Substrates for enhancing the productivity of paddy straw mushroom

Mushroom are the fruiting bodies of fleshy edible fungi and popular for their delicacy, nutritional food value. The paddy straw mushroom ( Volvariella volvacea) is commonly cultivated mushroom in India. The present investigation was carried out in the mushroom laboratory, Department of Plant Patholog, Narendra Dev University of Agriculture and technology, Kumarganj, Faizabad.Among five tested culture media, Potato dextrose agar media supported best growth of Volvariella volvacea followed by Malt extract, Carrot root extract agar, Rice bran decoction media and Wheat grain extract agar media. Five different substrates were evaluated for the spawn production, among these Sorghum grain performed best substrate for spawn production of Volvariella volvacea followed by Pearl millet, Wheat grain, Maize grain and Pea grain. Out of four different tested substrates, Cotton waste gave maximum yield and number of fruiting bodies followed by paddy straw, pea straw and wheat straw.