Asian Food Science Journal

Cultivation of edible fungi (mushrooms) is a useful method for bio-conservation in the agriculture industry. For the better production of mushrooms, we used the agricultural waste material as a substrate for the cultivation of mushrooms. After mushroom harvesting, these substrates are available as an excellent source of soil conditioner. In this study, we used the sawdust of a simbal tree (Bombax ceiba L.), office scrap paper, and poultry manure as a substrate to cultivate the Pleurotus sapidus (oyster mushroom). Data recorded from the inoculation of spawn to the harvesting of fruiting bodies by using different parameters. The results revealed that the Treatment-T4 (sawdust of simbal tree 50% + poultry manure 50%) required the least number of days (16 days) for 100% spawn-running, development of pinhead (6.5 days), and fruiting bodies (5.5 days), produced the maximum number of fruiting bodies (24.25), maximum yield (388.40 g), and highest biological efficacy (77.68%). The Treatment-T5 (office scrap paper 50% + poultry manure 50%) took the maximum number of days (32 days) for 100% spawn-running, development of pinhead (18 days) and fruiting bodies (17 days), produced least number of fruiting bodies (9.5), minimum yield (224.50 g), and lowest biological efficacy (44.90%). Therefore, the cultivation of oyster mushrooms is an excellent or environment-friendly technique because the substrate used for mushroom cultivation is economical and readily available.