Cultivation of Pleurotus pulmonarius on bark of common fruit trees in Nigeria namely; Mangifera indica, Pentaclethra macrophylla, Elaise guineensis, Dacryodes edulis and Treculia africana

Pure culture of Pleurotus pulmonarius which was collected from the laboratory of the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, was used in the investigation. The culture was used to prepare sorghum grain spawn. Fully ramified spawn was used to inoculate finely crushed, fermented and sterilized barks of selected fruit-trees: (Mangifera indica, (MI), Pentaclethra macrophylla, (PM) Elaise guineensis, (EG) Dacryodes edulis (DE) and Treculia africana. (TA), dispensed in perforated 50ml transparent plastic pails. Five grams of spawn was aseptically inoculated into each of the 1kg substrates. Fruit-bodies of the mushroom were harvested in flushes starting from 14 days after inoculation. The highest mean fruit-bodies was obtained from TA (18.00a±2.15) followed by EG, (17.33a±2.27) while the least was in DE (13.00c±0.95). Similarly the fruit-bodies produced in TA weighed more than those from the other substrates. Pileus diameter and stipe length of the fruit-bodies from the substrates followed the same trend as in the number of fruit-bodies. The proximate composition in percentage of the fruit-bodies 4.58a±0.00 from the substrates are Ash from TA (4.61a±0.01) from DE, (3.16b±0.02), from DE (4.58a±0.00), from MP (2.91bc±0.01) and from EG (2.35c±0.01) Crude fibre ranged from 3.41a±0.01) in DE to (1.47d±0.015) in MI. Crude protein ranged from (25.81a±0.01) in TA to (18.41d±0.01) in MI, while carbohydrate composition of the fruit-bodies were not significantly different but were as follows, 91.29a±0.01, 91.22a±0.02, 90.17b±0.01, 91.34a±0.035, and 90.67b±0.09, for TA, MI, DE, PM, and EG respectively. The E. E. composition equally ranged from 4.76a±0.04 in EG to 3.78e±0.025 in TA. Moisture Content of fruit-body produced in DE (9.83a±0.07), was highest compared to those produced in EG (9.33b±0.085) MI (8.83c±0.07), TA, (8.71c±0.01) and PM (8.67c+±0.035). The fruit-bodies from all the substrates differed significantly for their mineral contents. The contents ranged from Potassium (P) (1.258a±0.02 in DE to 1.138d±0.05 in TA), Calcium (Ca) (35.68c±0.075 in PM to 24.77e±0.01 in EG), Sodium (70.44a±0.16 in EG to 58.66d±0.04 in MI), Iron (Fe) (5.83a±0.07 in PM to 4.37d±0.01 in DE), Zinc (Zn) (2.85d±0.00in DE to 1.80d±0.00 in TA) and Magnesium (Mg) (92.52a±0.075 in EG to 80.66d±0.04 in MI). The trend is not consistent but the contents are appreciable. The investigation concluded that growing, Pleurotus pulmonarius on Barks of the trees may be worthwhile though TA could be preferred.

Author(s): Okwulehie I. C and Nosike E. N.

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