EFFECT OF ALCALIGENS FAECALIS SUPPLEMENTATION TO DIFFERENT CASING MIXTURES ON ITS PHYSICO-CHEMICAL PROPERTIES AND YIELD STIMULATION OF AGARICUS BISPORUS

Abstract

Experiment was conducted to study physico-chemical properties viz., bulk density, pH and electrical conductivity (E.C) and yield performance of Agaricus bisporus using different casing materials like Farm yard manure (FYM), spent compost (SC) and coir pith (CP) supplemented with bacterial culture of Alcaligens faecalis. It was found that bulk density of casing mixture ranges from 0.61 to 0.72 gm/cm³and was slightly increased with supplementation of bacterium in most of the cases except CP+SC+ A. faecalis. The pH of casing soils varied from 6.23 to 6.7. The highest E.C (2.08 deci– simen^-1) was found in FYM + SC + A. faecalis whereas lowest E.C (1.14 deci- simen^-1) was observed in CP + SC, however, electrical conductivity was slightly increased with supplementation of bacterium in all the cases. Enhanced yield was obtained from all the four casing by mixing the bacterium A. faecalis. The casing soil FYM + SC + A. faecalis gave the maximum yield (21.27 kg/Qtl compost).