Studies on scale-up process for the cultivation of oyster mushroom (pleurotus ostreatus) on cocoa husk.
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Date
2001-12-13
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Abstract
Cultivation of oyster mushroom, Pleurotus ostreatus, on some agricultural wastes has been found to be feasible. Usually, in the tropics, the mass of substrates per bag used for mushroom cultivation is small (1 kg or less). During this study, the possibility of increasing the amounts of three cocoa husk substrates of average particle sizes 0.3 cm2, 0.6cm2 and 1.2cm2 respectively to 2kg, and producing the same or better effect was investigated. The effects of particle sizes of substrates, compost heights, methods of pasteurization and the quality of mushrooms produced were also studied. Other agricultural wastes and their combination with cocoa husk (0.6cm2) were also considered. Results from the study showed that cultivation of oyster mushroom on 2 kg of the substrates, in the tropics, is not feasible due to the larger amount of heat generated in the substrate, which subsequently killed the mycelia recurring contamination. For the three pure cocoa husk substrate sizes used, yield was much higher on 0.6cm2 followed by 1.2cm2 and finally 0.3cm2. In general, yield was highest on pure corncobs (P ≥ 5) followed by 50% cocoa husk-50% corncob, pure cocoa husk (0.6cm2). This trend was observed for both compost heights 0.Sm and 1 .5m, and also for both pasteurizations by autoclaving for 3 hours and drum for 10 hrs. With the exception of cocoa husk-corncob combination and pure corncobs statistical analyses indicated that the effect of substrate types, methods of pasteurization and compost heights differed significantly at 5% significance level. The physical qualities of the mushrooms determined were cap and stipe diameters and stipe length. Mushrooms cultivated on pure cocoa husk substrates generally were of higher physical quality than on other substrate types. From proximate analysis, moisture, fat, fibre, ash, protein and carbohydrate contents were found to be comparable and also within literature values indicating that cocoa husk could be used to grow quality oyster mushroom.
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A thesis submitted to the Board of Postgraduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah
University of Science and Technology, Kumasi for the award of Master of Science degree, 2001