Waste re-cycling through edible mushroom cultivation was investigated. Edible mushroom
species used in this study include
Pleurotus tuber-regium
,
Pleurotus osteratus var
florida
and
Volvariella volvacea
, while the agricultural wastes include corn cob, corn husk and poultry waste (used as an additive).Two
kilogrammes of each waste/substrate was mixed with different concentrations of poultry waste, 0%, 1.5%, 2.5%,
3.5% and 2% Lime (CaCO
3), composted, bagged and pasteurized before being seeded with spawns of
Pleurotus
tuber-regium, Pleurotus osteratus var
florida grown on guinea corn and
Volvariella volvacea spawn grown on
cotton waste respectively. They were incubated in high-density polypropylene bags and grown at room
temperatures (27 - 30
0c) in a specially constructed growth chamber. The mean mushroom weight in the range (16 –
118.9) grams and the bioconversion efficiency in the range (0.09 – 0.67%) obtained from the three mushroom
species are statistically different at (P=0.05). There was no statistical difference at (P=0.05) in the following
parameters: Mean number of mushroom (1.4 – 18.7), the biological efficiency in the range (0.8 – 5.60%) and also
the dry matter loss in the range (50 – 247.6%). The highest mushroom quality (very big) (5.0%of MNM) was
obtained from
P. tuber-regium on corn cob.
P.tuber-regium, P osteratus var
florida, V.volvacea have shown
outstanding prospects in recycling huge agricultural wastes; such as corn cob, corn husk, and poultry waste in an
environmental friendly manner.
