Cultivation performance of Pleurotus pulmonarius in Maiduguri, North Eastern Nigeria, using wood chippings and rice straw waste
Department of Microbiology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
Akinmusire, O.O., Department of Microbiology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria; Omomowo, I.O., Department of Microbiology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria; Oguntoye, S.I.K., Department of Microbiology, University of Maiduguri, Borno State, Nigeria
An attempt was made to investigate the potential of growing Pleurotus pulmonarius in the hot climatic weather environment of Maiduguri, Nigeria by using cheap and easily available waste materials. The steps involved in the cultivation were composting the substrates, bagging the substrates, sterilizing the bagged compost, spawning, incubation and cropping. A completely randomized design was used with two treatments and five replications. An un-inoculated bag served as the control. On the average, spawn run duration, pinhead formation and fructification was faster for the rice straw substrate when compared to the sawdust substrate. It took an average of 22days for the spawn run in rice straw substrate, compare to 35days for the sawdust substrate. Also, pinhead formation was faster in rice straw substrate when compare with sawdust substrate. The result showed the potential of cheap and easily available substrate for oyster mushroom production.