The document discusses a study on the performance of different substrates for the growth, yield and biological efficiency of two oyster mushroom varieties, MDU 2 and CO (OM) 2. The substrates tested included sawdust, banana leaves, Guinea grass, coconut leaves, sorghum stalks, sugarcane bagasse, newspaper and maize stalks. Newspaper and paddy straw supported the fastest mycelial growth of both varieties. Newspaper also supported the fastest spawn running in 18.5 days for MDU 2 and 18 days for CO (OM) 2. Newspaper and paddy straw resulted in the highest mushroom yields and biological efficiencies for both varieties.

1. PERFORMANCE OF DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES ON GROWTH,
YIELD AND BIOLOGICAL EFFICIENCY OF TWO OYSTER
MUSHROOM VARIETIES
project work
R.SENTHIL KUMAR BSA 07-462
S.SENTHIL NATHAN BSA 07-463
M.SIVA CHANDRAN BSA 07-465
plant pathology unit
department of plant protection
agricultural college and research institute
tamil nadu agricultural university
killikulam
2010-11

2. Dr.M.Jaya sekhar, Ph.D
Professor of Plant Pathology,
Department of Plant Protection,
Agricultural college and Research Institute,
Killikulam -628 252.
Certificate
This is to certify that the project report entitled “Performance of different
substrates on growth, yield and biological efficiency of two oyster mushroom varieties”
submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of B.Sc (Ag.)., under the
course project work TAU416 to the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore-3 is a record
of Bonafide research work carried out by Mr.R.Senthil kumar, Mr. S.Senthilnathan and
Mr.M.Siva chandran under my supervision and guidance.

3. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
Its gives us immense pleasure to express our deep sense of gratitude to our
project guide Dr.M.Jayasekhar.Ph.D., Professor (Plant Pathology), Department of Plant
Protection, for suggesting the problem, valuable guidance and help during the preparation of this
project report.We are very much thankful to M.A.K.Pallai,Ph.D., Professor and Head and all the
faculty members in the Department of Plant Protection for their help in various levels.
Our special thanks to our Dean Dr.K.Ganesan,Ph.D., AC&RI,Killikulam.

4. CONTENTS
TITLES PAGE NO.
INTRODUCTION
REVIEW OF LITERATURE
MATERIALS AND METHODS
RESULTS
DISCUSSION
SUMMARY
REFERENCES

5. LIST OF TABLES
TABLE NO. TITLES PAGE NO.
1 Effect of different substrates on mycelia spread of variety
MDU 2 on 15 days after spawn inoculation at five layers.
2 Effect of different substrates on mycelia spread of variety CO
(OM) 2 on 15 days after spawn inoculation at five layers
3 Effect different substrates on number of days taken for complete
spawn running (days of spawn running)
4 Effect of different substrates on number of days taken for first
and second harvest
5 Effect of different substrates on yield and biological efficiency
(B.E 5%) of mushroom varieties

6. LIST OF PLATES
PLATE NO. TITLES
1 Cutting and drying of banana leaves
2 Drying of Guniea grass
3 Packing of different substrates
4 Recording observations
5 Spawn running on different substrates
6 Production of mushroom on different substrates
7 Best performing substrates

7. INTRODUCTION
Mushrooms, also called ‘white vegetables’ or ‘boneless vegetarian meat’ contain ample
amounts of proteins, vitamins and fiber apart from having certain medicinal properties.
Mushroom contains 20-35% protein (dry weight) which is higher than those of vegetables and
fruits and is of superior quality. Mushrooms are now getting significant importance due to their
nutritional and medicinal value and today their cultivation is being done in about 100 countries.
At present world production is estimated to be around 5 million tones and is ever increasing.
Globally China leads in mushroom production. According to FAOSTAT Agriculture
database (2002), China produced 1,244,968 metric tons of various kinds of mushroom
accounting to about 42% of the world production. But, in India the quantity is negligible.
Although processed mushrooms fetch good price in distant markets recent survey shows,
consumers always prefer fresh mushrooms.
The most well known species of Pleurotus are P.ostreatus, P.florida, P.cystidiosis,
P.flabellatus, P.cornucopie, and P.sajor-caju.Sivaprakasam (1986) from Tamil Nadu
Agricultural University,Coimbatore released the first oyster mushroom variety in the
country,CO1 (P.citrinopileatus) for commercial production.
The large amount of agricultural wastes and congenial climatic conditions provide
tremendous scope for oyster mushroom cultivation. Its cultivation is a proposition for
bioconvential of lingo cellulosic wastes into edible protein. Kumar et al. 2004 reported the
successful cultivation of Pleurotus sp on conventional substrates sufficiently available which are
not utilized properly. These wastes are neither used as fodder nor as other useful material except
as fuel. Traditionally the oyster (Pleurtus sajor-caju) is largely grown in paddy and wheat straw

