The Effect of Synergistic Oil Palm Frond Waste and Varied Nutrients on the Production White Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus)

Abstract

Purpose - This study aims to investigate the effect of additional nutrients (molasses and tofu dregs) on mycelium growth and the overall production of white oyster mushrooms using powdered oil palm fronds and sawdust as growing media.

Design/methodology/approach - The methodology were analysed using ANOVA and Duncan’s Multiple Range Test, a two-factor completely randomised design was conducted with factor M (sawdust and powdered frond combination) as the growing media composition and factor N (molasses and tofu dregs combination) as the nutrient composition.

Findings - The results were shown that the growing media composition (sawdust and palm fronds) at different percentages did not have a significant effect on mycelium growth over the media and the age of the emergence of fruiting bodies but it had an effect on the wet harvest weight (M3).

Originality/value – The best nutrient addition is the treatment N2 for the growth of mycelium over the media and treatment N3 for the wet harvest weight, while interaction treatment M3N3 displayed the highest increase in wet harvest weight.