Cultivation of the Oyster Mushroom (Pleurotus Sp.) on Wood Substrates in Hawaii
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CULTIVATION OF THE OYSTER MUSHROOM (PLEUROTUS SP.) ON WOOD SUBSTRATES IN HAWAII A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'IIN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TROPICAL PLANT AND SOIL SCIENCE DECEMBER 2004 By Tracy E. Tisdale Thesis Committee: Susan C. Miyasaka, Chairperson Mitiku Habte Don Hemmes Acknowledgements I would first like to acknowledge Susan C. Miyasaka, my major advisor, for her generosity, thoughtfulness, patience and infinite support throughout this project. I'd like to thank Don Hemmes and Mitiku Habte for taking time out of their schedules to serve on my committee and offer valuable insight. Thanks to Jim Hollyer for the much needed advising he provided on the economic aspect of this project. Thanks also to J.B. Friday, Bernie Kratky and all the smiling faces at Beaumont, Komohana, Waiakea and Volcano Research Stations who provided constant encouragement and delight throughout my mushroom growing days in Hilo. 111 Table of Contents Acknowledgements , iii List of Tables ,,, , vi List of Figures vii Chapter 1: Introduction '" 1 Chapter 2: Literature Review , 3 Industry ,,.. ,,,,, , 3 Substrates 6 Oyster Mushroom " '" 19 Production Overview 24 Chapter 3: Research Objectives , '" 32 Chapter 4: Materials and Methods 33 Substrate Wood 33 Cultivation Methods 34 Crop Yield ,, 39 Nutrients 43 Taste 44 Fruiting Site Assessment. .46 Economic Analysis .46 Chapter 5: Results and Discussion ,, .48 Substrate Wood ,, 48 Preliminary Experiment. '" 52 IV Final Experiment. , , 53 Crop yield ,, 53 Nutrients 67 Taste 68 Fruiting Site Assessment. ,,,,, 72 Economic Analysis 74 Chapter 6: Summary 84 Appendix A: Taste test I survey questions 86 Appendix S: Taste test" survey questions 87 Appendix C: Wood concentrations of Mg, Fe, ln, S 88 Appendix 0: Yield correlations with substrate lignin and cellulose composition 89 Appendix E: Crop period data 90 Appendix F: Percent moisture data , ,,, 91 Appendix G: Nutrient concentrations of Pleurotus fruit bodies 92 References , , '" '" ., 93 v List of Tables Table Page 4.1 Analysis of variance table for initial wood composition 34 4.2 Analysis of variance table for economic yield .40 4.3 Analysis of variance table for yield distribution throughout multiple flushes.. .41 4.4 Analysis of variance table for flush period and number of flushes .42 4.5 Analysis of variance table for percent moisture 43 4.6 Analysis of variance table for nutrient concentration .44 4.7 Analysis of variance table for taste test I .45 4.8 Analysis of variance table for taste test 11. .45 5.1 Initial nutrient concentrations of five substrate woods , '" ., 50 5.2 Lignin and cellulose composition of five substrate woods 51 5.3 Preliminary experiment results 52 5.4 Maximum and minimum economic yields ,, 55 5.5 Initial bag weight and biological efficiency of Pleurotus sp. on five substrate woods 62 5.6 Number of flushes produced by Pleurotus sp. on five substrate woods 65 5.7 Temperature and relative humidity of fruiting site 72 5.8 Cost assumptions for small-scale outdoor production ,, 77 5.9 Estimated production costs of small-scale outdoor production 78 5.10 Summary of potential revenues, costs, and profits of small-scale, outdoor oyster mushroom production 83 VI List of Figures Figure Page 5.1 Economic yield of Pleurotus sp. cultivated on five wood substrates , 54 5.2 Effect of batch on economic yield ,,, 59 5.3 Change in yield over multiple flushes ,,,, 64 5.4 Mushroom taste ratings, test I. 69 5.5 Mushroom taste ratings, test 11. 70 5.6 Preferred sample for taste, test 11. , 71 Vll Chapter 1 Introduction Problem Agriculture remains one of the top industries in Hawaii. To strengthen both this industry and Hawaii's overall economic situation, there has been a committed effort to diversify Hawaii's agriculture. As plantation agriculture (sugarcane and pineapple) have declined tremendously, there is a great opportunity for small, diversified agriculture in the state. The U. S. mushroom industry is of substantial value, producing over $889 million dollars of fresh mushrooms in the 2002 - 2003 season (USDA 2003). However, there are very few producers of edible mushrooms in Hawaii. Substrate is a key component in mushroom cultivation. First, the substrate must be suitable for the growth and fruiting of the fungus. Second, the substrate should be available locally in sustainable quantities and at low cost. Climate is another factor in successful mushroom cultivation. The majority of mushroom operations in the United States are indoor operations, which allow for precise climate control. Such operations are generally extremely expensive to establish and operate (Shen et al. 2004). High investment costs can be prohibitive to many farmers, especially small farmers or those interested in producing mushrooms as an additional crop. Outdoor cultivation methods, used primarily in China and many other countries, are far less costly but produce relatively