King oyster mushroom production using various sources of agricultural wastes in Iran

Background King oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) contains many medicinal and nutritional values, excellent flavors, and a long shelf life. Cultivation of edible mushroom on agricultural and lignocellulosic waste like wheat straw and wood chips gives a high yield and nutritional contains. In present study, the effects of lignocellulosic organic wastes, such as wood chips, wheat and barley straw, sugar beet pulp, sawdust and maize stem residue as basal substrate and wheat and rice bran, soybean powder and their combinations were used as supplements. We analyzed mushroom production gap, mushroom fresh weight, moisture content, dry matter, and protein content of fruit body traits. A factorial experiment was conducted in a completely randomized design with four replications. Results Supplementation of wheat bran in wood chips increased the mushroom production gap and dry matter content. The highest mushroom fresh weight and moisture content were achieved on barley straw and sugar beet pulp substrate complemented with rice bran, respectively. In addition, protein content ranged from 4.64 % (barley straw + wheat bran and wood chips + soybean powder + rice bran treatments) to 13.66 % (wheat straw + wheat bran + soybean powder treatment). Conclusions The quality of P. eryngii was significantly affected by substrate ingredients. The type of substrate as well as the type and quantity of supplement appeared to have a substantial effect on prolonging the delayed-release nutrients.