The effects of the replacing vermicompost and perlite instead of peat as casing soil on growth and yield of mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)

In order to evaluate the effects of the replacing vermicompost and perlite as casing soil instead of peat on growth and yield of the mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus), a factorial experiment was conducted in a randomized complete block design with three replications at Kosar mushroom farm in winter, 2015. Ten treatments in different ratios (volume percentage) of perlite: vermicompost: peat including T1 (0: 0: 100) T2: (0: 25: 75) T3: (12.5: 12.5: 75) T4: (16.7: 33.3: 50) T5 (25: 25: 50) T6: (18.5: 56.5: 25) T7 (25: 50: 25) T8: (37.5: 37.5: 25) T9: (33.3: 0: 66.7) T10 (50: 50: 0) were used. The maximum yield was obtained with T3 treatment with the average of 14.72 kg /m2 and the minimum yield was observed in T10 treatment with 9.43 kg/m2. The maximum and minimum number of harvested mushrooms was observed in treatment of T3 with 547 numbers and the treatment of T10 with the number of 244.67, respectively. For cap diameter, the treatment of T10 with an average of 5.9 cm had the maximum and the treatment of T9 with an average of 4.8 cm had the minimum cap diameter. For the average weight of individual mushroom, treatments of T10 and T3 with the average of 38 and 26 gram had the maximum and minimum weight of each mushroom, respectively. The results showed that T3 soil casing combination (12.5: 12.5: 75) can be replaced for peat.