Growth and yield performance of oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on water hyacinth as a substrate

Cultivation of oyster mushroom ( Pleurotus ostreatus ) on the aquatic weed water hyacinth is an eco-friendly way of controlling and management of such a problematic weed. In the present work, water hyacinth has been used as a low-cost substrate in combinations with rice-straw of ratio 3:1 for the cultivation of  P. ostreatus . The objective of this study was to cultivate oyster mushroom in water hyacinth compost degraded with lingo-cellulolytic fungi. The experiment was performed in control, before fungal treated compost and fungal treated compost. The data was analyzed on various aspects like completion of mycelium growth in different media like Potato dextrose agar media and water hyacinth media, the duration for spawn run, the appearance of pinheads, fruiting bodies and number of fruit bodies produced. The nutrient analysis was done in all types of fruit bodies.  Aspergillus flavus  treated compost took short duration (24 ± 1 days) and control sample compost took a long duration (27.3 ± 1.53 days) for fruiting. The highest production was recorded in  Trichoderma  sp. treated compost (68.8%) and lowest in control compost (30.7%). This study has successfully demonstrated the possibility of water hyacinth as a substrate in mushroom production and management of water hyacinth.