Effect of Different Agro-wastes Substrates on the Growth and Productivity of the Oyster Mushroom in Upper Egypt

The Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus cystidiosus) was cultivated on different agro-wastes as substrates such as; sugarcane bagasse (ScB), rice straw (RS), and wheat straw (WS), whereas the fourth formula composed of combination of these three substrates in a proportion of 1: 1. The ScB, RS and WS agro-wastes substrates were selected as the most favorable lignocellulosic sources. P. cystidiosus can efficiently degrade the agro-wastes and grow at wide range of temperatures. The effects of growing the Oyster mushroom on different lignocllulosic agro-wastes as substrates were tested through evaluating the levels of various parameters in the growing mycelium including: moisture contents, yield, total carbohydrates, crude fat, crude protein, crude fiber, ash, and minerals contents. The WS showed the highest yield (97% Bio efficiency), maximum crude protein (23%), and phosphorus content of (890 mg/ 100 g of dry mushroom). The ScB recorded minimum moisture (88%) and crude fiber content (9%). However, the maximum moisture (91%) and highest fruiting bodies size (10 cm) are recorded on RS cultivation. The combination of substrates formula ScB+ WS+ RS expressed the highest carbohydrate content (58 %), ash (7.1%), phosphorus (585 mg/ 100g of dry mushroom), and calcium (320 mg/ 100g of dry mushroom) content. Finally, we concluded that the P. cystidiosus of Upper Egypt can grow in a wide range of temperatures and substrates mainly on WS, then Rs, and ScB. The aim of the current work was to study the influences of the different agro-wastes substrates and some nutritional conditions on the mycelial growth of P. cystidiosus, during winter season in the Upper Egypt.