EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SUPPLEMENTS WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS TO PADDY STRAW SUBSTRATE ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF OYSTER MUSHROOM (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Abstract

Mushrooms arc non-green fungal plants occurring seasonally all over the world in various habitats varying from plains to thick forests or green meadows to roadside pathways. It comprises a large heterogeneous group having various shapes, sizes, appearance and edibility. They are recognized as the alternate source of good quality protein and arc capable of producing the highest quantity of protein per unit area within a short time from the worthless agro-wastes (Chadha and Sharma, 1995). To find out the effect of the supplementation of wheat bran, rice bran, mustard oil cake, cow dung and poultry litter to paddy straw on yield and various yields contributing characters of oyster mushroom. The experiment was conducted in the Plant Tissue Culture (PTC) laboratory and the Mushroom Culture House (MCH) of mushroom culture center at Saver, Dhaka, May to August 2005 with a view to study the influence of supplements to the paddy straw substrate on the growth and yield of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus). Experimental design was CRD. Supplements were mixed with substrate separately at 50 %, 40%, 30%, 20% andl0%.The highest number of fruiting body (65.25) was observed in cow dung then ricc bran (62.75) and then wheat bran (61.75) supplemented with 40% level. The different level of nutrient materials was influence the biological yield, economic yield and mycelium run rate. The economic yield of oyster mushroom was increased gradually up to 40% level of nutrient materials and then decreased. Nutrient material cow dung was more pronounced than wheat bran. The highest (8.66) benefit cost ratio was obtained from cowdung with 40% level of supplements while the lowest 5.31 BCR was observed in mustard oil cake at 50% level. Mycelium run rate per day in spawn packets of different supplement differ significantly. The time (18.50days) required to complete mycelium running was lowest in cow dung supplemented at 40% level. From stimulation to primordial initiation, from primordial initiation to first harvest, from stimulation to first harvest and total harvest days were influenced by the different supplements at the different levels. The best level of nutrient material is 40% because the highest benefit was obtained by using 40% level of supplement in paddy straw substrate. The best nutrient material is cowdung, then wheat bran, rice bran, poultry litter and lastly mustard oil cake.