EFFICACY OF DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES ON THE GROWTH AND BIOACTIVE COMPONENT OF TWO OYSTER MUSHROOM (PLEUROTUS PULMONARIUS AND PLEUROTUS FLORIDA).

Agricultural waste can be harnessed to improve food safety and security. This study was carried out with the aim of investigating the efficacy of substrate on the growth and bioactive component of two oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius and Pleurotus florida). Three different substrates namely, i.e. sawdust (SD), rice husk (RH) and sawdust + rice husk (SD+RH) were used. The substrates were pasteurized before inoculation of the spawns and later kept in a controlled environment to allow for the development of fruiting bodies. The substrate media were found to influence pin head formation, number of fruiting bodies and maturity period in days. The number of fruiting bodies for P. florida was higher in sawdust (17.50) than in rice husk (16.17). The increase in the number of fruiting bodies for sawdust substrate could be suggestive of production of various enzymes during the vegetative and reproductive phases which helped to solubilize the lignin and degrade the cellulose which were later absorbed by the mushroom mycelium for the production of fruiting bodies. The pin heads appeared fastest on rice husk (53.67 days) for P. pulmonarius followed by sawdust (74.50 days) and sawdust + rice husk (77.83 days). The variation in the number of days taken for a spawn to complete colonization of a given substrate is a function of the fungal strain, growth condition and substrate type. The development of oyster mushroom is therefore predicted on these important factors; nutrition, genetics, environment, and the species of interest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]