Use of Agro-Wastes for Tissue Culture Process and Spawn Production of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus florida)

This study investigated the potentials of different growth media for the tissue culture process of Oyster mushroom as well as evaluated the response of different agro-wastes in Oyster mushroom spawn production. Agro-waste Powder Agar was prepared by mixing powdered agro-wastes which are corncobs and sugarcane bagasse, with agar-agar in the ratio 10:15. Twenty-five grams each of the media was suspended in 500ml of distilled water and autoclaved appropriately. Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) was used as control growth medium. Oyster mushroom’s pileus was surface sterilized, drained and transferred unto the growth media in a laminar flow. Corncob (CC), sugarcane bagasse (SB) were used as the main substrates while rice bran (RB) and groundnut shell (GS) were used as additives for spawn production. The different agro-wastes combination was inoculated with the tissue culture on growth media. Prior to inoculation, the agro-wastes were pasteurized, sieved and treated with limestone and gypsum in ratio (1:1; 1:2; 1:3; 1:4). Sixty grams of each CC: GS, CC: RB, SB: RB, SB: GS agro-wastes combinations were mixed together properly in a container in different percentages which are 80:20, 70:30, 60:40 that were later transferred into mayonnaise cream bottles, sterilized at 121°C for 30 minutes, allowed to cool and then inoculated. Data were collected on radial mycelia growth diameter (measured in the Petri dish), number of days for complete ramification and were subjected to analysis of variance and significant means were then separated using LSD at 5% level of probability. Pleurotus florida grown on agro-wastes growth media with 5% of sucrose had radial growth diameter which was significantly higher than the agro-wastes growth media without sucrose. These were found not to be significantly different from the conventional PDA growth medium. Spawn production on SB based substrates ramified faster than CC based substrates. Pleurotus florida grown on the combination of SBRB ramified faster than the other substrates. The combination of ratio 70:30 (70% main substrates: 30% additives) and 4% (1% CaCO3 and 3% CaSO4) of the calcium additives had the shortest days of ramification for spawn production. The study concluded that, agro-wastes possess great potentials as growth media for tissue culture of P. florida and also, provided a profitable means of producing viable spawns.