ABSTRACT

This study was conducted to determine the effect of two botanical additives, Moringa oleifera Leaf powder (MLP) and Jatropha tanrojensis Leaf Powder (JLP) to sawdust substrate (SDS), banana leaf (BLS) substrate separately and in combination on growth and yield of Pleurotus ostreatus. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD). Two levels each of additives (5 and 10%) was used to supplement 300g dry weight of SDS and BLS, SDS+BLS and then stuffed in different transparent plastic buckets (perforated from bottom to the top) into four replicates giving a total of 60 experimental units including control experiments. During inoculation, 20g of pure mycelia culture (spawn) of P. ostreatus was spread across each substrate and incubated at 28^oC for 12-14 days. Data from substrates and fruit body of mushroom were analyzed using SPSS version 20.00 while mean separation was done by Least Significant Difference (LSD) at 5% level of probability. Results revealed that SDS+5% MLP  produced the highest total number of fruit bodies (68.00) and  the longest stipe length of 10.81cm was recorded with SDS+BLS +5% MLP followed by SDS+BLS +5% JLP (58.00) whereas the lowest number of fruit bodies (6.00) was recorded with SDS+10% MLP. SDS+BLS+5%M produced fruit bodies with the largest mean cap diameter (14.93cm) followed by control of BLS (13.25cm) but the smallest was obtained with SDS+10% MLP. The highest fruit body yield (815.53g) and biological efficiency (69.07%) was recorded with SDS+BLS+5%MLP, followed by SDS+BLS+5% JLP (735.47g and 62.77% respectively) whereas the lowest yield and biological efficiency was recorded with SDS +10%MLP, 12.82g and 1.00% respectively. Dry matter (DM) content of mushroom fruit bodies were significantly (p 0.05) higher than those of unused and spent substrates. Similar results were obtained in Ash except in few cases that ash of substrates before cultivation were found to be higher than in fruit bodies. The protein contents of mushroom fruit bodies were higher in control when compared with those from supplemented substrates except in SDS. Saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids and tannins were relatively lower than HCN at all treatment levels, including controls. Phosphorus, Potassium and sodium contents of mushroom fruit bodies from all substrates were higher than iron and zinc. It is therefore recommended that Mushroom growers should adopt the use of SDS+BLS+5% MLP substrate combination for better fruit body production and to enhance their income.