Nutrition Requirements of Pleurotus flabellatus

The mycelium of Pleurotus flabellatus was grown in a synthetic medium to obtain accurate information on its nutritional requirements. Among various carbon sources tried, the organism was found to utilize hexose sugars more readily than other sugars. Ammonium citrate was found to be the best source of nitrogen. The yield of dry matter increased as the concentration of nitrogen was increased up to a certain stage beyond which there was no increase in the yield, but the crude protein content of the mycelium increased. Detailed studies on the effect of varying the concentrations of other major nutrients, i.e., potassium, phosphorus, calcium, and magnesium, on the growth and crude protein content of the mycelium were also carried out. Optimal pH range was fairly broad, lying between 4.5 to 7.5.