Alternative substrates for cultivating oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus)

Abstract

Wheat straw has generally been used as the main substrate for cultivating oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus); \nhowever, in South Africa it is becoming expensive for small-scale farmers to utilise. Therefore, the main objective \nof the study was to investigate the use of alternative, but suitable substrates for planting oyster mushrooms. Wheat \nstraw (control), wood chips and thatch grass, selected on account of their year-round availability and low cost, \nwere tested with two drainage treatments (drained or not drained) and replicated four times. Wheat straw showed \nno contamination, whereas there was contamination in thatch grass and wood chips from weeks 1 to 4. At harvest, \na significantly higher cumulative number of flushes, caps and fresh mass of oyster mushrooms was observed in \nwheat straw and thatch grass compared with wood chips. The results demonstrated that thatch grass could be used \nas a viable alternative to the commonly used wheat straw.