Evaluation of growth and production of Pleurotus sp. in sterilized substrates

Abstract

The gender Pleurotus is also known as oyster mushroom, shimeji or hiratake. Aiming to select the best substrates to cultivate two species of Pleurotus, this work measured vigor, mycelium growth (cm.day-1), fresh mass (g), productivity (%) and biological efficiency (%) of P. sajor-caju (PSC96/03) and P. ostreatoroseus (POR01/06) cultivated in the following substrates: sugarcane bagasse, elephant grass, waste of castor oil plant and pasteurized rice straw. Fungal cultures were recovered in culture medium CDA. For the evaluation of mycelium growth, moist substrates were put into a closed assay tube with sterilized aluminum paper. Then, they were inoculated in 10 mm culture dishes and taken to the incubator at 26 ± 2°C. Mycelium vigor was measured with grades from 1 to 3 according to density. For axenic cultivation, substrates were placed into 250 g flasks of substrate and autoclaved twice at 121°C (1 atm) for 60 minutes, and then inoculated with 3% of spawn. The lineage P. sajor-caju (PSC96/03) showed higher growth rates in relation to P. ostreatoroseus (POR01/06). Substrates showing lower C/N ratio provided more mycelium vigor. Castor oil plant waste based-substrate showed good perspectives to growing P. sajor-caju (PSC96/03).