Influence of Inoculum Density, Fungicide Treatment of Substrate and Temperature on the Growth and Yield of Pleurotus ostreatus
Abstract
Five rates of Pleurotus ostreatus inoculum (1, 2, 4, 6 and 8%) and two fungicide treatmentsof the substrate (methyl thiophanate plus CaCO3 vs no treatment) have been studied in a factorialexperiment in two complete randomized blocks. Main results show that the fungicide treatment of thesubstrate allows obtaining a better inoculation at all densities, a lower infection by non-desiredorganisms and for a 6% inoculum rate a yield 25% higher than the yield of the highest inoculum rate(8%) on untreated substrate. Observations and measurements in a commercial crop and in the factorialtrial have allowed to establish several correlations such as between the carpophore diameter andweight; between the carpophore thickness and its density, relation that could be important if density ismore taken in account as a quality parameter. Measures have also allowed to determine growthparameters such as growth rates in function of the carpophores diameter with daily values GRDV from400% (young carpophores with diameters <6 mm) to 200-100 % (older carpophores with diameters >30 mm). Differences found between growth temperatures 15°C and 20°C were not significantindicating flexibility regarding the temperature regulation.Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
a) Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
b) Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
c) Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).