ABSTRACT

Spawn quality is the most important factor in the production of edible mushroom (which is fast gaining prominence in Nigeria and Africa at large). Pleurotus ostreatus is an indigenous mushroom (pleurotus) specie commonly found growing on logs of dead woods in the south eastern region of Nigeria. It was cultured on three different grains such as yellow maize, guinea corn and wheat which were used as substrates to produce three different spawn grains, various media had significant values (p<0.05) on the mycelia growth. The different spawns produced were used to cultivate P. ostreatus on andropogon chopped into chips, the spawn grains had significant values (p>0.05) on the number of fruit bodies, stipe length, pileus diameter and fresh weight. The results revealed that andropogon and yellow maize produced the longest stipe length, highest number of fruiting bodies and fresh weight followed by guinea corn and andropogon then lastly wheat and andropogon. The maximum and minimum growth rates were seen in the maize and wheat substrates, respectively. It was concluded that maize spawn in combination with andropogon chips are best substrate for oyster mushroom (P. ostreatus) cultivation, followed by guinea corn and lastly wheat. Andropogon mixed yellow maize induced superior results for all the parameters tested. Guinea corn and andropogon media induced optimum results for all the parameters.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Cover page i

Title page ii

Certification iii

Declaration iv

Dedication v

Acknowledgement vi

Table of Contents vii

List of Tables viii

List of Plates ix 

Abstract x

CHAPTER 1 1

Background Study 1

1.1 Introduction 1

1.2 Aims and Objectives 4

1.3 Justification 4

CHAPTER 2 6

Literature Review 6

      2.0   Pleurotus ostreatus 6

CHAPTER 3 10

Materials and Methods 11

3.1 Source of Materials 10

3.2 Preparation of Culture Medium 10

3.3 Culture of Fungi 10

3.4 Spawn Preparation 11

3.5 Preparation of Substrates for Mushroom Cultivation 11

3.6 Fruiting and Data Collection 12

3.7 Data Collection 12

CHAPTER 4 15

4.0 Results 15

4.1 Effects of Grains on Spawn Production 15

4.2 Growth Measurements 19

CHAPTER 5 21

Discussion and Conclusion 21

5.0 Discussion 21

5.1 Conclusion 23

REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………... 22

LIST OF TABLES

 Table 4.1 Mycelia Extension and Mycelia Colony Diameter

 Table 4. 2:  Number of Fruit Bodies and Fresh Weight of P. ostreatus

 Table 4.3 Stipe Length and Pileus Diameter of P. ostreatus

LIST OF PLATES

 Plate 1:  Pure culture of Pleurotus ostreatus

 Plate 2: fully colonized guinea corn spawn.

 Plate 3: fully colonized yellow maize spawn

 Plate 3: fully colonized wheat spawn

 Plate 4: Three replicates of each grain grown on andropogon stalk in a rack

 Plate 5: Sample plate of each grain grown on andropogon

 Plate 6: sample plate of Maize spawn

 Plate 7: sample plate of guinea spawn 

 Plate 8: sample plate of wheat corn spawn