PERFORMANCE OF Pleurotus geesteranus MUSHROOM GROWN ON DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES

Abstract

Different substrates such as sawdust, paddy straw, paper waste, pulse straw and sugarcane bagasse were used to evaluate their effects on the growth and yield of four different strains of Pleurotus geesteranus mushroom. The minimum days required from stimulation to primordia initiation (DRSPI) (3.75) and first harvest (DRSFH) (6.75) were recorded when PG-2 was cultivated on sugarcane bagasse and the maximum DRSPI (14.00) and (DRSFH) (18.00) were recorded when PG-3 was cultivated on pulse straw. The highest numbers of effective fruiting bodies (43.50) were found in PG-4 when cultivated on paper waste. The highest biological yield (248.30g) and efficiency (99.30 %) was recorded when PG-4 was cultivated on paper waste and the lowest biological yield (107.00g) and efficiency (42.80 %) was found when PG-3 was cultivated on pulse straw.