Effect of Different Agro-Waste Substrates on Yield Performance of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju)

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Singer) was cultivated on different agro-wastes viz., wheat straw, black gram straw, maize straw, maize hulled cobs and okra straw and their combination in 1:1 proportion to determine the effect of these agro-wastes on different parameters such as spawn running, fruiting bodies formation pinhead formation, yield and biological efficiency (BE). Black gram straw+ wheat straw showed significantly highest yield (3.78kg/5kg straw) with 75.6 per cent BE and lesser time for spawn run (13.44 d) and pin head appearance (18.66 d) followed by maize dry leaves+ hulled cobs+ wheat straw (3.60kg/5kg straw) with 72.0 per cent BE and wheat straw resulted (3.45kg/5kg straw) yield with 69.0 per cent BE. Maize hulled cobs required 16.66 and 23.33 days time for spawn run and pin head appearance, respectively and resulted less yield (2.75kg/5kg straw) with 55.0 per cent BE. All the tested substrates were found suitable for the growth of Pleurotus sajor-caju.