Increased wood wastes, including thinned material from stagnated and overstocked small-diameter forests, are a menace to forest health, to the sustainability of ecosystems, and to community economic viability. The objective of this study is to recycle wood wastes into value-added products, such as gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, by using the white-rot basidiomycetes, Pleurotus ostreatus, P. populinus, P. pulmonarius, and other Pleurotus species. When supplemented with low concentrations of dextrose, these basidiomycetes exhibit an excellent ability to colonize and stimulate fruiting body production on wood wastes. Inoculated wood wastes in air-permeable bags are incubated at 24°C in the dark for 3 to 5 weeks. When exposed to light cycle (10-h day), humidity, and air, they fruit within 4 to 8 weeks. Lyophilization of cultures stimulates filamentous mycelial growth and fruiting is then initiated within 3 to 7 days.

Download document (984 kb)
free for the members of IRG. Available if purchased.

Purchase this document