EVALUATION OF WHEAT STRAW AS AN AGRO-BASED CARBON SOURCE FOR THE CULTIVATION OF PLEUROTUS SP.

Abstract

Abstract

The study was designed to investigate the process of cultivation for the production of imported Pleurotus sp. mushroom. Culturing was done on agar media under aseptic conditions in the Applied Botany Lab, Department of Botany, Government College University, Lahore. Substrate formation of both spawning and fruiting was done in Mushroom Spawning Lab situated in the Botanical Garden of Government College University, Lahore. The culture was obtained at 25˚ C incubation temperature after 10 days of inoculation. The washed and sterilized wheat grains were used for spawn production under aseptic conditions. Jar which was filled ¾ with wheat grains took 14 days to be fully colonized again at 25˚C. Lastly, the wheat straw was used for fruiting, inoculated bags filled with wheat straw were kept in dark at 25˚C incubation temperature. The bags were fully colonized with mycelium in three weeks. After that sudden environmental changes like 18˚ C temperature, light, high moisture level and gas exchange cause fruiting in 2-3 days.