@article{Assan_Mpofu_2014, title={The effects of cultivation time, local organic substrates and their weight on smallholder urban oyster mushroom production in Zimbabwe}, volume={3}, url={https://sjournals.com/index.php/aa/article/view/705}, abstractNote={<div>This study aimed at assessing the effect of cultivation time, local substrates and their weight on urban smallholder oyster mushroom production in Zimbabwe. The study was carried out in a low cost urban&nbsp; mushroom growing house and laid out in a randomized complete block design with each treatment replicated four times. Substrate type was highly significant (p&lt;0.01) on&nbsp; days to fruiting, mean number of mushroom, mean mushroom weight and biological efficiency. Evaluation of different substrates for cultivation of oyster&nbsp; mushroom revealed that among the different substrates, wheat straw was superior which recorded minimum days to fruiting (16.62 days), maximum number of mushroom heads (106.25), maximum average yield per 3 months (4826.63g) and highest biological efficiency of 66.88%. Wheat straw accelerated the mushroom growing process having the lowest duration of days to fruiting. The mycelia completed colonization, primordium initiation and fruiting body formation were found within 16.62±0.69,&nbsp; 22.75±0.69, 26.88±0.69 and 31.00±0.69 days for wheat straw, hay, maize stalk and groundnut hulls, respectively. Wheat straw was found to have the highest biological efficiency (66.88±4.59) followed by hay (41.88±4.59), groundnut hull (40.00±4.59) and maize stalk (39.88±4.59). However, the biological efficiency decreased&nbsp; with increase in substrate weight per bag, and substrate weight did not influence the days to fruiting.</div>}, number={7}, journal={Agricultural Advances}, author={Assan, Never and Mpofu, Treggie}, year={2014}, month={Jul.}, pages={210-217} }