Yield Performance of Different Species of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) under the Agro-ecological Condition of Lateritic Zone of West Bengal, India

Different species of Pleurotus, i.e. Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus flabellatus, Pleurotus florida,Pleurotus eous, Pleurotus ostreatus and Hypsizygus ulmarius [Synonyms:Pleurotus ulmarius (Fr.) P. Kumm] were evaluated under in-house conditions of lateritic zone of West Bengal during winter season of 2008. The newly introduced elm oyster mushroom Hypsizygus ulmarius was found to be most appropriate species in this region in terms of biological efficiency (156%), spawn run period (15 days) and average weight of sporophore (7.98 g), followed by Pleurotus florida (121.5%), Pleurotus sajor-caju (115.5%) and Pleurotus ostreatus (103.25%) biological efficiency. Pleurotus eous was found to be less suitable under this climatic condition.