Abstract
The use of Nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia var. culta,sawdust as a substrate for "Hiratake," Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation, was investigated. Fruit body yield on the pear sawdust substrate was as high as that on "Sugi," Cryptomeria japonica, sawdust substrate, which is regularly used in Pleurotus cultivation. Chemical analysis showed that the pear sawdust contained more replete free sugars needed for mycelial growth than Sugi sawdust. The pear sawdust for Pleurotus cultivation should be made up of coarse particles originally processed from a wood-mill machine. The substrate should be prepared with 65% (wet wt/wet wt) moisture content and 40% (oven dry wt/oven dry wt) wheat bran, and applying "Kinkaki," scratching and flooding, treatment on five days after the complete spawn run. The results could help to address some of the world's current environmental problems by conserving resources and bioconverting ligno-cellulose materials.
