EXEQUIEL R.

LINA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL 1

SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
PoblacionNorte, Licab, Nueva Ecija

CHAPTER I

The Problem and Its Setting

Introduction

Mushrooms are the spore-bearing fruiting body of a fungus,

typically produced above ground on soil or on its food source.
It decomposes the complex organic materials on which it grows
(the substrate) to generate simpler compounds for its nutrition
(Chang and Miles 1992).
Mushrooms have been around the earth earlier than humans.
Before us, some mushroom species have already been part of the
diet of early animals for its many vitamins and minerals.

Mushroom Cultivation has long been an economic importance

in Asian Countries where most mushrooms are grown and sold. It
has been harvested for centuries for their nutrition and
flavour. The first recorded accounts of mushroom cultivation are
of Wood Ear (Auricularia auricular) cultivated on wood logs in
China around 600 A. D., followed by Enoki (Flammulina velutipes
– A. D. 800) and Shiitake (Lentinula edodes – A. D. 1000), both
also cultivated by the wood log method (Glenn Walker – 2018).

Mushrooms are classified as vegetables in the food world,

but they are fungi that provide several important nutrients.
Edible mushrooms are low in sodium, fat, and calories, most
mushrooms contain Fiber Potassium Protein Selenium (an important
antioxidant) L-ergothioneine (another powerful antioxidant)
Copper (needed for cardiovascular health) Niacin (an important B
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vitamin) Cancer-fighting ingredients (polysaccharides, linoleic

acid) Zinc (Retrieved from Mushroom Appreciation.com)

Due to its low percentage of sodium, fat, and calories,

mushrooms have been used as a main ingredient for dietary pills
and food supplements. Mushrooms have also been included in
immunity-boosting vitamins for it is filled with polysaccharides
and triterpenes that give it its immunomodulating properties,
providing overall immune support and regulation (Tero
Isokauppila SEP 1, 2017).

Mushrooms cultivation is reported to represent the only

economically viable bio-technology process for conversion of
waste plant residues from forests and agriculture (Wood and
Smith 1987). Due to the frequent visits of typhoons in the
Philippines, biological wastes have been present all year round.

Bamboos are found all over the Philippines. It is the main

material used for building most of the infrastructures found in
the Philippines. Bamboos are used for houses, fences, animal
pens, and rafts. Their shoots are collected and sold throughout
the country by many Filipino people. Bamboos, from 2011-2015,
covered a total of 16,442 hectares of bamboo plantations in 15 regions
(Climate.gov.ph). Flat lands such as Central Luzon have abundant
numbers of bamboos that produces over 50,000 tonnes
of bamboo scaffolding waste which is disposed as
landfill waste each year (AWH Cheung, 2017).

Central Luzon is also known as the Rice Granary of the

Philippines. The name suggest that agricultural is the main
source of livelihood and also produces the most agricultural or
biological waste. Biological waste such as bamboo is present due
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to it having a total land area of 30 million ha, 53 percent

(15.88 m. ha) of which is forest land (Philippine Forestry
Statistics 1996)

Even though the Nueva Ecija had the climate and

agricultural land, the mushroom cultivation industry was
sidetracked due to the lack of technological know-how. Also, the
lack of knowledge on mushroom edibility and few known useable
substrates has turned the mushroom production to low numbers.
Given that the majority of the people are farmers, acquiring the
knowledge to proper mushroom cultivation could help the people
to have a financially sufficient budget on a regular basis.

Statement of the Problem

The pursuit on identifying alternative ways to produce new

income and their effects on the environment has instigated the
conduction of this research. In order to accomplish this, the
researcher attempts to answer the following questions:

1. Will the growing environment in the area be favourable to

oyster mushrooms?
2. Can dried bamboo leaves be used as a substrate for
mushroom cultivation?
3. What would be the impact of mushroom cultivation using
bamboo leaves on the environment?

Scope and Delimitation

The study is limited to mushroom cultivation only and will not

be applicable to other
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This study will focus on the leaves of the bamboo (Bambusa

Blumeana) as a suitable substrate and White Oyster Mushrooms
(Pleurotus Ostreatus) would be cultivated. This study is limited
only to white oyster mushrooms and its effectiveness on bamboo
leaves.

Significance of the Study

This study will benefit who is referred to in this study as

students, parents, the community, and others that may be
concerned.

Students- This study will help students gain new knowledge

about agriculture and actual benefits of mushrooms

Parents-This study informs the parents of their children’s

activities and their development towards professionalism

Community- This study will provide the knowledge of having an

alternative source of income and reduce agricultural wastes that
will be converted to substrates.

Other Researchers- This study will serve as a reference for

other people who are researching in the same field.
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CHAPTER II

Review of Related Study

Foreign Studies

Cultivation with the use of different substrates

According to the study of Z.A. Shah, M. Ashraf and M. Ishtiaq Ch.

