Evaluation of different substrates for cultivation of oyster mushroom, Pluerotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer

Good quality use of substrate is an essential part in the cultivation for proteins, vitamins and minerals. Using agricultural residues helps to restore, replenish the ecosphere. Here Pleurotus sajor–caju was used for cultivation locally available substrates viz., paddy straw, wheat straw, sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane trash, cotton stalk, finger millet straw and banana pseudostem stretcher. The days required for spawn run on different substrates ranged from 11.58 to 17.83 days. The minimum days required for spawn run in sugarcane trash and finger millet straw was 11.58 and 11.75. Pin head formation started from 13.33 to 24.17 days. Minimum days of 13.33 and 14.33 were required in sugarcane trash and finger millet straw. The days for first harvest ranged from 15.25 to 24.66. First harvest took in 15.25 days in finger millet straw and 16.75 days in paddy straw and sugarcane trash. Among the different substrates, selected for the cultivation of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju), wheat straw gave the highest yield of 627.33 g and the least yield was obtained in the case of banana pseudo stem strecher. The biological efficiency of wheat straw and paddy straw and sugarcane trash were 64.27, 63.68 and 52.04%, respectively, while least biological efficiency were in sugarcane bagasse (6.07%), cotton stalk (00.86%) and banana pseudo stretcher (0.22%).