Influence of environmental and nutritional factors on mycelial growth and spawn performance of Pleurotus pulmonarius

The present study was conducted to evaluate the growth and yield performance of Pleurotus pulmonarius (phoenix mushroom) under varying environmental and nutritional conditions in the plains of Chhattisgarh. Key parameters evaluated included temperature, media, pH, light wavelength, light exposure duration, carbon and nitrogen sources, and strain performance on wheat-based spawn. Among temperature treatments, 26 °C was optimal for both mycelial growth and biomass accumulation. PDA and MCM media supported the highest growth due to their rich nutrient composition. A pH of 6.0 yielded maximum growth and biomass, indicating a preference for slightly acidic conditions. Transparent and yellow light wavelengths, as well as complete darkness, favored better growth, while 12-hour light exposure significantly reduced it. Glucose was the most effective carbon source, followed by maltose and fructose, whereas lactose resulted in the least growth. Potassium nitrate and peptone proved to be the best nitrogen sources, with urea significantly inhibiting fungal development. In spawn development trials, strain PP-21-10 showed the shortest colonization time (12 days) on wheat grains, highlighting its suitability for rapid and efficient spawn production. These results demonstrate that growth and productivity of P. pulmonarius are highly influenced by environmental and nutritional variables. The findings provide practical insights for optimizing mushroom cultivation under controlled conditions, particularly in the subtropical climate of central India.