Abstract
Currently, plastic bags are being used for sawdust cultivation of shiitake mushroom. However, due to serious environmental problems caused by the use of plastic bags, we studied the efficacy of bottle cultivation method to replace the sawdust bag method. Small detachable plastic bottles (400 g capacity) filled with Quercus spp. sawdust and wheat bran (4:1 w/w) media were incubated for 80 and 120 days. The weight loss (%) of the media was higher for the NIFoS 2464 strain at an approximate light intensity of 300 Lux than light intensity of 500 Lux; the light intensity was ass℃iated with the loss of sawdust medium-weight during the cultivation period. The highest yield was observed when the strain was cultivated for 80 days under dark conditions, 40 days under 500 Lux light, and air circulation fan speed of 30 rpm. When incubated for 120 days, mushroom yield in the bottle media was higher at 40 days of light exposure than 20 days of light exposure. In the bottle media incubated for 80 days under dark conditions, the mushrooms fruited due to repetitive water spraying on the top of the media and light stimulation during the fruiting period. The media could be separated from the bottles because the media shrank after the first harvest. These separated plastic bottles could be re-used for mushroom cultivation, thereby reducing the amount of plastic waste.
Figures & Tables
Fig. 1. (NIFoS 2464 and NIFoS 2778) on sawdust media in plastic bottles. A-F, NIFoS 2464; G-K, NIFoS 2778; A, Condition 2; B, Condition 3; C, Condition 4; D, Condition 5; E, Condition 7; F, Condition 10; G, Condition 3; H, Condition 4; I, Condition 8; K, Condition 10. L- M, NIFoS 2464 after the second flush on the sawdust media that separated from the plastic bottle. For cultivation conditions, refer to Table 1.
