Effect of Various Light Colours and its Sources on Yield and Yield Contributing Parameters of Pleurotus florida

Light (source, intensity and colour) has its own role to play in stimulation of vegetative and reproductive phages of oyster (Pleurotus spp) mushrooms, which consequently influence its yields. Therefore, present study was undertaken to assess the effect of various light colours and its sources on vegetative and reproductive growth phages, yield contributing parameters and yield of Pleurotus florida, using the basic substrate wheat straw and applying transparent polybag cultivation technique. The results revealed that the test light colours and its sources significantly influenced the days to spawn run completion (16 to 18 days), pinhead initiation (19 to 22 days) and formation of mature fruiting bodies (23 to 28 days). These light treatments also significantly influenced the number of pinheads (143.83 to 208.67) and matured fruiting bodies (117.88 to 184.92) per bed, diameter of the pileus (5.25 to 6.88 cm²) and stipe (4.17 to 5.33 cm²) and stipe length (4.28 to 5.82 cm). Consequently, all the treatments significantly influenced the fresh mushroom yield (1074.92 to 1273.84 g/bed), mushroom dry weight (102.72 to 152.38 g) and biological efficiency (71.66 to 84.92%) of the wheat straw. However, natural light followed, by blue light, CFL bulb, green light, fluorescent tube, tungsten bulb and yellow light were found to influence significantly the vegetative and reproductive growth phages as well as fresh mushroom yield and dry weight of P. florida.