Synergistic Substrate Formulation for Enhanced Oyster Mushroom Production Using Tectona grandis Leaves, Waste Paper, and Straw

A biotechnologically viable way to convert lignocellulosic waste into high-protein, nutritional food is through mushroom cultivation. The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of Tectona grandis leaves combined with wheat straw as a growing medium for Pleurotus sajor-caju oyster mushrooms. The productivity and biological efficiency (BE) of various substrate compositions were assessed in a number of experiments. The highest BE of 43.1 % was achieved with a substrate mix that included 50% waste paper and 50% rice straw; the lowest BE of 11.52% was attained with waste paper alone. The study also looked into the potential use of sodium nitrate and Tectona grandis leaves as dietary supplements in the substrate mixture. The findings demonstrated that compared to standard substrates, a combination of T. grandis leaves, discarded paper, and straw produced a significantly higher number of mushrooms. Strong mycelial growth and the development of fruiting bodies were the results of further increasing the nutritional content with the addition of sodium nitrate.