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Oyster Mushroom Cultivation on Coffee Parchment and Cenchrus fungigraminus: A Comparison of Disinfection Methods

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Overview

Menda Ukii and colleagues compared four cultivation treatments for Pleurotus ostreatus on coffee parchment and Cenchrus fungigraminus grass substrate in Papua New Guinea, focusing on disinfection method effects on yield, biological efficiency, and heavy metal content. All tested heavy metals were significantly influenced by the disinfection method (p less than or equal to 0.05). Heavy metal concentrations were consistently highest in T3 (Short Sterilization with Open Inoculation) and lowest in T4 (Non-Sterilization with Open Inoculation). Complete Sterilization with Aseptic Inoculation (T1) achieved the highest yield and profit.

Key numbers

Heavy metal concentrations in fruiting bodies (mg/kg dry weight, mean plus or minus SD, Table 7):

  • T1 (CSAI experimental): arsenic (As) 0.17 ± 0.00, lead (Pb) 0.08 ± 0.00, mercury (Hg) 0.32 ± 0.01, cadmium (Cd) 0.03 ± 0.01.
  • T2 (CSAI control): As 0.14 ± 0.00, Pb 0.07 ± 0.00, Hg 0.29 ± 0.2, Cd 0.02 ± 0.01.
  • T3 (SSOI experimental): As 0.18 ± 0.01, Pb 0.09 ± 0.01, Hg 0.36 ± 0.01, Cd 0.03 ± 0.00.
  • T4 (NSOI): As 0.13 ± 0.01, Pb 0.06 ± 0.00, Hg 0.25 ± 0.01, Cd 0.02 ± 0.01.

All concentrations are below WHO and EU permissible food safety levels for all treatment groups. NSOI (T4) produced the smallest fruiting bodies but had the lowest heavy metal levels.

Methods (brief)

Standard cultivation methods on substrate bags; harvesting at cap flatten stage. ICP-OES or similar method for elemental analysis (not fully specified in pages reviewed). Statistical analysis by one-way ANOVA with Duncan multiple range test.

Evidence fitness

Production-context study from a resource-limited setting demonstrating that heavy metals in Pleurotus ostreatus on clean coffee parchment substrate are well below food safety thresholds regardless of disinfection method. The cadmium values (0.02 to 0.03 mg/kg dry weight) are notably lower than typical wild mushroom cadmium and reflect the low-cadmium substrate. Limitation: specific analytical methods not fully specified; Papua New Guinea context may not translate to other coffee-growing regions.

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