8. which is become costlier because of it’s several other uses. The above conditions call for a
search of certain alternative materials which should be available in sufficient quality throughout
the year at a relatively cheaper price. Keeping in view the present investigation was carried out
to search out non-conventional agricultural waste for the successful cultivation of oyster
mushroom.

9. REVIEW OF LITERATURE
The cultivated mushrooms mostly belong to the Agaricaceae of class Basidiomycetes.
Mushrooms may be saprophytic, parasitic and mycorrhizal in their mode of livings. Most of the
cultivated mushrooms are saprophytic; they feed on organic matter which has already been
manufactured by plants or animals. In nature they grow on fallen leaves, animal droppings and
stumps of dead wood. In nature mushrooms grow wild in every country from snowy mountains
to sandy deserts on all types of soils, pastures, forests, cultivated fields of water lands. They
appear in all seasons, chiefly during the rainy weather, whenever organic matter or its
decomposition products are available (Poppe, 1995). Mushroom a food of high quality, flavour
and nutrition value have high content of protein, low content of fat[4%], vitamins (B1,
B2,C,niacin,biotin etc),minerals [P, Na ,K, Ca] and high contents of fibers and carbohydrates
[Souci, et al.,1989].
Varieties of oyster mushroom:
Other oyster mushroom varieties like CO1 (P.citrinopileatus), APK1 (P.eous), MDU 1
(P.djamor). Ooty 1 (P.ostreatus), MDU 2 (P.flabellatus) and CO (OM) 2 (Hypsizygus ulmarius)
were also introduced for commercial production from TNAU,Coimbatore from time to time.
Substrates for mushrooms:
Mushroom can be cultivated with in a wide range of temperatures on different natural
resources and agricultural wastes. The cultivation of oyster mushrooms in simple as compared to
other varieties. Five species of Pleurotus cultivated on cotton seed hulls, wheat, rice or maize
straw are different in composition of crude protein. Among the substrates, rice straw was best for
mushrooms growth (Ruhul Amin, et al., 2007). Oyster mushrooms can be grown on most of the

10. agricultural wastes of which sugarcane bagasse proved to be the best substrate for sporophore
production (Khan and Ali, 1982).
Effect on cereals straw substrate:
Pleurotus sajor- caju can be grown on wheat straw, paddy straw, stalks and leaves of sorghum,
pearl, millet and maize for commercial cultivation. The cotton stalks and leaves induced high
yield (2361 gm/10 kg substrate) followed by sorghum stalk and leaves (1463 gm/10 kg substrate)
of oyster mushroom (Patil et.al., 2008). Four stains of oyster mushroom on cotton waste showed
fastest spawn running in blue gray station of P.ostreatus with highest yield in first and third flush
while P. sajor-caju gave highest yield in first and third flush while P.sajor- caju gave highest
yield in second flush. The cultivation of P.sajor-caju on bagasse medium showed vigorous
growth and highest yield of 174 Kg medium than wheat straw and wheat bran.
Effect on banana leaves and pseudostems:
Bhavani and Nair (1989) reported that Banana leaves, dried 1.45% N, very productive in
bulk for Pleurotus or in combination for volvariella and banana pseudostems, chopped gave
better results for Pleurtus compared to sawdust or rice straw
Effect on wild grasses:
Wild grasses contain lignin, hemicelluloses, and cellulose should be dried for before as
substrate Pleurotous sapidus (Kiran and Jandaik 1989).
Effect on newspaper:

11. Newspaper, paper bulb by-product and paper waste when combined with rice bran or with
saw dust for Pleurotus cultivation. (Poppe, 1995)
Effect on sawdust:
Poppe, 1995 reported that wood shavings and wood wastes of more than 140 species were
used for Pleurotus cultivation.

