Smita Mishra, Deepak Vyas
The present study evaluated the comparative effect of two cultivation systems: plastic pot and polythene bag on the growth performance, yield, and biological efficiency of Pleurotus ostreatus cultivated on chickpea straw, moong straw and wheat straw under controlled conditions. Among the two systems, polythene bag cultivation showed the excellent performance over plastic pots in all substrates taken in the study. Maximum yield (93.37 g) and biological efficiency (101.48%) were recorded in P. ostreatus grown on moong straw using polythene bags, followed by chickpea straw (79.74 g; 106.32% BE). In contrast, plastic pot cultivation resulted in comparatively lower yield and efficiency, with moong straw yielding 58.33 g (83.32% BE) and chickpea straw 53.56 g (71.42% BE). Wheat straw exhibited the lowest productivity in both systems, particularly in plastic pots. The enhanced performance in polythene bags may be due to the improved moisture retention, aeration, and uniform mycelial colonization, which leads to efficient substrate utilization. Overall, the findings indicate that polythene bag cultivation, is a more effective and economically viable method for maximizing yield and biological efficiency in Pleurotus ostreatus cultivation.