The effect of substrate and composting duration on biological efficiency and quality properties of Button Mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

In order to evaluate the effect of substrate and composting duration on biological efficiency and improve some quality properties of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) at different substrates from agricultural waste, a factorial experiment in a completely randomized design was done with twelve treatment combinations (six substrates and two composting durations) with three replications. Treatments used in the experiment consisted of substrates including wheat straw and rice straw as the main material and chicken manure, olive bagasse and horse manure as additives, and two composting durations (short (16 days) and long (22 days)). Substrate prepared from rice straw and chicken manure had the highest biological efficiency (67.18 %). Substrate prepared from rice straw and olive bagass had the highest dry matter (8.73 %), while mushrooms obtained from substrate prepared from wheat straw and olive bagasse had the highest nitrogen (6.63 %), protein (41.46 %) and antioxidant capacity (54.4 %). Mushrooms produced in substrate prepared from rice straw and horse manure had the most ash (9.83 %). Mushrooms grown in short method produced compost had the greatest biological efficiency (42.41 %). Based on this experiment rice straw and chicken manure were the better economically substrate for button mushroom compost preparation in the northern provinces of Iran especially Guilan.