Abstract
Pleurotus ostreatus, popularly known as Shimeji or Hiratake, is an edible mushroom able to secrete enzymes specialized in degrading materials with high amount of lignin and cellulose, turning this compost into a nutritional source for its development. Thus, several materials have been widely used in the preparation of the compost for the cultivation of P. ostreatus, according to their availability in the different regions of the country and season of the year. However, little is known about the use of sorghum straw for that purpose. Sorghum is an annual crop, with high capacity to support hydric stress and resist low fertility of the soil, what makes it a good choice for the cultivation of mushrooms. Besides, sugar cane straw, one of the main elements used in the cultivation of mushrooms in the State of São Paulo, has gradually become scarce, due to its use by industry as energy source for boilers, so that mushroom producers have faced difficulties to obtain that product and, when it is found, the price has gradually become not feasible. Therefore, the objective of the present research project is to study the viability of the use of saccharin sorghum and biomass sorghum straw in the formulation of new composts for the cultivation of P. ostreatus, considering the chemical characterization of the substrates, the loss of organic matter, the biological efficiency and the nutritional characterization of the mushrooms as evaluation criteria. (AU)
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