Performance and Yield of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) with Banana Leaves, Rice Straw and Saw Dust as Substrates

Abstract

Cultivation of mushroom is an agriculture-based enterprise that can be practiced by landless folks, because it can be grown using affordable materials such as rice straw, sawdust, used paper, and corn straw. Mushroom is a powerful source of antioxidants that are useful in reducing risk of many diseases. This study was conducted to determine the performance of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) using different substrates. Completely randomized design (CRD) was used in the study involving three treatments: banana leaves (T1), rice straw (T2) and sawdust (T3) with three replications. The data gathered were statistically analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Tukey’s Pairwise Comparison. Results of this experiment showed that there was statistical significance between T1 and T3 in terms of number of fruiting bodies wherein T3 produced a total number of 53 fruiting bodies compared to T1 which is 30 only. In terms of primordial growth, T1 was statistically significant when paired with T2 and T3. On the cap diameter significant difference was observed as T3 got the highest diameter of 50.92 cm. In terms of fresh weight, statistical significance was found between T1 and T3, where T3 got the heaviest fresh weight of 337.13 g while T1 got only 256.60 g. However, when total yield (g) was measured results showed that all substrates were statistically the same. Pairwise comparison generally favored T2 and T3 as the preferred substrate for P. ostreatus culture. Meanwhile, considering the return of investment, T2 obtained the highest, followed by T3, and the lowest was T1. Through these findings, the researchers recommend the use of T2 - rice straw because it is locally available that can help mushroom growers to maximize their income.