PROXIMATE ANALYSIS OF THE GROWTH OF ORGANIC GREY OYSTER MUSHROOMS ON BIOCHAR FROM AGRICULTURAL WASTE.

Agricultural waste is a major problem in Thailand. To eliminate waste and constrain global warming, waste should be renewed for other purposes by thermochemical processes. Pyrolysis is a process that produces biochar, which is useful for amending soil, improving soil fertility, and creating microorganism habitats. This research aimed to produce biochar from agricultural wastes for use as a mushroom substrate and to increase the nutrient consumption by the mushrooms. Sugarcane leaf biochar had the lowest C:N ratio and neutral pH, which are important factors for Pleurotus pulmonarius mycelium growth and the formation of fruiting bodies. Moreover, this biochar has micropores suitable for fungal growth. According to the nutrient measurements, the proximate analysis showed that 1% sugarcane leaf biochar produced a higher yield and protein content than the others, whereas the biochar reduced the fat content but increased the moisture in the fruiting body, including aeration increasing. Thus, 1% sugarcane leaf biochar was suitable as an extra substrate for growing grey oyster mushrooms. From the result of this research, biochar production is an excellent process to convert agricultural wastes to be a renewable resource for improving the efficiency of crop production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]