Evaluating Regional Agricultural Wastes as Substrates for the Mycelial Growth and Fruiting Body Yield of Pleurotus ostreatus
Disciplines
Agriculture | Food Biotechnology | Integrative Biology | Microbiology
Abstract (300 words maximum)
Pleurotus ostreatus, commonly known as the oyster mushroom, is a widely cultivated culinary mushroom known for its ability to colonize a variety of lignocellulosic agricultural waste materials. The ability of P. ostreatus to colonize and decompose these types of wastes as growth substrates suggests a potential for this organism to be utilized in the conversion of agricultural waste streams into locally productive and regenerative systems. P. ostreatus is a saprophytic fungus that derives its nutrients from plant fibers, particularly lignin and cellulose. These compounds are decomposed by ligninolytic enzymes produced by the mushroom. Not only does the oyster mushroom decompose agricultural waste, the mushroom itself is a source of food for humans as well as ruminants. As the global demand for resources increases and resource availability declines, innovative approaches to resource management become increasingly valuable. The constant production of waste by conventional farming and the oyster mushroom’s ability to convert this waste efficiently into food is a highly compelling reason for research that has the potential to lead to the commercialization of these processes. This research aims to explore the cultivation of local mushroom isolates on regional agricultural wastes on a commercial scale. This data will address the knowledge gap regarding the use of Georgia’s agricultural wastes as mushroom substrate and the potential for increased mushroom yields and profit.
Academic department under which the project should be listed
CSM - Molecular and Cellular Biology
Primary Investigator (PI) Name
Chris Cornelison PhD
Additional Faculty
Kyle Gabriel PhD, Molecular & Cellular Biology, kgabrie5@kennesaw.edu
Evaluating Regional Agricultural Wastes as Substrates for the Mycelial Growth and Fruiting Body Yield of Pleurotus ostreatus
Pleurotus ostreatus, commonly known as the oyster mushroom, is a widely cultivated culinary mushroom known for its ability to colonize a variety of lignocellulosic agricultural waste materials. The ability of P. ostreatus to colonize and decompose these types of wastes as growth substrates suggests a potential for this organism to be utilized in the conversion of agricultural waste streams into locally productive and regenerative systems. P. ostreatus is a saprophytic fungus that derives its nutrients from plant fibers, particularly lignin and cellulose. These compounds are decomposed by ligninolytic enzymes produced by the mushroom. Not only does the oyster mushroom decompose agricultural waste, the mushroom itself is a source of food for humans as well as ruminants. As the global demand for resources increases and resource availability declines, innovative approaches to resource management become increasingly valuable. The constant production of waste by conventional farming and the oyster mushroom’s ability to convert this waste efficiently into food is a highly compelling reason for research that has the potential to lead to the commercialization of these processes. This research aims to explore the cultivation of local mushroom isolates on regional agricultural wastes on a commercial scale. This data will address the knowledge gap regarding the use of Georgia’s agricultural wastes as mushroom substrate and the potential for increased mushroom yields and profit.