies using different rice lignocellulosic wastes and wawa sawdust substrates with various amendments including CaCO3 and rice bran supplementation. The research aimed to determine how substrate formulation influences morphometric characters and biological efficiency of the mushroom.

Results

Fresh weight, stipe length, and cap diameter increased differentially with composting period across treatments. The highest coefficient of determination (R²=0.9454 for stipe length; R²=0.9444 for cap diameter) was obtained on raw unamended rice straw. Rice straw amended with 1% CaCO3 and 10% rice bran showed R²=0.882 (stipe length) and R²=0.9624 (cap diameter) with biological efficiency. The lowest correlations (R²=0.6346 and R²=0.057) were recorded on rice straw and rice husk mixture substrates.

Conclusion

Strong positive correlations exist among morphometric growth parameters and biological efficiency across different formulated substrates. The results demonstrate that cap diameter, stipe length, and biological efficiency can serve as reliable indicators for predicting mushroom yield and quality, with substrate composition significantly influencing these morphometric characteristics. The study supports the use of these measurements as standardized grading criteria for oyster mushroom pricing and quality assessment.

Published in:Food Science & Nutrition,
Study Type:Experimental Study,
Source: 10.1002/fsn3.2802; PMID: 35702293