Development of new cultivation technology for straw mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) using locally available raw materials

Abstract

Paddy straw mushroom (Volvariel1a volvacea) is an edible mushroom variety which can be cultivatedunder tropical and sub tropical conditions. In Sri Lanka, though the majority of farmers grow oystermushroom they are willing to undertake other mushroom types, including straw mushroom and milkymushroom. Straw mushroom cultivation is highly rewarding because of the favourable climaticconditions in Sri Lanka and the abundant availability of raw materials. The existing outdoor methodfor straw mushroom cultivation introduced by the Department of Agriculture (DOA) gives low orlandirregular yield. As the optimum environmental conditions are crucial in straw mushroom production,an indoor cultivation method using a polythcne house was tested with the existing outdoor method.Cotton waste and paddy straw were used as the growing media in both outdoor and indoor conditionsunder four treatments viz. paddy straw compost in polythene house (T 1), cotton waste compost inpolythene house (T2), paddy straw in outdoor environment (T3) and cotton waste in outdoor environment(T4), arranged in a Completely Randomized Design with three replicates. The results revealed that the indoor cultivation method with cotton waste compost substrate (TI) gave significantly highervalues for average yield (6901.\8 kg/ha) and average marketable yield (6489 kg/ha) compared toother treatments. Outdoor culture in straw substrate (T3) resulted lowest values for the same yieldparameters (567.\3 kg/ha, 516.3\ kg/ha, respectively). Indoor cultivation method with paddy strawcompost and cotton waste compost both resulted higher yields when compared to the outdoor cu Iture.As paddy straw is freely available in Sri Lanka, combining of paddy straw compost and cotton wastecompost as the substrate for straw mushroom culture under indoor conditions would be more profitable