Yield Potential of Different Substrates for the Cultivation of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus sapidus)

Abstract

Pleurotus sapidus cultivation provides an efficient approach for converting lignocellulosic agricultural wastes into nutritious food products. The present study evaluated the suitability of different substrate compositions for the growth, yield, and biological efficiency of P. sapidus under laboratory conditions. Five substrate treatments were tested in a Completely Randomized Design with three replications: T1 (100% wheat straw), T2 (100% cotton waste), T3 (50% wheat straw + 50% office scrap paper), T4 (50% cotton waste + 50% office scrap paper), and T5 (rice straw + wheat straw + coconut coir mixture). Parameters including spawn running period, pinhead initiation, fruiting body development, total yield, and biological efficiency were recorded and statistically analyzed using ANOVA followed by LSD test at P ≤ 0.05. Significant differences were observed among substrate treatments for all measured parameters. T2 (100% cotton waste) showed the best performance, producing the highest yield (685.83 g) and biological efficiency (137%), along with reduced spawn running and fruiting durations. In contrast, T4 exhibited the lowest yield (154.80 g) and biological efficiency (30.96%). Intermediate results were obtained in T1, T3, and T5. The findings indicate that cotton waste is a promising substrate for P. sapidus cultivation under controlled conditions and may contribute to sustainable utilization of agricultural residues for mushroom production. Keywords: Pleurotus sapidus, lignocellulosic, Complete Randomized Design and substrate.