lower 1 yields (Shen et al. 2004). In the end, production must be economically feasible for farmers in Hawaii. Significance With agriculture as one of Hawaii's major industries, the availability of substrate for mushroom cultivation is promising. Many of the common edible mushrooms can be grown on plant derived materials such as wood, straw and various agricultural wastes. On the Island of Hawaii, a great deal of former sugarcane land has been shifted to timber forests. Approximately 11,740 hectares of land on the Big Island have or will be planted using Eucalyptus grandis for short rotation forests and Acacia koa for long rotation (Martin et al. 2001). There is a definite potential for thinned trees to serve as a local and sustainable source of substrate for mushroom cultivation in Hawaii. There are also a number of fast growing tree species that have been introduced to the islands for various reasons. Whether they are growing wild or intentionally farmed, wood from rapidly growing trees is a potential substrate. The tropical climate of Hawaii, the east coast of the Big Island in particular, provides a wet, humid environment with an average precipitation rate of 3,404 mm annually (NOAA 2004). It also offers a long growing season, uninterrupted by a harsh winter season. With natural environmental conditions conducive to mushrooms, outdoor cultivation may be a feasible option in Hawaii. 2 Chapter 2 Literature Review MUSHROOM INDUSTRY World Production The Chinese were the first to grow mushrooms for human consumption. As early as 600 AD, varieties of Auricularia were being cultivated. Around 1000 AD Lenfinula edodes, commonly known as shiitake, entered mushroom farming practices. By early 17th century, cultivation in France began with Agaricus (lvors 2003). Mushroom production quickly spread to England and other European countries, reaching the United States by the end of the 19th century (Flegg et al. 1985). In the last 25 years, worldwide mushroom production has increased over 300%, reaching approximately 2,961,493 tons in 2002 (USDA 2003). China has become the top-producing nation for all edible mushrooms, turning out over 40% of the world's supply (USDA 2003). The U.S. is the next largest producer of mushrooms, contributing about 13%, while the Netherlands and France produce about 9.5 and 5%, respectively (USDA 2003). Overall U.S. production by volume has been steadily rising over the last decade. Operations are also diversifying, adding production of various specialty mushrooms. Industry expansion, in both output and diversity, is largely due to improvements in cultivation technologies and the expansion of market demand (Yamanaka 1997). 3 Cultivation methods for edible mushrooms vary considerably around the world. Methods primarily depend on the type of mushroom. While species of Agaricus, which include the white button mushroom, portabello and crimini, require composted substrate, white-rot fungi can be cultivated on uncomposted organic materials. The majority of the specialty mushrooms are white rot fungi; including shiitake (Lentinula edodes), wood ears (Auricularia spp.), paddy straw mushrooms (Volvariella volvacea) , oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus spp.) and many others. Shiitake and wood ears are known to grow best on hardwoods, while paddy straws, like their name indicates, grow best on straw. Oyster mushrooms are renowned for their ability to grow well on a wide array of substrates. Depending on location of production, many specialty mushrooms can be grown using either indoor or outdoor methods. In China the majority of cultivation is done outdoors, while in the US most cultivation is indoors (Shen et al. 2004). Outdoor cultivation, in general, is a much lower cost operation and relies on nature to create the environmental conditions necessary. Indoor cultivation allows for far more control over environmental conditions and hygienic operation. Indoor methods generally produce higher yields but are far more expensive to establish and operate. Market Value Edible mushrooms, especially specialty mushrooms such as the oyster mushroom and shiitake, have a relatively high market value. The value of the specialty mushroom crop in the United States reached $37,676,000 in 2002-3 (USDA 2003). On average, growers received $6.40 per kilogram for these 4 mushrooms, 32 cents more than the previous year (USDA 2003). The oyster mushroom is considered a choice mushroom for cooking and eating and has the reputation of being easy to cultivate (Stamets 2000). The current market value of the oyster mushroom in the US is approximately $4.50 per kg (USDA 2003), although niche markets can generate higher values. Shiitake mushrooms have a higher selling value, around $6.60 per kg in 2002-3 (USDA 2003). In Hawaii, the retail value of such mushroom can reach $17.64 to $22.05 per kg. They too are considered choice eating mushrooms, highly desired in many Asian cuisines. Based on historical and more recent trends, it is believed that the specialty mushroom industry will continue to flourish (Royce 1996).