Compositional changes during the fermentation of buffered straws with Pleurotus ostreatus and Sporotrichum thermophile*

Abstract

In a completely randomized design, spawn of Pleurotus ostreatus and Sportrichum theromophile were used for fennenting'wheat and paddy straws at 25° and 40°C, respectively, using 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 1.0 .and 2.0% NaHCO₃). The dry-matter loss, biomass production and pH change ranged (P<0.05) from 4.43 to 14.20% and 11.9 to 35.7%, respectively, in all the treatment groups. They all peaked at a butter concentration of 0.8%. The maximum increase (p<0.05) in the accumulation of nitrogen (1.0 to 1.7%) and water solubles (6.2 to 18.6%) was at a buffer concentration of 0.8 and 1.0% respectively. The maximum increase (p<0.05) in nylon-bag dry. matter digestibility was 8.6 to 36.9% at a huffer concentration of 1.0% among the treatments.