University College of Agriculture Rawalakot (UAJ&K), Azad Kashmir,
Pakistan, Oyster Mushrooms can be cultivated on Different Substrates
such as Wheat Straw, Leaves, Saw Dust. According to them, the spawn
running, pinheads formation and fruiting bodies formation are three
important phases in the cultivation of mushroom, require proper
humidity and temperature. Temperature 25 C for spawn running and 17-20
C for fructification Number of fruiting bodies: The caps of Oyster
showed good results.

Running took 2-3 weeks after inoculation. All substrates were

inoculated at the same day. took three weeks and fruiting bodies
appeared after 2-3 days. Pinheads formation: The pinheads formation is
the second stage of mycelial growth during cultivation of mushroom.
Small pinheads like structures were observed, these pinheads were
formed 6-7 days after the spawn running time for pinheads formation
was noted as 23-27 days.

This is the third and final stage during the cultivation of

mushroom. The fruiting bodies appeared 3-6 weeks after pinheads
formation and took 27-34 days later after inoculation of spawn.
Maximum average yield 646.9 gms was estimated from the sawdust.
Sawdust is recommended as a best substrate for the cultivation of
Oyster mushroom. Sawdust produced more number of fruiting bodies than
other substrate. Thus the farmer must utilize the sawdust to convert
the food in the form of mushrooms.
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Banana Leaves as Substrates

Preethi and Balakrishna Murthy, Agrotechnol 2013, Banana farming

generated huge quantities of biomass all of which goes as waste due to
non availability of suitable technology for its commercial
utilization. Normally this biomass is used for animal feed and fuel.
Among its multi faced uses like therapeutic, alcohol, starch
extraction and other innumerable uses, they are the best source of
fibre. Apart from the pseudostem, banana peduncle has also been found
to be a good source of cellulose rich fibre. These fibres are used as
a composite in polymer matrix [1]. It is estimated that banana
peduncle and leaves occupies 20% of the plant total biomass. the
chemical composition of banana pseudostem by elemental analysis. The
results were as follows, cellulose-31-35%, hemicellulose-14-17% and
lignin-15-16%

According to the study of Belewu, M. A.* and Belewu, K.Y 2005

Cultivation of mushroom (Volvariella volvacea) on banana leaves The
mycelia covered the banana leaves in about 12 days while full
colonization of the substrate was observed in 15 days. The total
number of fruits and the total weight of the fruits was 2.5 kg. The
protein content of the fungus treated banana was significantly higher
than the untreated sample due probably to the addition of fungal
proteins during solubilization and degradation. The protein content of
the fungus treated sample increased from 7.08 to 10.26%. The
increasing crude protein content could be compared to the protein
content of most cereal crops. It was however, higher than common straw
and grasses. The higher crude protein content will likely increase the
importance of the leaves as ruminant diet. The fibre fraction
decreased significantly in the fungus treated leaves compared to the
untreated leaves. The higher hemicellulose content recorded for the
fungus treated banana leaves indicates that it is a valuable product
for the lignin degrading fungus (for it provides the organism with
energy source for better functioning). Also, the higher cellulose
content recorded for the fungus treated sample will provide more
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glucose for ruminant animals since the gut of the animal is well
equipped with microbes that can convert the cellulose to glucose.
Conclusively, the study revealed the potential of banana leaves as a
good substrate for the cultivation of V. volvacea and the spent
substrate as a viable ingredient in ruminant feed.

Growth and Yield Performance of Oyster Mushroom on Wheat Straw

and Sawdust

According to the foreign study of Zenebe Girmay, Weldesemayat

Gorems, Getachew Birhinahu, and Solomon Zeudie published on Ocotber
2016, Time elapsed for mycelial running, pin-head formation and
maturity of fruiting body was relatively faster on cotton seed and
paper waste as compared to the other substrates used (wheat straw and
sawdust). On average, it took about 16 days for the mycelia to run on
each substrate. This is comparable with other similar studies
elsewhere. For instance, Onuoha et al. (2009) reported the completion
of spawn running on paddy straw waste to be 15 days, while others
reported it to be between 13 and 16 days using similar substrate
(Patra and Pani 1995; Jiskani 1999). Similarly, Ahmed (1998) reported
spawn running of P. ostreatus to be completed within 17–20 days on
different substrates.

