CULTIVATION OF EDIBLE OYSTER MUSHROOMS (Pleurotus ostreatus AND Pleurotus florida) USING MILLET [Eleusine coracana(L)] STRAW AND BROAD BEAN [Vicia faba(L)] STALK AS GROWTH SUBSTRATES

Most developing countries like Ethiopia are striving hard to solve acute protein deficiency in the diets of their increasing populations through cultivation of mushrooms in the urban areas without heavily depending on agricultural lands and capital. This study was conducted in Debre Berhan University, College of Natural and computational Sciences, with the aim of assessing the proximate chemical composition, biological efficiency and suitability of the selected substrates (Millet straw and Broad bean stalk) according to the methods described in AOAC (1995) for oyster mushroom cultivation. Accordingly, broad bean stalk and millet straw, and their different mix ratios were tested for their efficacy in oyster mushroom production. The spawns of oyster mushrooms were obtained from the Mushroom Research, Production and Training Laboratory of Haramaya University, College of Agriculture. The spawn production sorghum was separately inoculated with the pure cultures oyster mushroom and later on transferred to selected agricultural wastes (i.e. broad bean stalk and millet straw) for the production of fruiting bodies. The oyster mushroom cultivation was undertaken under aseptic conditions and growth and development was monitored daily. Results of the study revealed that oyster mushroom can grow on broad bean stalk and millet straw with varying growth performances. The highest percentage of biological efficiency was obtained from S2(50%millet straw +50%broad bean stalk) for Pleurotus ostreatus (P.o) and from S5(100%broad bean stalk) for Pleurotus florida (P.f), while the least was from S5 (100%broad bean stalk) for Pleurotus ostreatus and from S1(75%millet straw+25%broad bean stalk) for Pleurotus florida. The maximum protein for Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus florida was obtained from S4(100%millet straw) and the minimum for Pleurotus ostreatus from S3(25%millet straw+75%broad bean stalk) and for Pleurotus florida from S1(75%millet straw+25%broad bean stalk) respectively. The highest fiber for Pleurotus ostreatus and Pleurotus florida was gained from S4 (100%millet straw), and the least for Pleurotus ostreatus from S3 (25%millet straw+75%broad bean stalk) and for Pleurotus florida from S1 (75%millet straw+25%broad bean stalk) respectively. S4 (100%millet straw) was the most decomposable substrate than others. The nutritive values of the studied mushrooms were quite very high, and the selected growth substrates were reasonably acceptable.