Growth, Yield, and Biological Efficiency of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Grown on Different Substrate Mix Ratios

Abstract

This study was undertaken in 2014 at Ambo University Department of Biology to assess growth, yield, yield parameters and biological efficiency of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). Four treatments T1 (10: 80: 10; teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste), T2 (20:60:20; teff straw, waste paper and cotton seed waste), T3 (30:40:30 Teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste) and T4 (33.3:33.3:33.3; Teff straw, waste paper and cotton seed waste) were evaluated in three replication using complete randomize block design. Results showed that T4 (33.3:33.3:33.3; Teff straw: waste paper : cotton seed waste) recorded the fastest mycelial extension followed by T3 (30:40:30 Teff straw: waste paper : cotton seed waste) while, T1 (10:80:10; teff straw: waste paper : cotton seed waste) exhibited the slowest mycelial extension on 7th and 14th days of incubation periods. T1 (10:80:10; teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste) took longer incubation periods from pinning to maturation while T4 took shorter periods from pinning to maturation in all flushes. Relatively highest and equal numbers of fruiting bodies were collected fromT1 (10:80:10; teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste), T2 (20:60:20; teff straw, waste paper and cotton seed waste) and T4 (33.3:33.3:33.3; Teff straw, waste paper and cotton seed waste), While T3 (30:40:30 Teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste) gave the least number of fruiting bodies. Pilus diameter was largest for T3 followed by T2 and T1 respectively. The stipe length of mushroom for all treatments did not varied significantly. The highest total fresh weight of matures and biological efficiency was recorded in T4 followed by T3 and the least on T1 (10:80:10; teff straw: waste paper: cotton seed waste). The result of this study showed the possibility of obtaining high yield and more biological efficiency by preparing equal proportion of teff straw, waste paper and cotton seed waste and hence recommend for further verification studies and scale up for commercial production of the oyster mushroom.