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ABSTRACT
Volvariella volvacea…(Bull.Ex. Fr.) Sing. commonly known as the straw mushroom, is a highly valued edible fungus with significant agricultural and economic importance. This study investigates the influence of various grains, including millet, brown guinea corn, white guinea corn, yellow corn, and white corn, on the vegetative growth of the mushroom. Key growth parameters such as mycelia colonization rate, mycelia density, and biomass production were evaluated. Pure culture of the organism was obtained from The African Center for Mushroom and Technology innovation, University of Benin. which was expanded before the use of the spawn preparation method. Results revealed distinct effects of different grains on the vegetative growth of the test mushroom. Brown guinea corn had the shortest time of complete colonization of 9 to 10 days, followed by white guinea corn and white corn of 12 days, followed by millet 12- 14 days and yellow corn with the longest time of complete colonization of 13-14 days. Brown guinea corn, white guinea corn and white corn showed the highest density rate of 5 ( very dense) for all the substrate combination (control, CaCO3, CaSO4 and CaCO3 + CaSO4). While millet showed mycelia density of 3 ( moderate) for control and CaSO4, 5 ( very dense) for CaCO3 and 4 (dense). Yellow corn showed mycelia density rate of 3 (moderate) for all of the substrate combination. Understanding the impact of grain selection on Volvariella volvacea vegetative growth provides valuable insights for optimizing cultivation practices and enhancing mushroom yield and quality. Future research endeavors could explore additional factors influencing mushroom growth and further refine cultivation techniques to maximize productivity.
