Influence of substrates on fructification of oyster mushroom strain NS-77 (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Abstract

Production of oyster mushroom has been intensified for the last two decades and it is developing further on. This has been achieved because of its nutritive value, medicinal effects and simple and cheep production. For their production, the substrate is prepared from waste cellulose material from agricultural production, straw, corn stalks, stems of pea and soybean, sunflower husks, sawdust, wood shavings, etc. These materials are usually not utilized, often being burnt because of its low value. In two years, at the Vegetables Department of the Institute of Field and Vegetable Crops in Novi Sad, several substrates were studied under laboratory conditions in order to determine the most suitable one for strain NS-77, in terms of short incubation period, rapid fructification and high yield. We studied the following substrates: soybean straw, sunflower husks, wheat straw 50% + sunflower husks 50%, soybean straw 50% + sunflower husks 50% and wheat straw as a control. The substrate combinations with sunflower husks gave significantly higher yield and incubated the substrate more rapidly with respect to the control.