Growth and Yield of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on Substrate Composed of Maize (Zea mays L.) Stem and Cotton (Gossypium spp) Seed Waste

Abstract

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) is known to utilize a wide range of agricultural by -products and organic wastes from agro-processing industries. This study was carried out in order to evaluate the usability of maize stem along with  different proportion of cotton seed waste for the growth, yield and yield related parameters of oyster mushroom. From all the different treatments tested, those composed the maize stem: cotton seed waste in the ratio of (60:40 and30:70) showed fastest mycelial run, 3.6 and 7.2 cm respectively, on 7^th and 14^th days of incubation. Maize stem: cotton seed waste (60:40 and 80:20) took shortest time from incubation to 1^st flush 30 days; while maize stem: cotton seed waste (90:10 and 80:20) showed shortest pinning to maturation throughout the flushes. Maize stem: cotton seed waste (30:70) observed to have higher number of aborts 105, higher number of fruiting bodies 125 and maize stem: cotton seed waste (30:70) showed larger pilus diameter 9.2cm, higher fresh weight of matures 795g and highest biological efficiency 159%. Although the total yields of the mushroom biomass, as well as the biological efficiency were greatly affected by the different substrate compositions, all combination of the substrate gave more than 100% biological efficiency which makes maize stem together with cotton seed waste a good option for mass production of oyster mushroom which can produce good quality mushroom fruit bodies.

Keywords: Cotton seed waste, growth, maize stem, oyster mushroom, yield