chicken manure (CM) and rice husk (HR) were chosen
as supplementary activator substances to increase
mushroom yield as well as achieve faster growth. They
were added to WP at the rate of 10% and 20% in weight.
Initially, waste paper was chopped into small pieces
(3–5 cm long), water soaked to gain 75% moisture
content (MC). Coincidently all supplementary substances
were also watered prior to use (75% MC). Following
the addition of the supplements to the waste
paper, the material was placed in 25–35 cm sized polyethylene
bags using 1 kg substrate and then the bags
were closed and tied up and sterilized at 60 C for 8 h
and spawned with 8% mushroom mycelia grown on
wheat grains, on the dry weight basis of substrate, using
lamp spawning method (Alum and Khan, 1987). The
bags were subsequently placed into a spawn running
room at 252 C under dark conditions. After completion
of spawn running, the bags were placed into a
growing chamber set environmentally at 15 C room
temperature and 80–90% RH. Bags were unfolded at the
upper parts for cropping. Water was sprayed for maintaining
moisture up to the desired level in the form of
fine mist with the help of a nozzle.
Five replications were used for each growing trial.
The data concerning spawn running (mycelia growth)
were recorded after complete colonization of substrate
and pin head and fruit body formation were observed.
Fresh mushroom yield was calculated using the following
equation:
Fresh mushroom yield %
¼
Weight of fresh mushroom harvested
Weight of wet substrate used
100
The data obtained from the experiments were evaluated
by Statgraph statistical computur program and
include ANOVA (analysis of variance) and Duncan test
applied at 95% confidence level.
3. Results
3.1. Spawn running (mycelia development), pin head and
fruit body formation
Time periods of various phases of the cultivation of
oyster mushroom are given in Table 1. The most rapid
spawn running took place in 15.8 days with the WP
supplemented with (HR) 80:20 in weight followed by
17.2 days with the supplemented with husk rice 90:10 in
weight and 18 days with the waste paper itself.
Pin head formation on the WP+HR (80:20; w:w) in
weight, WP+HR (90:10; w:w) in weight and WP substrates
were observed within 6–7 days after spawn running
and the first crop were obtained in 25.4, 27 and 30.4
days from those substrates, in respective order. Increasing
the amount of rice husk in the substrate mixture
accelerated spawn running, pin head and fruit body
formation. However, increasing amount of peat or
chicken manure decreased growth.
Tan (1981) reported that P. ostreatus and other species
on cotton waste took 2–3 weeks for fruit body
formation after spawn running. Our results were supportive
of this finding. Yalinkilic et al. (1994) found that
the completion of spawn running on waste paper with
added lignocellulosic materials occurred in 24 days.
Demirci (1998) reported that time for spawn running for
P. ostreatus on waste paper supplemented with rice husk
was 21 days. The slower spawn running in this study
may be due to the excess nitrogen of chicken manure
(Demirci, 1998) which is known to inhibit mushroom
growth in excessive amounts.
3.2. Mushroom yield
Average mushroom yield of the four flushes from the
five replicates are given in Table 1. Results indicated
that addition of rice husk to the waste paper substrate
increased mushroom yield compared to sole waste paper