Kumasi, Feb. 07, GNA – The Forestry Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-FORIG) is recommending a mixture of dry plantain leaves and yam peels for the cultivation of oil palm mushroom in Ghana.

This follows comparative studies on growth and yield of oil palm mushroom, also known as Volvariella Volvacea, on agricultural and composted ceiba pentandra wood wastes conducted by the Institute.

These Oil palm mushroom grows on cellulosic agricultural residues and industrial and decaying wood wastes, but the growth on wood waste has been partially successful.

Locally available agricultural lignocellulose, such as rice straw, banana/plantain leaves, and root tuber peeling, have been used to cultivate oil palm mushroom, but yield has been low and inconsistent.

The research team, led by Dr Mrs Mary Apetorgbor, therefore, sought to determine the optimum composting period for wood waste and develop the best agricultural substrate media and supplements, which would produce maximum growth and yield of oil palm mushroom to improve cultivation practices.

The team cultivated the mushroom on low beds, using dry plantain, rice straw, dry yam peels and ceiba pentandra sawdust and substrates, mixed with dry leucaena leaves (a flowering plant), rice husk and lime as supplements.

According to the study 50 perr cent of yam peels, supplemented with plantain leaves (50 per cent) gave the best yield (152.92g/kg substrate) with pinheads appearing in eight days, followed by rice straw supplemented with lime (129.08g/kg substrate) and plantain leaves supplemented with lime (125.13g/kg substrate).

It was observed that the plantain leaves supplemented with lime induced early formation of pinheads followed by a mixture of plantain leaves and yam peels and rice straw supplemented with lime.

For sawdust, composting for four weeks and supplementing with wheat bran and lime gave the best yield (89.38g/kg substrate) followed by composting for six weeks with mixture of wheat bran, rice husk and lime (51.18g/kg substrate).

GNA

Kumasi, Feb. 07, GNA – The Forestry Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-FORIG) is recommending a mixture of dry plantain leaves and yam peels for the cultivation of oil palm mushroom in Ghana.

This follows comparative studies on growth and yield of oil palm mushroom, also known as Volvariella Volvacea, on agricultural and composted ceiba pentandra wood wastes conducted by the Institute.

These Oil palm mushroom grows on cellulosic agricultural residues and industrial and decaying wood wastes, but the growth on wood waste has been partially successful.

Locally available agricultural lignocellulose, such as rice straw, banana/plantain leaves, and root tuber peeling, have been used to cultivate oil palm mushroom, but yield has been low and inconsistent.

The research team, led by Dr Mrs Mary Apetorgbor, therefore, sought to determine the optimum composting period for wood waste and develop the best agricultural substrate media and supplements, which would produce maximum growth and yield of oil palm mushroom to improve cultivation practices.

The team cultivated the mushroom on low beds, using dry plantain, rice straw, dry yam peels and ceiba pentandra sawdust and substrates, mixed with dry leucaena leaves (a flowering plant), rice husk and lime as supplements.

According to the study 50 perr cent of yam peels, supplemented with plantain leaves (50 per cent) gave the best yield (152.92g/kg substrate) with pinheads appearing in eight days, followed by rice straw supplemented with lime (129.08g/kg substrate) and plantain leaves supplemented with lime (125.13g/kg substrate).

It was observed that the plantain leaves supplemented with lime induced early formation of pinheads followed by a mixture of plantain leaves and yam peels and rice straw supplemented with lime.

For sawdust, composting for four weeks and supplementing with wheat bran and lime gave the best yield (89.38g/kg substrate) followed by composting for six weeks with mixture of wheat bran, rice husk and lime (51.18g/kg substrate).

GNA