Vermicompost, rose oil processing waste compost, and spent coconut fiber as casing material in button mushroom cultivation

The objective of this study was to determine the possible utilization of agro-waste-based materials derived from waste streams-spent coconut fiber (SCF), vermicompost (V), and rose oil processing waste compost (RC), alone and in combination with peat as casing material. The rationale behind this study was to use waste-derived materials as resources to determine their effect on the yield and quality of the white button mushroom. In the first experiment (Experiment-1), 12 casing mixtures prepared from 3 materials, alone (100%) and at the rate of 25%, 50%, and 75% with peat (w/w), were tested. Peat (P) and casing soil (CS) were used as control casing material. Based on the results of Experiment-1, the ratios of 3 materials used in the casing mixtures have been reduced in the second experiment (Experiment-2). Fifteen casing mixtures prepared from 3 materials at the rate of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50% with peat and peat as control were examined in Experiment-2. The properties of the composts, casing materials, and casing mixtures were determined. In the experiments, yield, yield parameters, and morphological properties of mushrooms were determined. While the yield increased as the amount of SCF in the casing mixtures increased, the yield decreased as the amount of RC and V in the casing mixtures increased. The highest yield was determined in 25RC +75P (25.89 kg/100 kg compost), and yields of 50SCF +50P and 100SCF (22.28 and 21.19 kg/100 kg compost, respectively) were superior when compared to both controls in Experiment-1. The mushroom yields noted in 50SCF +50P (26.02 kg/100 kg compost), 30SCF + 70P (24.39 kg/100 kg compost), and 40SCF + 60P (24.38 kg/100 kg compost) were the highest in Experiment-2. In general, peat-included mixtures were superior regarding mushroom yield, but it was concluded that 100SCF with low cost can be used alone without making any mixtures as an alternative casing material instead of peat when the results of two experiments were considered together.