EFFECT OF SELECTED SAWDUSTS AND AGRICULTURAL WASTE EXTRACTS ON THE GROWTH OF GANODERMA LUCIDIUM (CURTIS) P. KARST AND PLEUROTUS TUBERREGIUM (FR.) SINGER.

The study was conducted to determine the effect of the extracts of selected sawdusts of Brachystegia nigerica and Bombax buonopozense, Greenwayodendron suaveolens seed powder, a combination of Brachystegia nigerica and Bombax buonopozense Sawdust, making up a mixed known sawdust, Mixture of unknown sawdust and PDA Control were used in the preparation of media for the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus tuberregium. The pure culture of Ganoderma lucidum and Pleurotus tuberregium were gotten from the African Center for Mushroom Research and Technology Innovation (ACMRTI), Uniben. The pure cultures were inoculated into the sterilised extracts of Brachystegia nigerica sawdust, Bombax buonopozense sawdust, Greenwayodendron suaveolens seed powder, and a mixture of known sawdust and unknown sawdust and PDA Control. After the first day of inoculation, mycelium growth of Ganoderma lucidium was highest for PDA (3.47±0.03) and the least was Mixed known sawdust (2.30±0.60). However, after five days of inoculation, mycelia extension of Ganoderma lucidium was highest for PDA (5.65±0.60) with a morphology of an appressed density, and the least mycelia extension was observed in mixed known sawdust extract (3.38±2.50) with a morphology of a wooly density. In Pleurotus tuberregium, it was also observed that after the first day of inoculation, mycelium growth was the highest for B. buonopozense sawdust extract (3.62±0.21), and the least was observed in mixed known sawdust extract (1.28±0.14). However, after five days of inoculation, mycelium extension for Pleurotus tuberregium was highest for B. buonopozense sawdust extract (7.3±0.78) with a morphology of a wooly density and mixed known sawdust was the least (2.15±0.62) with a morphology of a wooly density. These results revealed that Ganoderma lucidium and Pleurotus tuberregium can be grown on the various subtrates material tested. The study has also shown that local material tested can be used to cultivate mushrooms when synthetic media are not available. There is the need to further test for the substrate materials for the production of spawn and fruit bodies of these mushrooms for mass production.