Evaluation on the utilization of various agricultural wastes as substrates for the cultivation of Volvariella volvacea

Various agricultural wastes and their combinations namely tobacco midribs + sawdust (1:1), pure banana leaves, pure ipil-ipil leaves, tobacco midribs + banana leaves (1:1), tobacco midribs + ipil-ipil leaves (1:1), banana leaves + ipil-ipil leaves (1:1), and tobacco midribs + banana leaves + ipil-ipil leaves (1:1:1) were evaluated on their suitability as fruiting substrates for Volvariella volvacea. The bases of evaluation were mean number of flushes, mean number of buttons, mean number of times of harvests within two months of cultivation, mean weight of mushroom yield, mean calculated Biological Conversion Efficiency (BCE), mean radius of pileus, and mean length and diameter of stipe. Tobacco midribs + ipil-ipil leaves (substrate 5) was found to be the most suitable based on the mean weight of mushroom yield and the mean calculated BCE. Nonetheless, substrate 5 did not differ significantly with the other substrates used in terms of the other parameters considered