Performance of three oyster mushroom species grown on maize stalk supplemented with wheat bran and maize flour
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Date
2017
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University of Zululand
Abstract
The process of mushroom cultivation adds value to the economy, environmental restoration and food security (provision) worldwide. However, there is paucity of information to the mushroom growers about the strategy of improving yield and production of mushrooms at minimal costs with reduced contamination rate. Therefore, understanding the amendments, supplements, and pre-treatment requirements for the local substrate to make them optimally suitable for mushroom cultivation is an essential step towards developing ways of improving yield and production at minimal costs with reduced contamination. The study was conducted to determine or evaluate the performance of three selected Pleurotus mushroom species (Pleurotus ostreatus, P. pulmonarius, and P. salmoneostramineus) grown on maize stalk which was supplemented with varying increasing levels of maize flour (MF) and wheat bran (WB) supplements. The results obtained in this study indicated that the mushroom species were not highly affected by contamination. However, there were levels of supplementation that resulted in higher rates of contamination, such as 20% WB (75% rate) for P. pulmonarius and 20% MF (75% rate) for P. salmoneostramineus. The overall results showed that all the mushroom species were affected by the addition of both supplements into the maize stalk substrate. It was observed that the higher levels of supplementation resulted in lower mycelial growth rate (MGR) and days to full colonisation of substrate were delayed whereby the lower levels of supplementation (WB and MF) resulted in significantly faster mycelial growth rate and shorter colonisation period. The time it took for mushrooms to start pinning (TP) was shorter within the first flush for all the mushroom species compared to the second and third flushes. Although, higher levels of supplementation negatively affected the MGR and days to full colonisation, there were however, some advantages of high supplementation. The higher levels of supplementation improved the productivity (biological efficiency and yield) for all mushroom strains. The biological efficiency (BE) and yield increased up to certain levels of higher supplementation after which they both decreased or dropped after reaching peak. In addition, a higher rate of contamination was observed under supplement levels beyond the optimum level. It can be recommended that for quick production, low supplementation or no supplementation may be required. This action may save production costs, nonetheless for an improved productivity (BE and yield), high levels of supplementation should be used (12% WB and 14% MF for all mushrooms, and for P. salmoneostramineus 18% WB is also recommended). However, supplementing beyond certain limits will result in a decrease in productivity due to contamination.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science and Agriculture in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2017
Keywords
pleurotus --productivity --yield --maize stalk --supplement