Joseph Dzaka

Cornstalk - a 'worthy' Substrate for Oyster Mushroom Cultivation: Effects of Pito Spent Grain Supplementation on Mushroom Cultivation on Cornstalks Joseph Dzaka

This book explores the diversion of agro-wastes in the form of cornstalks into the production of the very nutritious oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus). The use of pito spent grains as supplement is also exploited. Cornstalks abound in most countries especially in the aftermath of farming seasons. They are mostly however only left on farms or dumped at refuse sites; thereby serving as vector breeding sites. Pito is a type of beer made from fermented millet or sorghum. The spent grain from the production of pito thus provides an economical rich source of nitrogen suitable for mushroom mycelia growth. Diverting the cornstalks into mushroom production eliminates the menace of breeding vectors and the mushrooms produced are also rich in protein and micronutrients that are needed to help fight world malnutrition, in the process killing two birds with one stone.