Abstract
We attempted to develop qualitative and quantitative analyses regarding teaching materials for organic matter decomposition by microorganisms for junior high and high school classes in the biological field. We chose Pleurotus djamor based on ligninolytic activities and growth rates on PDA plate medium, and then cultivated it on a bamboo (Phyllostachys reticulata) culm powder followed by an examination of the dry weight loss of the culture associated with a chemical analysis of the culm principal components. P. djamor initiated fruiting within 3 months of incubation. The dry mass loss reached ca. 26% after 3 months of incubation. The amounts of cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin decreased statistically significant compared to those at the start of incubation. A simplified analysis method for the principal chemical components of plant cell wall was also established. The proposed teaching material using the bamboo culm powder for over time observation of decomposition of organic matter is more suitable than the existing materials such as sawdust and paper for cultivating mushrooms since the proposed content allows for the cultivation of mushrooms without additive nutrients.
