Crop room studies in relation to yield potential of Lentinula edodes strains on wheat straw

Lentinula edodes is a medicinal mushroom that naturally grows on wooden logs but for cultivation at commercial scale we need substrates which are easily available along with fast growing strains. Considerable genetic variation exists within Lentinula edodes and accordingly different strategies are to be designed for exploiting full of its vigour based on abilities to degrade substrate. Present study was conducted through cultivation trial to identify the potential L. edodes strains on the basis of spawn run period, biological efficiency and productivity under crop room conditions. Results suggested that different strains have different spawn run durations. L. edodes mushroom mycelium of Le(O) took least time (60 days) to achieve full colonization of autoclaved wheat straw. Highest biological efficiency (40%) and number of fruit bodies (9.8) were computed with OE 388. In OE-388 pinning started without shock treatment and yield was highest i.e. 155 g per 1.5 Kg wet substrate. This study shows that OE-388 is the potential strain and hence can be used for the cultivation of L. edodes at commercial scale.