Growth and Yield of Reishi Mushroom [Ganoderma lucidum (Curtis) P. Karst] in Different Sawdust Substrates

Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi mushroom) is a medicinal mushroom which possesses numerous health benefits. With a view to popularize the cultivation of G. lucidum in Sri Lanka, a study was done to identify an appropriate substrate from local raw materials for its artificial cultivation in polypropylene bags. Sawdust of four woods viz. Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis), Mango (Mangifera indica), Jack (Artocarpus heterophyllus) and Lunumidella (Melia dubia) were used as substrates after mixing with other general ingredients. The mushroom was grown in 100% Rubber, 100% Mango, 100% Jack, 100% Lunumidella, 50% Rubber + 50% Mango, 50% Rubber + 50% Jack, and 50% Rubber + 50% Lunumidella sawdust combinations. The number of days taken for colonization and primordial formation, number of fruiting bodies per bag, yield per bag and Biological Efficiency (BE) were recorded. Substrates with Mango (100%), Rubber (100%), Rubber + Mango (50%:50%) and Rubber + Lunumidella (50%:50%) sawdust resulted in equally high yield per bag (49.3 g, 42.5 g, 45.7 g and 43.7 g, respectively) within 1 month after primordia formation, and higher BE of 5.4%, 5.1%, 5.3% and 5.7%, respectively. Higher predicted total yields for a duration of 3 months were resulted by 100% Mango sawdust (541.91 g/bag), Rubber + Mango sawdust (502.37 g/bag), and Rubber + Lunumidella sawdust (480.92 g/bag), followed by Rubber (467.39 g/bag) substrates while the minimum yield (289.08 g/bag) was given by Rubber + Jack sawdust mixture. Considering the scarcity of rubber and mango wood as a sole source for substrate, the mixture of rubber and mango (50%:50%) or rubber and Lunumidella (50%:50%) could be successfully used for cultivation of G. lucidum