12. MATERIALS AND METHODS
An experiment was conducted at AC&RI, Killikulam during the 2010-2011 with an
objective to access the efficiency of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus spp). The spawn CO (OM) 2
variety was obtained from TNAU, Coimbatore and MDU 2 from AC & RI Madurai. The
following substrates of agricultural wastes were utilized as treatment.
T1 saw dust
T2 banana leaves
T3 guniea grass
T4- coconut leaves
T5 sorghum stalks,
T6 sugarcane bagasse
T7 newspaper
T8 maize stalks
T9 paddy straw.
Bed preparation and spawning:
This substrate were shade dried and chopped in 5 cm size pieces and thoroughly washed
and soaked in fresh water for 24 hours. Then it was pasteurized at 75±5 0 c for 1 hour. After
cooling transparent polythene bags of 60×30 cm size was filled separately using 2-5 kg moist
substrate as per treatments with five layer spawning @ 3% done to incubate in the dark and well
ventilated room at ambient temperature of 18-200c.
Spawn run:
After complete spawn run the bag were transferred to cropping room. The cropping room
temperature was maintained between 22+ - o c and humidity 80 percent. The polythene bags were

13. removed by sterilized sharp blade and cubes were kept on bamboo racks. After 2 to3 days of
removal of polythene bags. Sufficient numbers of pin heads were observed which were allowed
to mature for 2-4 days more.
Harvesting:
The matured mushrooms were harvested by hand picking. The base of the stipe is cleaned
with a sharp knife and packed well aerated containers. Normally, Oyster mushroom should be
used at the same day harvest. After the completion of first harvest, the beds are scrapped with a
sharp knife to remove the remnants of the harvested mushrooms.
Observations recorded:
Data on period of spawn run, days of first and second harvest and yield were recorded.
Biological efficiency of mushroom on fresh weight basis was calculated by formula.
Biological efficiency:
Total weight of the fruiting bodies harvested from all the two pickings were measured as total
yield of mushroom. The biological (yield of mushroom per kg substrate on dry wt.basis) was
calculated by the following formula Chang et al., (1981)
Fresh weight of mushroom
B.E. (%) = × 100
Dry weight of substrate

14. RESULTS
The mycelia spread was recorded on 15 days after inoculation of spawn of the varieties
MDU 2 and CO (OM) 2 are presented in table 1and 2
Table 1: Effect of different substrates on mycelia spread of variety MDU 2 on 15 days after
spawn inoculation at five layers.
Treatment 1st layer 2nd layer 3rd layer 4th layer 5th layer Mean
T1 1.0 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.40
T2 3.2 3.3 3.3 3.2 3.0 3.20
T3 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.0 3.2 3.16
T4 2.2 2.3 2.0 2.5 2.4 2.28
T5 2.3 2.2 2.1 2.4 2.3 2.26
T6 3.2 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.10
T7 4.5 4.4 4.6 4.7 5.0 4.62
T8 3.4 3.5 3.4 3.5 3.6 3.44
T9 4.4 4.6 4.3 4.4 4.7 4.48
The result revealed that the substrate newspaper was recorded maximum mycelia spread of
4.62 cm followed by paddy straw (4.48 cm) and the least growth was recorded on saw dust
substrate (1.40 cm).

15. Table 2: Effect of different substrates on mycelia spread of variety CO (OM) 2 on 15 days after
spawn inoculation at five layers
Treatment 1st layer 2nd layer 3rd layer 4th layer 5th layer Mean
T1 0.9 1.0 1.5 1.9 1.8 1.42
T2 3.4 3.6 3.2 3.0 3.2 3.28
T3 3.2 3.4 3.3 3.5 3.8 3.44
T4 2.6 2.2 2.4 2.3 2.7 2.44
T5 2.4 2.3 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.44
T6 3.0 3.0 3.2 3.4 3.6 3.24
T7 4.6 4.5 4.8 4.6 5.0 4.70
T8 3.5 3.6 3.2 3.6 3.0 3.38
T9 4.4 4.5 4.4 4.5 4.8 4.52
The result revealed that the substrate newspaper was recorded maximum mycelia spread
of 4.70 cm followed by paddy straw (4.48 cm) and least growth was recorded on saw dust
substrate (1.42 cm).

