The effect of difi. rent substrates on yield, yield parameters and morphological characters of Volvariella volvacea was studied under natural conditions in the months of March-April, 2010 and 2011. The cultivation of paddy straw mushroom was done on paddy straw (PS), wheat straw (WS), brassica straw (BS) and wheat straw+brassica straw. It was found that wheat straw was more suited as substrate for the cultivation of V. volvacea than paddy straw in terms of biological efficiency/yield. The spawn run was completed in paddy straw (8.24 days) earlier than brassica straw (9.66 days) and wheat straw (10.13 days). Eventually, the days taken for pin head formation were more for wheat straw substrate (17.78 days) and significantly higher from paddy straw (10.34 days). The maximum number of fruit bodies per 100 kg was recorded from wheat straw substrate. The maximum and minimum stipe length and pileus diameter were reported in wheat straw and brassica straw, respectively.
Biological efficiency, Brassica straw, Mushroom, Paddy straw, Spawn, Volvariella volvacea, Wheat, Yield
