Compost from Selected Organic Wastes as a Substitute for Straw-bedded Horse Manure in Agaricus Bisporus Production

Compost from selected organic waste (vegetable waste from fruit and vegetable market and pruning residues) was used alone and in mixture (25% of volume) with a substrate from straw-bedded horse manure, normally used in mushroom farms, for the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus (common white mushroom). The composting process lasted 20 days. After this period the mature material was transferred to the culture room. The substrate from straw-bedded horse manure was used as a control.The compost was found to be suitable for the cultivation of A. bisporus. The production of beds with the compost from selected organic waste alone was 18.34 kg/m2, the beds where this compost formed 25% of the volume was 23.21 kg/m2 and the beds with the compost from straw-bedded horse manure alone was 24.93 kg/m2. No differences were observed in the quality of the mushrooms from the three different substrates.