Effect of supplementing rice straw with water hyacinth on the yield and nutritional qualities of oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.).

摘要

Cultivation of oyster mushroom on the aquatic weed water hyacinth is an eco-friendly way of disposing the problematic weed. In the present work, water hyacinth (without root) has been used as low cost substrate in different combinations with rice-straw for cultivation of Pleurotus florida, P. citrinopileatus and P. pulmonarius to determine the effect of the weed on the biological yield, as well as on nutritional qualities of the mushrooms. Water hyacinth and rice straw (1:1) supported significant increase in biological yield in all the three Pleurotus species in the 1st flush at optimal temperatures. The highest average yield was obtained from P. citrinopileatus. Mushrooms grown on rice straw alone, water hyacinth alone, and on rice straw plus water hyacinth (1:1) were analyzed for their moisture, total protein, total carbohydrate, starch, cholesterol, ascorbic acid, niacin, reducing sugar, crude fiber, ash, K+, EC, and pH. All the mushroom species showed (on dry weight basis) 16-25% protein, 19-28% carbohydrate with no detectable amount of starch and cholesterol, 0.012-0.013% ascorbic acid, 0.001-0.002% niacin, about 9% crude fiber, and 2.8-5.8% potassium. No significant differences were obtained due to supplementation of rice straw with water hyacinth except the pH and EC.