Growth, yield and nutritional composition of Pleurotus sapidus and P. florida grown on chemically pasteurized substrate

Abstract

Cultivation of the two different oyster mushroom species P. sapidus and P. florida on different lignocellulosic agro-wastes were carried out under natural growing conditions using the chemical sterilization technique. The effects of substrate (rice and wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, sawdust) and supplementation with wheat bran on mushroom yield, biological efficiency, fruit body quality and substrate degradation were determined. Highest biological efficiency of 83.33 and 80.40% with P. sapidus and P. florida respectively were recorded on a paddy straw based substrate supplemented with 4% of wheat bran.  Results of proximate analysis indicated that the growing substrate significantly influences the quality of the fruit bodies. Maximum protein content, crude fiber, ash content of 26.58 and 25.30, 7.74 and 7.15, 6.62 and 6.99 was observed in fruit bodies of P. sapidus and P. florida, respectively harvested from paddy straw based substrate supplemented with wheat bran. Analysis of the spent substrate provided an insight into the substrate degradation pattern by both the Pleurotus spp. The findings of the present study reveal an opportunity to utilize the easily available agro residues for production of protein rich food by solid state fermentation.