Recycling of residual substrate from Ganoderma lucidum mushroom cultivaion as biodegradable containers for horticultural seedlings

Abstract

Cultivation of the medicinal mushroom G. lucidum leaves a residual substrate with a matrix that is bound by the mycelium net and presents the necessary mechanical properties to be cut and hollowed. This material was used to make biodegradable containers (Ganocetas) which were evaluated for growing horticultural seedlings. Residual substrates from G. lucidum cultivation on sunflower seed hull, rice straw and rice husk agro-residues were used for making Sunflower Seed Hull-based Ganocetas (SFG) and Rice agro-based residue Ganocetas (RG).Utilization of SFG did not affect the germination in 15 of the 17 plant species tested and it improved seedling growth and/or vigor in 31% of them. A good porosity in these containers produced a cooling effect which reduced the maximum temperature by up to 3 ◦ C on the warmest days.In the second assay, we evaluated both types of Ganocetas (SFG and RG) in tomato seedling trans- plantation, seedling establishment and tomato production. On transplanting day, seedling growth and vigor in SFG did not differ from the control, whereas both parameters were reduced in RG. Results of seedling establishment under ideal conditions indicated that growth, flowering and early fruit production of tomato using SFG was comparable to the control, whereas plants were reduced in all three parame- ters when using RG. Tomato production yields were similar between SFG and the control treatments; moreover, physicochemical analysis predicts a promising performance in transplanting and growth of SFG under stress conditions. However, in spite of presenting comparable physical and chemical proper- ties, tomato production using RG was lower. More research is needed to look for possible allelopathic substances coming from the biodegraded lignocellulosic matrix in these RG containers.