Oyster mushroom cultivation on cereal and legume straw of poor feed quality

Daniel Grimm*, Enno Sonntag, Gerold Rahmann

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

This study explores the viability of cultivating oyster mushrooms on cereal and legume straw of poor feed quality, investigating oyster mushroom productivity, and the implications for mass-, nitrogen-and carbon flows within the agricultural system. Four types of straw (wheat, maize, faba bean, and soy bean) were utilized as substrates for mushroom cultivation. Fresh yields varied widely, from 114% biological efficiency on maize straw to 58% on wheat straw, while dry yields ranged from 9.2% biomass conversion rate on maize straw to 3.8% on wheat straw. The protein content of mushrooms varied between 16.8% on wheat straw and 23.2% on faba bean straw, correlating with the nitrogen content of the straw. Furthermore, results revealed significant variations in carbon emissions, ranging from an estimated 3.5 kg (on wheat straw) to 2.6 kg (on soy straw) emitted per kg of dry mushroom produced. These findings underscore the importance of substrate selection in mushroom cultivation, with implications for agricultural resource management and food production. Depending on the focus, different substrates may be considered as optimal. While maize straw produced most mushrooms in this study, soy bean straw emitted the least carbon in relation to yield, faba bean straw produced mushrooms with higher protein content, and wheat straw retained the most nitrogen in the spent mushroom substrate.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere010
JournalStudies in Fungi
Volume9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Aug 2024

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