October 21, 2020
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A study was conducted to investigate the growth, media degradation selerotia proximate composition of an edible mushroom, Pleurotus tuberregium on agricultural wastes. The wastes employed in this study were sawdust, maize cob, coconut and a mixed bed. Assessment were based on substrate weight at harvesting. Selerotus yield percentages degraded substrate, biological efficiency mycelia extension and density, weight of substrate at spawing harvest and after harvest and after harvest and proximate composition of the selerotia were also investigated. Results showed that sawdust gave the highest selerotia yield 59.9g while the least (30g) recorded on grass straws. The spent substrate weight at harvest was the highest on grass straws (302.6g) and lowest in sawdust (231.93). The highest degraded substrate was sawdust and the least was grass straw. It was also observed that all waste employed in this study supported the growth of mushroom mycelium with the highest growth occurring on grass straw. Coconut fibre, maize cob, mixed bed and sawdust with the lowest occulting on cocoa shell and soya husk. Protein was the most abundant nutrient in the selerotial grown on all test substrates. The selerotial grown on grass straw contains the highest dry matter, crude fibre and ash and those harvested on the grass straws and mixed bed contains the highest moisture with the least moisture in sawdust. The result are discussed in relation to the prospects of cultivating this edible mushroom in Nigeria as a nutritious food and for waste .