Abstract

Nwanze PI , Khan AU , Ameh JB and Umoh VJ

Lentinus squarrosulus and Psathyrella atroumbonata, two edible indigenous mushroom species, were cultured in four different submerged liquid media supplemented with coconut, cotton, groundnut, butterfat, palm kernel and palm oil at 5 different rates. The differences in the means due to the different media types were highly significant (p<0.01) for the mean mycelia wet and dry weights of both L. squarrosulus and P. atroumbonata. SLCM3, which contained twice the glucose level present in each of the other three liquid culture media, induced the heaviest mean wet and dry mycelia weights of both mushroom species. Oil type had a highly significant (p<0.01) effect on the wet and dry mycelia weights of L. squarrosulus as well as the mycelia wet weight of P. atroumbonata. Butterfat induced the heaviest weights. In addition, oil rate also had a significant effect (p<0.01) on the mean mycelia wet and dry weights of both mushroom species. The oil rates of 0.003, 0.005 and 0.007 ml/ml produced comparable optimum mean mycelia wet and dry weights of the mushrooms.