Growth of mushrooms on wheat straw and coffee pulp: Strain selection

Abstract The growth of twenty-four strains of white rot fungi on wheat straw and on mixtures of wheat straw and pressed coffee pulp was studied. Fruiting bodies were collected from some of the assays, with protein contents ranging from 15% to 38%, dry basis. The Pleurotus species showed the best results, in terms of mycelial growth, production of fruiting bodies and digestibility of residual materials, when straw was the substrate and also adequate results when mixtures of straw-pulp were used. Weight losses of the straw used for the growth of these strains ranged from 28% to 47% approximately. Lignin degradation ranged from 24% to 55%, cellulose degradation from 34% to 42%. The straw was also the best substrate in terms of relative digestibility of the residual material after cultivation of Pleurotus (75% to 138% of original value).