Species, substrate optimization and development of a bamboo based plastic-free cultivation system for white oyster mushroom Pleurotus florida (Mont.) Singer

Abstract

Oyster mushroom cultivation relies heavily on single use polypropylene bags, generating persistent plastic waste and raising serious environmental concerns, particularly in ecologically fragile regions. The present investigation aimed to develop a productive, plasticfree and reusable cultivation system for oyster mushroom through integrated species selection, agrowaste substrate optimization and container 
innovation using bamboo baskets. Five oyster mushroom species were initially evaluated on paddy straw, among which Pleurotus florida (DMRP136) recorded the highest biological efficiency (98.29%) and superior fruiting body weight and was selected for further experimentation. Eight locally available agrowaste substrates were subsequently evaluated using P. florida, wherein paddy straw produced the highest biological efficiency (98.33%), followed by sugarcane trash and maize stover. Based on these results, a bamboo basket–based cultivation system was developed and statistically compared with the conventional polypropylene bag method. The bamboo system significantly shortened spawn run, advanced pinhead initiation and first harvest, and enhanced biological efficiency to 120%. Fruiting body quality parameters such as pileus diameter, stipe length, average fruit body weight, colour and overall marketable appearance were comparable or superior under the bamboo basket system. Economic analysis revealed higher net returns (₹495.70 per unit) and a superior cost–benefit ratio (1:12.19), supported by reusability of bamboo baskets for up to ten cropping cycles. The study demonstrates that bamboobased cultivation, combined with appropriate strain and substrate selection, offers an environmentally sustainable, economically viable and scientifically robust alternative to plasticbased oyster mushroom production.