Effects of Different substrates on the yield and nutritional value of Pleurotus tubberregium (FR.) Sing

Two experiments were conducted to study the effects of different substrates on the yield and nutritional content of Pleurotus tuberregium (Fr.) Sing. Seven different substrates were used in both experiments to grow the mushrooms and sclerotia, respectively. The experiments were carried out using a completely randomized design (CRD). Fresh and dry weights of the harvested mushrooms and sclerotia were recorded and the proximate analysis of the mushrooms conducted using Association of Official Analytical Chemists (AOAC’s) methods. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used for data analysis and test of significance carried out by the Duncan’s multiple range test. Results of the mushroom cultivation experiment showed that mean dry weights varied from 0.22 g for mixture of topsoil and fermented sawdust substrate (M5) to 3.34 g for mixture of river sand and fermented sawdust substrate (M7), while the mean fresh weights varied from 1.42 g for M5 to 13.76 g for M7. The mean fresh weights of M2, M3 and M7 were not significantly different from one another but were significantly different from those of M4 and M5. Furthermore, percentage carbohydrate content ranged from 59.03% in M1 to 65.41% in M2 while that of crude protein varied from 14.88% in M3 to 17.78% in M1. For the second experiment, the rate of substrate colonization differed significantly (P≤ 0.05) for the treatments. The mean colonization rate varied from 0.0 day in S2, S3 to 31.2 days in S5, S4 and S6, which were not significantly different from each other but were significantly different from S1, S5 and S7 and from S2 and S3. The mean dry weight yield varied from 46.26 g in S5 to 127.48 g in S1. The biological efficiency of sclerotia harvested from S1, S6 and S7 were not significantly different from one another but were significantly different from those of S4 and S5 substrates. Considering all the parameters investigated; a mixture of river sand and fermented sawdust substrate (M7) is recommended as the best substrate for the cultivation of P. tuberregium mushrooms while a mixture of corn waste and fermented sawdust substrate (S6) is recommended for sclerotial cultivation. Mushrooms grown on topsoil substrate (M1) are recommended as the best for nutritional supplement.Keywords: Pleurotus tuberregium, mushroom, nutrition, sclerotiaAfrican Journal of Food, Agriculture, Nutrition and Development, Volume 13 No. 2 April 201