IMPACT OF VARIOUS AGRO-INDUSTRIAL WASTES ON YIELD AND QUALITY OF PLEUROTUS SAJOR-CAJU

Abstract

The study reports the effects of various agro-industrial wastes and their combinations on yield and quality characteristics of Pleurotussajor-caju. The results revealed substantial variances among different wastes for improving the yield and quality of P. sajor-caju. However, the fastest mycelial growth (22.45 days), the highest number of pin heads (35.0) and average number of fruiting bodies (19.75) were observed in P. sajor-caju cultivated on cotton waste with respect to other substrates. Likewise, the largest diameter (6.90 cm) of mushroom fruit body was obtained on cotton waste, whereas stalk diameter (2.50 cm) and stalk length (3.11 cm) were found maximum on combination of cotton waste and corn cobs (1:1). It was noted that P. sajorcaju grown on cotton waste exhibited 61%, 54%, 43%, 42% and 28% higher biological efficiency as compared to the ones cultivated on sugarcane bagasse, sugarcane bagasse + corn cobs (1:1), corn cobs, sugarcane bagasse + cotton waste (1:1), cotton waste + corn cobs (1:1), respectively. Similarly a maximum increase of 61% in total yield was recorded in P. sajorcaju grown on cotton waste with respect to other agro-industrial wastes.