EFFECT OF SUPPLEMENTATION OF WHEAT BRAN ON THE PRODUCTION OF SHIITAKE (LENTINUS EDODES (BERK) PEGLAR) USING WHEAT STRAW AND SAW DUST SUBSTRATES

Abstract

Lentinus edodes (Berk.) Peglar, the shiitake mushroom, is worldwide one of the most widely cultivated mushrooms. The cultivation of edible mushrooms is a biotechnological process that uses various residues to produce food of high nutritional value which can be a solution to problems of global importance, such as the lack of protein in developing countries and the possibility of environmental management. Five different strains of Lentinus edodes (LeS, OE-38, OE-142, OE-329 and OE-388) were cultivated on wheat straw and saw dust and spawn run time, weight of fruit bodies and biological efficiency were recorded. Wheat straw substrate produced maximum biological efficiency in OE-388 (66.8%) and OE-329 (46.2%) strains. Ten percent supplementation of wheat bran was the best among all the supplements tried. However, in case of sawdust substrate, maximum biological efficiency was obtained at 5 per cent level of wheat bran supplementation in LeS, OE-142, OE- 388 strains. The days for spawn run were also less in wheat straw substrate as compared to saw dust substrate.