Analysis of economic benefits and energy value of intercropping Stropharia rugosoannulata under rubber forests in Hainan Province of China

Abstract

To stabilize China's rubber planting area and maintain the security of China's natural latex supply as a strategic material, developing the cultivation of edible fungi under rubber forests is considered an effective solution. However, the proportion of suitable substrate for cultivating edible fungi under forests has not been clearly defined. The lack of clarity in economic and energy utilization efficiency hinders the promotion and development of the under-forest cultivation mode of edible fungi. In this study, we investigated the yield performance of Stropharia rugosoannulata cultivated under the forest using 9 different cultivation proportions. Additionally, we examined the economic and energy efficiency by calculating the input and output of each cultivation proportion, with S. rugosoannulata as the target. The results showed that proportion F (rubber sawdust: rice straw: rice chaff = 3:3:2) made full use of local agroforestry wastes. This proportion not only achieved the highest yield (8.51 kg m-2) but also had the highest economic value, reaching 21.57 CNY m-2. Therefore, it is the most suitable for widespread cultivation under the forest. This study provides reliable theoretical support for the rubber-fungus model while enhancing the rubber forest economy.