Comparative Evaluation of Different Organic Media on Soil Chemical Composition, Growth, and Yield of Mushroom (Pleurotus tubergium L.)

Abstract

The effectiveness of organic media as sources of nutrients on soil fertility, growth, and yield of mushroom (Pleurotus tubergium) was studied at Akure in the rainforest zone of Nigeria. The organic media were applied at 8 t/ha with an organo-mineral fertilizer medium as a reference material and unfertilized control treatment, replicated four times and arranged in a randomized complete block design. The result showed that the use of organic media increased significantly (𝑃<0.05) crown width, stalk length, stalk girth, weight of fruiting bodies of mushroom and soil K, Ca, Mg, N, P, K, Ca, and O.M compared to the control treatment. Among the organic media, loamy soil had the highest values of mushroom crown width and weight of fruiting bodies relative to the others. However, the organo-mineral medium still had higher values of mushroom growth and yield than the soil organic media, but it may increase cost of production. For soil chemical composition, loamy soil treatment had the highest values of soil O.M and % N while oil palm bunch husk had the highest values of soil K, Ca, and Mg compared to other treatments. Wood ash treatment increased most the soil pH. In these experiments, loamy soil and soybean husk media applied at 8 t/ha were the most effective organic media for improving growth, yield of mushroom, and soil fertility.