Vegetable Waste-A Potent Substrate for Cultivation of P. Ostreatus
K. N. Shashitha1, Komal2, Shlini. P* 1, Kavitha. G. Singh1
Citation :K. N. Shashitha, Komal, Shlini. P*, Kavitha. G. Singh, Vegetable Waste-A Potent Substrate for Cultivation of P. Ostreatus International Journal of Research Studies in Biosciences 2016,4(6) : 5-9.
P. ostreatus is commonly called as oyster mushroom. It is one of the most commonly cultivated and second largest to be cultivated. They are known for their nutritive values and medicinal properties. It belongs to the Class Basidiomycetes and Family Agaricaceae. It is one of the most suitable fungal organism for producing protein rich food from various agro waste without composting. The present study describes the cultivation of oyster mushroom with the utilization of vegetable waste (peels of carrot, radish, potato, cucumber and onion) in combination with agro waste (paddy straw, rice husk, wood shaving and sugarcane bagasse) as substrate. Different ratios of both the substrates were used for the cultivation. When cultivation was carried out on vegetable waste alone, there was absence of mycelium spread and fructification. However, the combination of 50% vegetable waste and 50% paddy straw supported significant growth. Thus the study implies that vegetable waste can prove to be a potent substrate for cultivation of oyster mushroom.