16. Table 3: Effect different substrates on number of days taken for complete spawn running (days
of spawn running)
Treatment Spawn running days Spawn running days
MDU 2 CO (OM) 2
T1 36.5 33.0
T2 24.5 23.0
T3 25.0 23.5
T4 24.5 26.5
T5 26.5 25.5
T6 28.5 30.0
T7 18.5 18.0
T8 23.0 22.5
T9 20.5 18.0
The duration taken for complete spawn running of MDU 2 was less than CO (OM) 2
variety. The lowest days taken for complete spawn running was 18.5 and 18.0 recorded in
newspaper substrate followed by paddy straw (20.5 but 18.0 days) and maximum days of 36.5
and 33 was taken in saw dust substrate in varieties MDU 2 and CO (OM) 2 respectively.

17. Table 4: Effect of different substrates on number of days taken for first and second harvest
Treatment Days for first Days for first Days for second Days for second
harvest harvest harvest harvest
(MDU 2) CO (OM) 2 (MDU 2) CO (OM) 2
T1 48.0 47.5 60.0 58.0
T2 32.5 33.0 43.5 45.0
T3 36.5 34.0 44.0 46.5
T4 31.0 28.5 38.5 37.5
T5 29.5 28.0 36.5 34.0
T6 30.0 28.5 36.0 36.5
T7 20.0 19.0 27.5 25.5
T8 26.0 27.0 31.0 32.5
T9 23.5 21.0 29.0 29.5
The substrates newspaper and paddy straw were taken 20.0 and 23.5 days for MDU 2 and
19.0 and 21.0 days for CO (OM) 2 respectively for first harvest however maximum days for first
harvest was 48.0 in MDU 2 and 47.5 in CO (OM) 2 for saw dust substrate. In the second harvest
also newspaper and paddy straw recorded less number of days respectively. All substrates
generally taken an additional 3 to 12 days from first harvest to second harvest.

18. Table 5: Effect of different substrates on yield and biological efficiency (B.E 5%) of mushroom
varieties
Treatment Yield(g/bed) B.E% Yield(g/bed) B.E%
MDU 2 MDU 2 CO (OM) 2 CO (OM) 2
T1 110 38.60 95 48.25
T2 365 64.60 405 70.00
T3 215 59.00 190 62.04
T4 265 49.50 320 57.75
T5 425 58.80 460 63.65
T6 260 64.30 285 61.50
T7 480 95.25 530 98.40
T8 335 66.65 390 72.55
T9 590 84.40 665 85.70
The results showed that the maximum yield of 590 and 665g/bed was recorded in paddy
straw substrate in both varieties followed by newspaper substrate (480 and 530g/bed). However
highest biological efficiency of 95.25% and 98.40% was respectively recorded in newspaper
substrate followed by paddy straw substrate (84.40 and 85.70) treatments. In MDU 2 and CO
(OM) 2 varieties respectively.

19. DISCUSSION
The substrates used in this studies exhibited variation in spawn run, days to harvests
and yield. The quickest spawn run and duration of first harvest of 18.5 days and 20.0 days for
MDU 2 and 18.0 days and 19.0 days for CO (OM) 2 was recorded in the newspaper substrate.
The similar results were also reported by Chavan et al., 2003. But maximum yield of 590g/bed
and 665g/bed was recorded in both varieties respectively in paddy straw treatment. The probable
reason for the best performance of these mushroom varieties on newspaper substrate and paddy
straw might be that the nutrient required for the mushroom particularly for its spawn run and pin
head development were supplied by these substrate which decomposed quicker then the other
substrates. Pleurotus flabellatus mushroom was found to utilize paddy straw substrate and it was
observed suitable for spawn run, yield and biological efficiency (Das et al., 2000). Highest
biological efficiency of 95.25% and 98.4% was observed in newspaper substrate for the both
varieties respectively and this was comparable to paddy straw (84.40% and 85.70%). Superiority
of paddy straw and newspaper was also reported by Vyas et al.,2003. The variation in biological
efficiency of different substrates might be due to low lignolytic and cellulonitic activity of the
substrates used. (Pathak and Goel.,1988)
Hence the commercial production of oyster mushroom was largely determined by the
availability and utilization of cheap materials of which agricultural lingo-cellulosic waste
represents the ideal and most promising substrate for cultivation. The substrate used in this study
can be considered practical and economically feasible due to their availability throughout the
year at little or no cost in large quantities. Utilization of these agro-wastes for the production of
oyster mushroom could be more economically and ecologically practical.

20. SUMMARY
 The substrate paddy straw has recorded maximum yield of fresh mushroom.
 Among the substrates newspaper substrate exhibited highest biological efficiency of more
than 95 per cent.
 Among the varieties CO (OM) 2 has recorded early spawn run and maximum yield
performance.

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