Integration of wood ash and poultry waste in <i>Pleurotus ostreatus</i> (Jacq. Fr.) cultivation, assessment of nutritional quality and bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the fruit bodies

Abstract

The effects of wood ash and poultry waste as a replacement for wheat/rice bran and lime in mushroom cultivation and the assessment of the bioaccumulation of heavy metals in the fruiting bodies were evaluated. T1 (Sawdust, 2% wheat bran and 2% lime (control)), T2 (Sawdust+2% poultry manure + 1% wood ash), T3 (Sawdust+ 2% poultry manure+ 2% wood ash) and T4 (Sawdust +2 % poultry waste+3% wood ash) were used as treatments. The experiment was laid out in a Completely Randomised Design (CRD) in three replicates. The data generated were subjected to analysis of variance (ANOVA). Means were separated using Fisher’s Least Significant Difference at p=0.05. The results obtained showed that T4 had the highest fresh weight (43.31g), dry weight (4.24 g) and length of stipe (4.72 cm) while T2 and T3 had the highest biological and bioconversion efficiencies in the value of 442 % and 72 %, respectively. Nutritional composition showed that T3 had the highest values of crude protein (3.12 %) and carbohydrate (22.71 %). The concentration of heavy metals bioaccumulated in the fruiting bodies was within the WHO/FAO acceptable limits. The results showed that wood ash and poultry waste can effectively replace the use of wheat/rice bran and lime in the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus.