Growth Hormones for Enhanced Development and Nutritional Profiling of Pleurotus florida (Mont.) Singer

Oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus florida) are a sustainable solution for food security, offering high nutrition and ease of cultivation on agro-waste substrates like wheat straw. Unlike traditional crops, they require minimal space and no fertile soil. This study evaluated the effects of growth regulators (CK, NAA and GA₃) on mushroom growth, yield, and nutrition. The T9 treatment [wheat straw + GA₃ (10ppm)] showed the best results, with early pinhead initiation (18 days), superior morphological traits (84 fruiting bodies/bag, stalk length 9.81 cm, cap diameter 12.15 cm), and highest total yield (1451.31 g) across three flushes. It also exhibited the highest biological efficiency (107.5%). Nutritional analysis revealed varying mineral contents across treatments: T6 [wheat straw + NAA (10ppm)] had the highest calcium (11.31 mg) and nitrogen (5.47 mg), while T9 recorded the highest zinc (6.64 mg). These findings highlight the potential of growth regulators in enhancing Oyster mushroom productivity and nutritional value.