Solid-State Cultivation of Edible Oyster Mushrooms, <i>Pleurotus</i> spp. under Laboratory Conditions

Abstract

Oyster mushrooms of genus Pleurotus are well known as valuable edible mushrooms which are broadly cultivated in the world as well as wildly propagated in forests of the temperate climate zones including Russia. Indoor cultivation conditions adapted for a laboratory with non-specialized facilities were suggested for effective solid-state cultivation and fruit bodies’ production of Pleurotus species. Seven of 9 Pleurotus species of different origin produced fruit bodies successfully. The best fructification was shown for species P. sajor-caju , P. ostreatus , and P. pulmonarius with fruit body yields of 74%, 72%, and 61% by dry substrate weight in the first flushing cycle. Fruit bodies appeared in five to 10-day flushes. “Spawn run” stage was completed within 17 to 24 days, the longest colonization stage (26 days) being for the pink oyster, P. djamor . The cultivation parameters proposed in this study can be employed with ease for laboratory and “home” cultivation of oyster mushrooms. The species and strains’ identification was confirmed by restriction analysis of ITS region of rRNA gene cluster. Molecular barcodes based on restriction enzyme ( Alu I, and Bsu RI) profiles of ITS sequences were shown to be applicable for molecular genotyping of Pleurotus species of different origin.