Effects of Crude Oil on the Growth of Oyster Mushroom; Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacaum ex.fr. Kummer)

: The effect of crude oil on polluted sawdust on the growth of Pleurotus ostreatus was evaluated. The experiment was laid in a completely randomized design (CRD) with five replicates. Data collected were subjected to analysis of variance (ANVOA) and the mean separation was done using Duncan Multiple Range test (DMRT) at the probability of 5%. Result showed that micro-morphological characteristics of P. ostreatus grown on sawdust polluted with crude oil at varying concentrations of 50 ml, 100ml and 150ml and allowed to be contaminated for 8, 10 and 12 day respectively before sowing the mycelia in the polluted sawdust. Marco-Morphological at 10ml level of crude oil polluted sawdust significantly reduced the marco-morphological features of the P. ostreatus mushroom harvest at different days compared to 50ml crude oil polluted sawdust, in 8 days, the cap length measurement are (4.43cm±1.10 – 6.55cm±1.10), for stipe length (3.31cm ± 0.01 - 7.41cm ± 0.02) while the fresh fruit body weight (115.2g ± 2.01 - 175.3g ± 2.01). It is observed that the growing of P. ostreatus using wastes will help to reduce the huge agricultural wastes within our environment that sometimes when not properly managed caused serious environmental pollution. The research therefore recommended for the use of sawdust in the growing of Pleurotus ostreatus mushroom species, since sawdust and mushroom are good remediators of crude oil pollution. The summary of the result indicated that increase in crude oil pollution significantly (P≤0.5) affected the macro morphological features of the oyster mushroom production.Keywords: Oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, morphological parameters and crude oil