Suitability of Different Supplements for the Growth and Yield of Oyster Mushroom Cultivation

Abstract

There are several species of edible mushrooms grown around the world and among them, particularly Pleurotus ostreatus, are highly nutritious and in high demand worldwide. In Sri Lanka, P. ostreatus is widely cultivated commercially and the nutrient requirement is supplied with different supplementations. This experiment was conducted to study the effects of different nutrient supplements on the growth and yield of P. ostreatus. The study tested different treatments, including a supplement mixture, corn flour, green gram flour, rice flour, and chickpea flour. The results showed that the mushrooms supplemented with chickpea flour showed a higher mycelial growth rate compared to other treatments. However, corn flour showed better results in terms of fruiting bodies per bag in both flushes. In the first flush, the yield (g/bag) was higher with green gram flour (137.80±17.48 g), followed by corn flour (126.95±20.16g). In the second flush, the mixture of supplements (144.95±14.99g) and corn flour (119.80±9.57 g) showed higher yields. Lastly, corn flour (246.75±22.64 g), the mixture of supplements (245.70±23.36 g), and green gram flour (244.05±24.01 g) resulted in a higher total yield. Since attention should be given to improving the total yield of a mushroom cultivation use of, corn flour, the mixture of supplements and green gram flour as the supplements can be recognized as more beneficial compared to the others.