Farming edible mushrooms with agricultural residues is a value-addition process to convert these materials, which are considered to be wasted for human consumption. It is considered one of the most efficient biological ways by which these residues can be recycled into value-added products for livestock feeding. In this present experiment cultivation of mushrooms was done in agricultural fibrous residue i.e. paddy straw. The nutritive value evaluation of paddy straw in terms of proximate analysis and fibre

fraction was investigated during growth on different days of the harvest period of edible mushrooms Pleurotus oestrateus (oyster mushroom). The fibrous media act as a substrate for the growth of mushroom mycelia. This fibrous residue was evaluated at three different stages of mushroom harvest. Nutritional evaluation has been done for its proximate composition; fibre fraction and some major and trace mineral content. It was observed that crude protein (CP) and total ash content (%) of the paddy straw has been

increased gradually before and after using it as the substrate for mushroom cultivation and were highest in the 2nd and 3rd harvests. However, fibre fraction in terms of ADF, NDF gradually decreases and is lowest in 3rd harvest. Crude protein content was increased by 8.16% and NDF content decreased by 57.30%. The mineral content of some major and trace mineral content increased up to 2nd and 3rd harvest periods. While assessment of the nutritional potential of mushroom spent substrate of paddy straw was highest in 2nd and 3rd harvest periods after that again decreasing trend may be the utilization of all the nutrients

of the by-product for mycelial growth. Thus, the growth of mushroom mycelia in agricultural fibrous residue is a promising way to improve the nutritional value of the fibrous substrate by improving the CP content, mineral content and reducing the fibre content of agricultural by-products. 

Highlights

• Farming edible mushrooms with agricultural residues is considered one of the most efficient biological ways by which these residues can be recycled into value-added products for livestock feeding.
• The growth of mushroom mycelia in agricultural fibrous residue is a promising way to improve the nutritional value of the fibrous substrate by improving the CP content, mineral content and reducing the fibre content of agricultural by-products.