The variation in the number of days taken for a spawn to complete

colonization of a given substrate is a function of the fungal strain,
growth conditions and substrate type (Chang and Miles 2004). This
variation could, in turn, be attributed to the variations in chemical
composition and Carbon to Nitrogen ratio (C:N) of the substrates used
(Bhatti et al. 1987). According to Oei (1996), mushroom mycelia
require specific nutrients for its growth; the addition of supplements
can, thus, increase mushroom yield through the provision of these
specific nutrients.
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Pin-head formation (premordium initiation) was observed following

the invasion of substrates by mycelia growth. The time required for
the formation of pin-heads is comparable with other similar studies
elsewhere; e.g., Ahmed (1998) reported pin-head formation of oyster
mushroom cultivated in different substrates to be between 23 and
27 days from spawning, while Fan et al. (2000) reported it to be 20–23
days. On the other hand, Shah et al. (2004) found that pin-heads
appeared in about 6 days. Such variations in mycelia growth rate,
colonization and primordial initiation have been observed when a
mushroom species were grown on a range of substrates including
sawdust, bagasse, and banana leaves (e.g. Vetayasuporn 2006; Islam et
al. 2009; Birhanu Gizaw 2010).

It was, generally, observed from this study that the overall

cropping period for oyster mushroom, in this case, the time elapsed
between spawn seeding and harvesting (maturity of fruiting bodies),
varied for each of the different substrates used; ranging from 27 days
to 40.67 days. This implies that, with regard to the cropping period,
cotton seed is the preferred substrate for early harvesting of yield
of oyster mushroom. In this regard, other studies came-up with varying
results of cropping periods. Khan and Ali (1981) reported a cropping
period between 21 and 28 days using cotton seed, while Tan (1981)
reported the harvesting time to be within a month using cotton waste.
According to Khanna and Garcha (1981), however, it may take up-to
104 days to harvest yield from oyster mushroom grown on paddy straw.
These variations in cropping periods may emanate from the variations
in the growing environment (controlled versus semi-controlled
conditions) and physiological requirements for mushroom cultivation,
for instance, the constant temperature, humidity and light
arrangements. In other words, the variation in cropping period among
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different substrates could emanate from variations in the time elapsed

for formation of pinheads, maturation of fruiting bodies, period

between flushes, number of flushes and yield, which in turn is

affected by the nature of the substrates (Tan 1981).

The study confirmed that the use of different substrates brought

about a significant (P < 0.05) effect on yield (biological and
economic yield) of oyster mushroom. The largest yield was harvested
from cotton seed, followed by paper waste; while, the least was
obtained from sawdust. Similarly, the biological efficiency (BE) also
varied significantly among the different substrates used. Variable
ranges of BE have been reported when different lignocellulosic
materials were used as substrates for cultivation of oyster (Liang et
al. 2009).

The highest percentage of BE was obtained from cotton seed; the

least was observed in sawdust. The performance of oyster growth and
yield in sawdust substrate was minimal. This could be attributed to
the fact that the lignocellulosic materials in sawdust are generally
low in protein content and thus insufficient for the cultivation of
mushrooms (Obodai et al. 2002). Therefore, sawdust substrate for
mushroom production should undergo a period of composting to breakdown
the cellulose and lignin components of the wood in order to release
the essential materials for the establishment of mushroom mycelia. It
may also require additional nitrogen, phosphate and potassium.

Generally, the present study confirmed that oyster

mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) can grow on cotton seed, paper waste,
sawdust and wheat straw, with varying growth performances. Cotton seed
followed by paper waste were identified as suitable substrates for
oyster mushroom cultivation. Cotton seed produced a significantly
higher yield and biological efficiency compared to the other
substrates. It is also proved to be better in terms of mycelia
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density, time required for mycelia running, pin-head formation and

development of fruiting bodies. Therefore, cotton seed can be
recommended as the preferred substrate for oyster mushroom
cultivation. In addition, paper waste can be used as alternative
substrate given that the growth performance and yield of oyster
mushroom was better in it next to cotton seed; this could also serve
as a solution for utilization of the huge paper wastes available.

And yet, further studies need to be conducted on the potentials of

various agricultural and industrial wastes on oyster mushroom
cultivation, their economic feasibility and other related issues of
mushroom (particularly oyster mushroom) to fully realize the multiple
socio-economic and environmental significances of the mushroom
industry in Ethiopia.
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Conceptual Framework

Dried Mushroom Clean Dry

Bamboo
Spawn Environment
Leaves

Wood Ash
Fermentation Sanitation

Care and
Observation

Mushroom
Growth
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The concept of the research is having provided the proper

materials that will be used for cultivation, and the right
process that will be used in these materials will be the cause
for the mushrooms growth. Dried bamboo leaves ,which are the
substrates the will be used for this research, will be put under
the process of fermentation known as Wood Ash Fermentation that
will set the right nutrients needed for mycelia growth.

Having the right nutrients present are not enough to grow

mushrooms, the environment present in which the mushrooms will
grow is also important. The substrates are put in dim and humid
environments wherein mushrooms thrive. The area is disinfected
to remove pests and insects that may hinder the growth of
mushrooms.

