Growth efficiency of elm oyster mushroom (Hypsizygus ulmarius) using plant-based waste substrates

Abstract

Mushrooms are nutritionally important organisms that grow well on agricultural plant - based waste substrates. Mushroom cultivation technique is a profitable agribusiness at a small scale. It contains different polysaccharide compounds like cellulose, lignin and hemicelluloses which could be degraded by extracellular enzymes produced by mushroom fungi. Such edible mushrooms have high nutritive values that include proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates, fats, lipids, vitamins and minerals. In the current research, the Elm (Hypsizygus ulmarius) mushrooms are cultivated using three different substrates: Paddy straw, corn husk, and a combination of corn husk and paddy straw under aseptic conditions. The spawn running, pin head formation and basidiocarp sprouting time period was faster (14 days) in combined substrates of corn husk and paddy straw compared to the individual substrates. The fruiting body size was larger in corn husk (cap diameter-7.9 cm, cap length - 5.83 cm) and corn husk + paddy straw substrate (cap diameter-6.96 cm, cap length - 5.53 cm) than in paddy straw substrate (cap diameter-6.63 cm, cap length - 4.06 cm). The nutrient composition of the harvested basidiocarps of mushroom from the different substrates had a higher moisture content (69.86 ± 0.41 %) and maximum ash (13.06 ± 0.75 %) content in Hypsizygus ulmarius from corn husk + paddy straw substrate. Among these, the protein rich (44.71 ± 0.28 % and 37.88 ± 0.45 %) mushrooms were cultivated using corn husk + paddy straw and corn husk substrate which contained low levels of carbohydrates and optimum levels of fats and lipid content. Thus, corn Husk + paddy straw combination substrate and corn husk substrate were more efficient and suitable for commercial cultivation of Hypsizygus ulmarius than the paddy straw substrate. Hypsizygus ulmarius produces large size basidiocarp and a higher yield than Pleurotus species. It is easy to cultivate it with high amount of yield. This commercial edible mushroom production technology is installed in different areas of our environment to enhance and balance the food scarcity in our state to overcome malnutrition. The present study suggested that a combination of corn husk and paddy straw could be used as a substrate for the production of nutritionally efficient mushrooms with a high yield. It would be applicable in various integrated mushroom farming along with agriculture which can lead to an increase in the Indian economy at a certain level.