Macadamia waste as an alternative for the cultivation of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus

• Grant number: 21/12707-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2022
• End date: September 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy
• Principal Investigator: Meire Cristina Nogueira de Andrade
• Grantee: Marcos Paulo Gonçalo Peliseu
• Host Institution: Faculdade Gran Tietê. Instituições de Ensino Reunidas Tietê (IERT). Barra Bonita , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus fungus, popularly known as Shimeji, can be cultivated in different agroindustry wastes made up of lignin and cellulose, due to its enzymatic complex that colonizes those components and uses them for its development. Therefore, the substrate used to produce P. ostreatus may vary according to the wastes available and the weather in the region. However, little is known in the literature about the reuse of macadamia husks to cultivate edible mushrooms. The high amounts of husks resulting from the macadamia production in the regions of Barra Bonita/SP and Dois Córregos/SP do not have a specific destination. In face of this fact, the use of macadamia husk as an alternative substrate in the production of the P. ostreatus mushroom may promote waste reuse and generate an alimentary product with added value, serving as a new source of income. Thus, the present research aims at evaluating the viability of the use of macadamia husk in the production of P. ostreatus in different proportions and new composts, taking the mass of fresh basidiomata, a number of bunches, chemical characterization of the substrates and raw materials, loss of organic matter and biological efficiency of each treatment as evaluation criteria. (AU)