Comparative Studies on Growth and Yield of Oil Palm Mushroom, Volvariella Volvacea (Bull. Ex. Fr.) Sing. on Different Substrates

2015

English

Edible mushrooms are collected in the countryside and forest regions for consumption and some sold for income. They are highly nutritional and medicinal. The oil palm mushroom, Volvariella volvacea (Bull. Ex. Fr.) Sing., a highly priced and preferred edible mushroom is cultivated using traditional methods which result in low and inconsistent yields. This study was conducted to compare the performance of various local substrates and supplements on the yield of V. volvacea using the low and high bed cultivation methods. Various agricultural wastes among others were used in preparing low and high beds sprinkled with grain spawn of V. volovacea. The beds were covered with thick transparent polyethylene sheets which were raised 15 cm to allow for mushroom development. Plantain leaf bundles and cassava peels supported the highest mycelial density followed by threshed rice panicle and cotton waste. The highest yield (280g/kg substrate) was obtained from the plantain leaf bundles, giving a biological conversion efficiency of 25%. Pinhead formation started 10 and 13 days after spawning on the bundled and chopped plantain leaves, respectively. The mixture of cotton waste and rice straw was the best after the plantain leaves followed by the mixture of cotton waste and corn cob. Yields increased from October to April/May with a maximum of 280g/kg for the plantain leaf bundles in April/May where temperatures ranged from 20.0-36.0oC and was very low in August/September, where temperatures ranged from 20.0-32.5ºC. Nitrogen content of some substrates was low (0.4-1.0%) and therefore these substrates may need supplementation.

Apetorgbor, A. K.; Apetorgbor, M. M.; Derkyi, N. S. A.