Can Oyster Mushroom Be Cultivated on Seagrass?

Oyster mushroom (Pleurotus sp) is being cultivated almost in all parts of Tamil Nadu by using paddy straw and other agricultural wastes. Therefore, in this present investigation attempts were made to grow mushroom on seagrass. Experiments were conducted on seagrass which was collected from the sea shore of Kannirajapuram, Ramnad district. Dried seagrass was partially cooked before inoculating mushroom seeds. The partially-cooked seagrass with optimum moist condition was filled in polybag fermentors along with Pleurotus florida spawn. Then these bags were kept in mushroom house for solid state fermentation. The temperature and humidity of the hut was managed in optimum level for spawn running and fruit body formation of Pleurotus fungus. The result revealed that mushroom was produced from polybag fermentors filled with seagrass in 18th day. Among the four fermentors tested, fungal fruit formation was noticed in three bags. The results gave an idea that mushroom cultivation in coastal area of Tamil Nadu.