Development of New Mushroom Substrate using Kapok Seedcake for Bottle Culture of Oyster Mushroom(Pleurotus ostreatus)

To select the viable alternative substrates among the variable organic substrates for productivity enhancement and production cost-reduction of oyster mushroom in bottle culture, this study was carried out at mushroom research institute of GGRDA in 2007. In bottle culture of oyster mushroom (Plerutus ostreatus), the seedcakes of rape (RS), soybean (SS), coconut (CCS), and kapok (KS) were examined as substitute of cotton seedcake which was primary nutritive material of mushroom growing substrate. The chemical properties of substrate mixed with kapok seedcake is similar to the mixture with cotton seedcake in T-C, T-N, C/N ratio, and other nutrients. Mixed growing substrate containing cotton seedcake and kapok seedcake was superior to other mixtures 99.2% and 99.5%, respectively in spawning ratio and was faster mycellium growth in column test than that of soybeen seedcake, cotton + soybeen seedcake, and coconut seedcake. The period required in first pin-heading was 1-2 days longer in rape and soybeen seedcake mixture. Also there wad no primodia and fruitbody formation at soybeen seedcake mixture which had highest T-N content among the other mixed substrates. Yield per bottle and biological efficiency were highest of 144.6 g and 75.4%, respectively at kapok seedcake mixture. As a result, this study found that cotton seedcake can be replaced with kapok seedcake in bottle culture of oyster mushroom.