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ABSTRACT
In this study, the effect of sodium chloride (NaCl) on the vegetative growth of Pleurotus ostreatus and Volvariella volvacea, were evaluated. Six (6) concentrations of NaCl (0, 0.4, 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2.0) g/L were used to test the mycelial growth of these mushrooms in solid and liquid media. The results revealed that there was erratic pattern of growth at the onset. However, the lower concentration of NaCl promoted better growth afterwards. After five (5) days of inoculation, V. volvacea had the highest mycelial extension (83.13 ± 0.84) mm at 0.4g/L, and (81.38 ± 1.85) mm at 0.8g/L. This was not significantly different from the control 0g/L (83.90 ± 1.37) mm, while after seven days, P. ostreatus had the highest mycelial extension (78.83 ± 3.43) mm at 0.4g/L, and (76.83 ± 2.93) mm at 0.8g/L. This was not significantly different from the control 0g/L (80.32 ± 2.45) mm. For the different concentration of NaCl, it was observed that the pH, after complete colonization became more acidic. The biomass of the liquid media of the growth medium was measured for each NaCl concentration treatment for both mushrooms. At 0.6g/L the biomass was (0.63±0.14) g for V. volvacea while in P. ostreatus it was (0.53±0.11) g. For the solid media the biomass was highest for V. volvacea at 2.0g/L (0.38±0.04) g, in P. ostreatus it was also highest at 2.0g/L (0.55±0.06) g. The morphology of these concentrations varied from fluffy to granular depending on the concentration. The salt concentration affected the density of the mushrooms from very thin to very dense. The experiment revealed that the mushrooms were able to grow across the range of NaCl concentrations tested (0g/L to 2.0g/L). Further research can be done to explore higher concentrations of NaCl to determine their effects on the vegetative growth of these mushrooms and whether there is a limit beyond which growth is inhibited.
