1139 *Corresponding author : gayathrigsmm@gmail.com Date of receipt: 27.02.2021, Date of acceptance: 02.12.2021 Agric Res J 58 (6) : 1139-1141, December 2021 DOI No. 10.5958/2395-146X.2021.00159.9 M ushroom has long been valued as delicious and nutritional food in many countries. Mushrooms were initially consumed for their favor, and are now consumed because of their nutritional and medicinal properties (Mallavadhani et al., 2006, Karnan et al., 2016). Mushroom cultivation is a proftable agribusiness. Incorporation of non conventional crops in existing agricultural system can improve the economic status of the farmers (Shah et al., 2004, Vanathi et al., 2016). Mushrooms are the source of protein and medicine. They are used in the preparation of many continental dishes and have medicinal properties as they possess anticancerous, anticholesterol and antitumourous compounds (Shah et al., 2004). Mushrooms are useful foods as well for patients sufering from diabetes, ulcer and lung diseases (Quimio, 1976, Vijayakumar et al., 2008). Cultivation of edible mushroom is a biotechnological process for waste recycling. It might be the only current process that combines the production of protein-rich food with the reduction of environmental pollution (Beetz and Kustudia, 2004). The production of mushrooms is regarded as the second most important commercial microbial technology next to yeast (Pathak et al., 2009). P. forida efectively detoxifed C 13 –C 28 hydrocarbons, Pristane, and Phytane, implying its high mycoremediation function (Farzanesh et al., 2021). Pleurotus spp. are white-rot fungi that utilize diferent agro-wastes to produce useful biologically active compounds (Ogidi et al., 2020). Oyster mushroom cultivation is gaining much importance as a self- employment avenue for the rural sector. Recently, oyster mushroom cultivation on various lignocellulosic materials has been investigated by a number of researchers. Substrate recipes including 15% digestate solids by dry matter produced high yields. Considerable N and P is recovered in mushrooms, leaving useful spent mushroom substrate. Keeping this in view, the study was carried out to assess the yield of Pleurotus djamor and Hypsizygus ulmarius using paddy straw as basic substrate (Rajarajeswari and Panneerselvam, 2006). Spawn preparation Spawn was prepared by using paddy grain as substrate (Fig. 2). The selected healthy grains were soaked into the sterile water and the husk and infected grains were removed. Grains were half-boiled to make them soft. Water was added and calcium carbonate (20 gm/kg) was added with seed to absorb the moisture and maintain the moisture. The grains were sterilized at 121 0 C for 15 min at 15 Lbs. Sterile grains were flled in 6×24 cm bags (about 350-400 g). After cooling, the mother spawn of Pleurotus forida was inoculated to the above substrate flled bag. Bags were incubated at 30 0 C for 15 days. The mycelium was formed within 15 days and the preparation was conducted in triplicate. Bed preparation Two kg of dry weight substrates like paddy straw, sugarcane trash and 3 kg coconut coir were soaked for 8-10 hours in dechlorine water. The water was decanted and material sterilized in streaming condition for 15 min at 121 0 C in an autoclave. It was placed in closed and sterilized room and air dried. After cooling, beds were prepared in 30×60 cm polythene bag of about 5-8 layers (Fig. 3). The prepared spawn was uniformly sprinkled on the prepared spawn in each and every layer of bed and the bag tied with in air-tight condition. It was transferred to mushroom shed and water sprayed CULTIVATION OF EDIBLE MUSHROOM Pleurotus forida USING AGRICULTURAL WASTE MATERIALS G Gayathri*, S Gomathi, V Ambikapathy and A Panneerselvam Department of Botany and Microbiology A V V M Sri Pushpam College, Poondi-613503, Tamil Nadu Table 1. Mushroom growth yield in diferent types of substrates Substrate Weight of substrate. 1 st Yield 2 nd Yield 3 rd Yield Total Paddy straw 2 kg / bag 500 gm 300 gm 150 gm 950 gm/kg Sugarcane trash 2 kg / bag 250 gm 150 gm 75 gm 475 gm/kg Coconut coir 3 kg / bag 200 gm 120 gm 50 gm 370 gm/kg