Cultivation of Oyster Mushroom (<i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i>) on Sawdust

A study was conducted to examine the effect of different types of spawns on oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) production using sawdust. Locally available grains of kurakkan (Eleusine coracana), maize (broken) (Zea mays), sorghum (Sorghum bicolor), and paddy (Oryza sativa) were used for spawn production. Sawdust spawned with different types P. ostreatus spawns were examined for spawn running (mycelia development), pinhead formation and fruit body formation, mean yield, and biological efficiency. The experiment was setup as a complete randomized design with three replicates. The kurakkan spawn produced an acceleration of spawn running, pinhead formation, fruit body formation and increased yield, compared with other types of spawn viz.; maize, sorghum, and paddy. The fastest spawn running of 21 ± 1 days, pinhead formation of 35 ± 1 days, highest mean yield of 55.37 ± 0.67 g and maximum fresh mushroom yield percentage of 30.76 ± 0.01 were realized for kurakkan spawn. Key words: Eleusine coracana, Pleurotus ostreatus, Sorghum bicolor, Oryza sativa, Zea mays, spawn doi: 10.4038/cjsbs.v37i2.505 Cey. J. Sci. (Bio. Sci.) 37 (2): 177-182, 2008