Evaluation of substrate efficacy and supplementation on the growth and productivity of three species of oyster mushrooms

Edible mushrooms, due to their close association with human food, are among the most diverse organisms.These mushrooms, including species such as Pleurotus (oyster mushrooms), play an important role in agricultural sustainability.The diversity of substrates used for mushroom cultivation significantly influences growth and yield.This study sought to examine agricultural waste as substrates for cultivating oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus, florida, and sapidus).Investigated the impact of various waste materials on mushroom growth and productivity.The study involved three primary agricultural waste substrates: wheat straw, corncobs, supplemented with molasses, and cowpea waste.All treatments also included wheat bran and CaCO 3 .Several parameters were measured during the cultivation process, including linear mycelia growth rate, time to complete growth in production bags, pinhead formation, production yield, and biological efficiency.The results showed that P. sapidus exhibited the fastest linear mycelia growth on the treatment with corncobs supplemented with cowpea (0.796 cm/day).P. florida was the fastest to colonize the substrate, completing growth in 33 days when wheat straw was supplemented with cowpea.P. florida also showed the quickest pinhead formation, appearing in just 2 days on the wheat straw and cowpea treatment, and on corncobs supplemented with molasses.In terms of yield, P. florida produced the highest yield (256 g/bag) on wheat straw and corncobs supplemented with cowpea.The maximum biological efficiency for P. florida was 67.5% with wheat straw alone and 61.9% when combining wheat straw with corncobs and cowpea supplements.The final conclusion is combination of wheat straw and corncobs supplemented with cowpea significantly enhanced both growth and yield of oyster mushrooms, particularly P. florida.These findings suggest that agricultural waste, when properly supplemented, can be an effective substrate for mushroom cultivation, promoting better productivity and sustainability.