The effect of the interaction of various spawn grains and oil types on carpophore dry weight, stipe length and stipe and pileus diameters of lentinus squarrosulus (mont.) singer

Abstract

Lentinus squarrosulus, an indigenous Nigerian mushroom species, was cultured on six different media that were inoculated separately with three different spawn grains and amended with six different oils at five different rates. The results revealed that the interaction of the different spawn grains with the various oil types produced a highly
significant effect (p<0.01) on the stipe length, dry weight, and stipe and pileus
diameters of Lentinus squarrosulus. The interactions of corn x coconut and corn x
butterfat, respectively produced stipe lengths that were statistically longer than the
comparable stipe lengths produced by the interaction of corn x groundnut and wheat x
cotton, respectively. The shortest stipe lengths were, however, produced by the
interaction of palm kernel oil with wheat and corn grains, respectively. The
interaction of millet x groundnut produced stipe diameters, which were statistically
wider than those produced by the interaction of corn x coconut that was statistically
wider than the comparable diameters induced by the interaction of wheat x cotton and
corn x butterfat, respectively. The poorest stipe diameters were produced by the
interaction of wheat x palm kernel, wheat x palm, and corn x palm kernel oil. The
carpophore dry weight produced by the interaction of corn x coconut was statistically
heavier than the comparable dry weights produced by the interaction of corn x
groundnut, corn x butterfat, and millet x palm oil. The comparable mean carpophore
dry weights produced by the interaction of wheat x coconut, millet x coconut, wheat x
cotton, millet x cotton, and wheat x groundnut oil, respectively were statistically
heavier than the mean dry weights produced by the interaction of wheat x palm
kernel, which was the poorest. The mean pileus diameters produced by the interaction
of corn x coconut was statistically comparable to those produced by the interaction of
wheat x coconut and corn x butterfat, but statistically heavier than the comparable
mean diameters produced by the interaction of wheat x cotton and corn x groundnut
oil. The comparable pileus diameters induced by the interaction of palm kernel oil
with wheat and corn grain, respectively produced the poorest results. The current
findings illustrate the importance of oil amendment in mushroom culture.

Keywords: Lentinus squarrosulus, spawn grain, carpophore production.

AJFAND Vol. 8 (4) 2008: pp. 481-491