Oyster Mushroom Cultivation on Coffee Parchment and Cenchrus fungigraminus: A Comparison of Disinfection Methods

Conventional sterilization methods limit smallholder mushroom cultivation in PNG. This study evaluated alternative disinfection approaches for Pleurotus ostreatus (P. ostreatus) using coffee parchment and Cenchrus fungiraminus (C. fungigraminus) as substrates. After screening 20 strains, the superior strain PXF9 was selected. Three methods were compared: (1) Complete Sterilization with Aseptic Inoculation (CSAI) applied to T1 (experimental) and T2 (sawdust control); (2) Short Sterilization with Open Inoculation (SSOI) applied to T3 (experimental) and T5 (control); and (3) Non sterilization with Open Inoculation (NSOI) applied to T4 (experimental). CSAI (T1) achieved the highest yield (3985.26 ± 2.00 d g/24 bags), biological efficiency (83.03%), protein (28.44 g/100 g), and profit (14.76 USD), with the fastest colonization (21 days). SSOI (T3) produced the largest fruiting bodies; NSOI (T4) had the lowest heavy metal levels. SSOI and NSOI were economically beneficial (9.88 and 5.96 UDS per 24 bags). Bioactive compounds (e.g., naringenin, ergosterol peroxide), were detected across treatments. While CSAI maximizes productivity, SSOI and NSOI offer low-cost alternatives for resource-limited farmers.