Influence of Substrate, Organic Additive and Period of Cultivation on Biological Efficiency of Pleurotus sajor-caju

Oyster mushroom is the second largest cultivated mushroom in India with an annual production of 15, 000 metric tonnes. It contributes to 33% of total mushroomproduction of Odisha(4003 metrictonnes/annum). Pleurotus sajor caju is the most preferred species of the state. Among seven agro-wastes evaluated for their yield performance, the conventionally used paddy straw was significantly superior in terms of yield (858.33 g/bag) and biological efficiency (85.83%). Further, boiledwheat at10% ofthedry weight of substrate provedsuperior amongthe sixorganic supplements evaluated interms of yield (784.16 g/bag) and biological efficiency (78.41%). The investigation on seasonal influence onproductivity of P. sajor-caju revealed that the period from November to February was appropriate for obtaining higher yields in the range of 825–920.83 g/bag with the corresponding biological efficiency of 82.5–92.08% in the coastal belts of Odisha. Mushroom yields were, however, poor during rainy and summer seasons.