Use of Lignocellulosic Residues for Post-harvest Conservation of the Production of the Edible Fungus Pleurotus Ostreatus

Abstract

Abstract In recent decades, agribusiness has grown rapidly to meet human needs but has simultaneously caused environmental pollution by the by-products that they originate without use. For this reason, this article evaluated the post-harvest conservation system for the production of the fungus Pleurotus ostreatus developed in lignocellulosic residues of cocoa (Theobroma cacao), guaba (Inga edulis), and quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa) from agro-industrial activities. During the evaluation, the disposition of the strain, inoculation in wheat grains, preparation of the substrate, cultivation and conservation were carried out. Likewise, the lignocellulosic characterization of the substrates and the bromatological characterization of the carpophores, for which the precocity, fresh weight of the fungus, production yield, efficiency, and analysis of the mushrooms in each treatment were considered. The evaluation of the conservation system by thermal processes by three combinations were designed using a completely randomized design based on ANOVA and 95% reliability criteria. The best treatment obtained was T2 (60% cocoa shell, 25% guaba shell, 15% quinoa stubble) with 380.69g of weight, 38.07% efficiency, and 70.08% yield. On the other hand, treatment T1 (40% cocoa shells, 30% guaba shells, and 30% quinoa stubble) had better protein content and precocity, being 16.80% for 10 days, respectively. Based on the conservation system, it was suggested that drying on the same substrate was more acceptable. Thus, the T2 treatment has better characteristics of profitability at industrial scales.

Keywords

• pleurotus ostreatus, cocoa pod, guaba shell, quinoa stubble, biological efficiency.