Stimulation of environmentally controlled mushroom composting by polysaccharidases

Polysaccharidases adsorbed on commercial amylodextrins were added to environmentally controlled composts of straw plus poultry manure. After 5 days of composting at 48°C, microbial enzyme activities and numbers of bacteria were higher in the treated compost than in the control. During the next phase at 80°C, between days 5 and 6, more C and N were solubilized in the treated compost. After introducing a microbial inoculum on day 6, and maintaining the substrate at 48°C, colonization by bacteria was faster in the treated compost and consequently, more fibre was degraded. Differences between composts in yields of Agaricus bisporus after 5 weeks of cropping were not significant (P=0.05).