Enhancing oyster mushroom cultivation by chickpea and wheat straw substrate for sustainable agriculture

This study aimed to explore the potential utilization of agro-lignocellulosic waste materials for oyster mushroom cultivation, addressing the challenge of managing waste associated with these materials. Various combinations of Chickpea Straw (CS) and Wheat Straw (WS) at different ratios-100% CS, 75% CS + 25% WS, 50% CS + 50% WS, 25% CS + 75% WS, and 100% WS-were investigated as substrates for mushroom cultivation. The experiment followed a ccompletely rrandomised design with four replications, monitoring developmental phases, yield, and biological efficiency (BE). Results indicated that using 100% WS as a substrate resulted in the fastest mycelium growth (spawn run), completing in an average of 14.50 days, 17.20 days from spawning to pinhead formation, and 20.60 days to first harvest, with the highest number of fruiting bodies produced. Chickpea straw contributed to the highest stipe width (1.52 cm), while WS 100% had the highest average yield (997.28 g) and BE (99.73%). A mixture of 75% CS and 25% WS showed promising results in terms of fruiting bodies, yield, and BE after 100% WS. Consequently, the study recommends the use of these substrates to optimize Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation yield.