EFFECT OF USING DIFFERENT SUBSTRATES AS GROWING MEDIA ON THE GROWTH AND YIELD OF OYSTER MUSHROOM(Pleurotus ostreatus) UNDER AMBIENT CONDITION

The thesis entided "Effect of Using Different Substrates as Growing Media on the Growth and Yield of Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) Under Ambient Condition" was conducted to evaluate the effectivity of the different agricultural waste materials for the production of Oyster Mushroom. The study was conducted in August 2018 to November 2018 at the makeshift laboratory of the Tanghal building,College of Agriculture,Mindanao State University,Fatima,General Santos City. A Complete Randomized Design (CRD), with six (6) treatments replicated three(3) times with five(5) sample bags each replication,was used in the study.The following treatments were used: T1-Rice straw; T2-Banana leaves; T3- 1:1 ratio (rice straw: banana leaves),T4- 1:3 ratio (rice straw: banana leaves); T5- 3:1 ratio (Rice straw.banana leaves) and T6-sawdust (control). Based on the results,the variations of the means of the stalk length,stalk diamcter, cup diameter and cap thickness did not show any significant differences among other.The treatment however disclosed that the highest mean stalk length and yield were observed in sawdust. Meanwhile, the highest mean stalk diameter was recorded in rice straw:banana leaves (3:1) ratio while the mean cap diameter and cup thickness were observed in rice straw. While the lowest mean among variables were observed on banana leaves substrate except that of the Oyster mushrooms' cap thickness which was recorded on the rice straw:banana leaves (1:1) ratio. The yield on Ti and T6 on the other hand revealed no significant difference among them but implied highly significant variance over other treatments. Meanwhile, T3,T4 and Ts indicated no significant variance among them but showed significant difference over T1, T2,and To and the yield in T2, T3 and T, showed no substantial difference among treatments but disclosed important variations over other treatments.