Influence of Some Organic Supplements on the Growth and Yield of Pleurotus pulmonarius (Fries) Quelet on Sawdust Substrate
1Olufunmilayo Omowumi Idowu and *2Mukaila Kadiri
1National Horticultural Research Institute (NHORT) PMB 5432, Dugbe, Ibadan, oyo state, Nigeria.
Tel: +2348055110312, Fax: (234) 2412230; E-mail: funmilayoidowu@yahoo.com
2 Department of biological Sciences, College of Natural Sciences, University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun state, Nigeria.
Tel: +234-8139183107, Fax: +234-39-243045, *e-mail: mukailakadiri@yahoo.com
Accepted on May 8, 2014
Abstract
This study investigated improved, cost effective organic wastes management and sustainable methods of Pleurotus pulmonarius cultivation. The cultivation of edible mushroom, P. pulmonarius was carried out using organic supplements such as corn bran (CB), wheat bran (WB), rice bran (RB), palm kernel cake (PKC), groundnut cake (GNC), soya meal (SM) and poultry manure (PM) mixed with the sawdust from Gmelina aborea wood species. These organic supplements- sawdust mixtures were made into compost heaps, and sawdust to which no supplement was added served as the control (CON). The primordial initiation was observed for the first time at approximately 30days after spawning on CB and PKC. The biological and production efficiencies in all the supplemented substrates were increased over un-supplemented control. However, SM was found to be the best supplement producing 58.37% and 22.60% biological and production efficiencies respectively. PKC was the second best additive producing 56.92 and 22.43% biological and production efficiencies respectively. Shortest days to substrate colonization (21.86) and primordial initiation (30.86) were observed on PKC when compared with other supplements. These results showed that P. pulmonarius responded differently to organic nutrient sources and also indicated that the addition of these supplements to basal sawdust substrate necessitated greater supply of nutrients in the supplements which increased the mushroom yield, biological and production efficiencies.