Utilization of Some Agro-Wastes for Cultivation of Pluerotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom) in Keffi Nigeria

Commercial crop production and many other agro-industrial activities generate large amount of cellulose, hemicelluloses and lignin. This research is aimed at the utilization of some of these agro-wastes for the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus (Oyster Mushroom) in Keffi area. The agro-wastes (cassava peels (CP), banana leaves (BL), saw dust (SD), yam peels (YP) and groundnut shells (GS) were collected, sorted, shredded, sterilized and inoculated with equal proportions of Pleurotus ostreatus (P. osreatus) for a period of four weeks. Rate of mycelia growth, temperature, mycological identification, nutritional contents of P. osreatus harvested and microbial isolation from the spent mushroom substrates were analyzed. The numbers of days for complete ramification of the substrates by mycelia of P. osreatus were; 18 days for BL and GS, 24 days for CP and YP while 30 days for SD. The room temperature within the period of exposure for fruiting of the ramified substrates ranges between 22°C to 28°C in the morning, 23°C to 30°C in the afternoon and 25°C to 31°C in the evening throughout the period of exposure. The nutritional contents of the Pleurotus ostreatus from the different substrates analysed were, Moisture content was highest in SD (87.05%) and lest in GS (80.71%), Protein content was highest in GS (38.13%) and lowest in BL (16.43%), Lipid content was highest in GS (4.62%) and lest in CP (1.83%), Carbohydrate content was highest in CP (78.40%) and lest in GS (71.66%), Fibre content was highest in BL (9.10%) and lest in YP (8.20%) while Ash content was highest in GS (7.37%) and lest in YP (6.42%). Five bacteria species (Bacillus cereus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Micrococcus roseus, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis) and two yeast species (Candida albicans and Candida tropicalis) were isolated from the spent mushroom substrates