Nigeria generates millions of tonnes of agricultural waste annually (e.g., 3.5 million tonnes cocoa pod husk — CPH), while protein malnutrition affects over 40% of the population. Previous work optimised a low-cost substrate blend (CPH 25%, sawdust 58%, vegetable waste 10%, rice bran 7%) for Pleurotus ostreatus, achieving 116.9% biological efficiency (BE), 30.7% crude protein, and 359 g protein/kg substrate. This study validates the same blend for Agaricus bisporus (button mushroom — global market leader) across seven treatments: CPH alone, sawdust alone, rice bran alone, CPH + rice bran (3:1), CPH + sawdust (2:1), optimised straw + cow dung compost, and conventional Phase II compost. Substrates underwent Phase I/II composting, sterilization (121°C, 90–120 min), spawning (1.5%), casing (peat + lime), and fruiting (14–18°C, 85–95% RH). Yield, BE, crude protein (Kjeldahl), essential and non-essential amino acids (HPLC), and minerals (AAS) were measured over three flushes, analysed via ANOVA and Tukey HSD (p < 0.05). The CPH + rice bran blend ((T4) achieved the highest BE among agro-waste treatments (89.3 ± 5.1%), comparable to optimised compost (91.2 ± 4.8%) and conventional compost (95.0 ± 3.2%). Total yield reached 15.3 ± 1.2 kg/m², crude protein 33.7 ± 1.4% (dry weight), with essential amino acid scores exceeding WHO/FAO standards for threonine (201%), tryptophan (229%), and phenylalanine + tyrosine (197%). Non-essential amino acids were enriched, with glutamic and aspartic acids most abundant. Results confirm the blend’s multi-species potential and nutritional superiority, offering a scalable, low-cost solution for smallholder mushroom production in cocoa-growing regions. A pilot training of 5 farmers demonstrated practical adoption, supporting circular-economy principles, waste reduction, and sustainable protein production in developing countries.
Kingsley Eñeogwe (Mon,) studied this question.
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