Effects of Mist Irrigation on the Yields of Pleurotus Mushrooms

Abstract

Mushrooms grow well in the temperature range of 20°C to 30°C and the humidity range of 60% to 80%. One method reported to be effective in lowering the temperature and increasing the humidity in a nursery is mist irrigation. The objective of this experiment was to examine the effects of mist irrigation on the yields of three species of Pleurotus mushrooms, namely P. ostreatusHungarian, P. ostreatus, and P. eous. To achieve the research objective, mushroom bags were incubated for 30 days until being completely covered in mushroom mycelia. Then they were transferred into a nursery where a mist irrigation system was installed. The mist irrigation system was controlled with an automatic valve in order that the mushrooms were watered for 3minutes, 4minutes, and 5 minutes per hour from 08:00 a.m. to 05:00 p.m. The yield weight per bag, temperature, and humidity were recorded daily for 60 days. An analysis of the findings indicated that the 4minutes irrigation method led to the highest yield weight per bag for all the three species with the figures equaling 229.33 g, 294.79 g, and 237.44 g, respectively, or a 12.50% increase in yield weight per bag compared to that obtained from the control method. In addition, the relative humidity in the nursery was found to have an inverse relationship with the temperature. Specifically, the highest relative humidity, achieved by the 5minutes irrigation method, was 91.70%, whereas the highest temperature, resulting from the 3minutes irrigation method, stood at 28.42°C.