Cultivation of three Pleurotus (Jacq.: Fr.) P. Kumm. species on pasteurized elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) substrate

The purpose of this research was to evaluate the productiveness, biological efficiency, and fresh and dry biomass of Pleurotus spp. cultivated in elephant-grass-based substrate. Three species of Pleurotus were used: Pleurotus ostreatus (strains BF24 and DF33), P. ostreatoroseus (strain POR01/06), and P. citrinopileatus (strain PAM01/06). Dry and powdered elephant grass was humidified for 24 hours, wrapped in bags, pasteurized at 100 degrees C for 35 minutes, and finally inoculated with 3% spawn. The cultivation period extended for 105 days, encompassing 3 production flushes, and the beginning of the harvest was 25 days after substrate inoculation. P. ostreatoroseus presented the highest productiveness rates (33.16%), biological efficiency (132.64%), and fresh mass (331.60 g); the R ostreatus strain BF24 presented the highest dry mass rate (31.16 g).