Setting the suited environment and nutrients for mushrooms

spawns are not enough for successful growth. Thorough care and
observations throughout the growing process are keys to
successful mushroom growth. Keeping the mushroom bed wet
everyday ensures the right amount of humidity is present in the
substrates and keeping the bed disinfected ensures there are no
insects hindering the mushroom growth.

The concept of this study is that setting the right

environment, nutrients, and thorough care will ultimately lead
to successful mushroom growth.

Hypothesis of the Study

The researcher hypothesized that treating and disinfecting

dried bamboo leaves are suitable substrates for mushroom
cultivation. To treat the bamboo leaves using cold fermentation,
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the leaves are submerged underwater for 5-8 days until there is
the smell of fermentation.

The fermented bamboo leaves which have been soaked for days
will then be collected and placed in containers that will be
planted with mushrooms spawns. After several weeks, the
mushrooms should be ready for harvest.

Assumptions of the Study

Assuming that the study revealed the potential of banana leaves

as a good substrate for the cultivation use, the use of bamboo leaves
as a substrate could be possible. Banana is made up of cellulose-31-
35% , hemicellulose-14-17% and lignin-15-16% fibers. These fibers are
the main substrates for mushroom growth. Mushrooms synthesize the
nutrients they need from organic material. The particular nutrients
they need to grow are sugar, starch, lignin, and nitrogen. All of
these nutrients are also present in bamboo. The dried bamboo leaves
will be treated like bananas which will serve as new substrate for
mushroom and have almost the same biological efficiency.

Definition of Terms

Cultivation- the action of cultivating land, or the state of being

cultivated

Pleurotus Ostreatus - is a common edible mushroom (Scientific name

of Oyster Mushrooms)

Substrates- the surface or material on or from which an organism

lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment.

Monosaccharide- any class of sugars that cannot be hydrolyzed to give

a simpler sugar
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Polysaccharide-a carbohydrate (e.g starch, cellulose, or glycogen)

whose molecules consist of a number of sugar molecules bonded
together.

Cellulose-is an organic compound with the formula ₙ, a

polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred
to many thousands of β linked D-glucose units

Hemicelluloses- any of a class of substances which occur as

constituents of the cell walls of plants and are polysaccharides of
simpler structure than cellulose

Lignin-a complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of

many plants, making them rigid and woody.

Mycelium- is the vegetative part of a fungus or fungus-like

bacterial colony, consisting of a mass of branching, thread-like
hyphae

Spawning- the stage to produce or to generate especially in

large numbers
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CHAPTER III

Research Methodology

MATERIALS AND METHODS

 Oyster Mushroom Spawn

 55 gallon drum
 Dried Bamboo leaves
 4 gallons of Wood Ash
 Insecticide
 Water
 Plastic sheet
 Heat Resistant Bags
 Thread
 Large Gas Stove or Big source of fire

In this chapter, the research process that will be followed

is included. The research method that will be used is an
experimental method.

1. The investigation shall be conducted in a shady and a well

drained area such as under a tree or under the house. The Oyster
Mushroom (Pleurotus Ostreatus) is cultured on bamboo waste. The
mushroom spawn will be obtained on mushroom retailers. The
substrate will be fermented using the wood ash fermentation
method.
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2. These substrates are submerged and soaked in a drum full of

water. Close to 4 gallons of ashes was used for a 55 gallon
barrel. The leaves will be allowed to soak for 16 hours. Ash is
dissolved and slowly added to the 55 gallon drum as it is filled
with water. The barrel is filled until the straw is completely
under water. It was then piled up, covered with plastic sheet
and allowed to ferment for 5-8 days until there is the scent of
fermentation present. After the fermentation, the substrates are
spread on the ground to remove the excessive water, but the
humidity of the substrate is maintained. Then the material is
filled into heat resistant bags and prepared for pasteurization.
Substrate filled bags are pasteurized in a drum at 180 degrees
Fahrenheit for 90 minutes. Mushroom spawns are placed on the top
of the substrates and the openings of the bags are tied up
loosely with the thread and small holes are made in the plastic
bags. When the bags show signs of fungal mycelium, the mouths
are opened in the racks in a favourable cropping environment.
During spawning, temperature is controlled from 20-25 degrees
Celsius. Humidity is maintained by sprinkling water on the floor
several times a day. The spawned bags are kept perfectly in the
dark room until mycelium has fully penetrated the substrate. In
the cropping stage, moisture content of the substrate is checked
and sprinkled with water daily.
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3. Always cover the mushroom bed in order to keep necessary

heat inside it. Always keep the mushroom bed wet. Keep the
mushroom bed away from the reach of chicken, dog, or other
animals. If the mushroom bed has insects, disinfect it.

4. Daily observation will be conducted to ensure and record

the development and safety of the subjects until there are signs
of mushrooms buds up to the day or harvesting.