XVI International Botanical Congess

The paper-making industry produces a large amount of lignocellulosic paper pulp waste that is normally disposed of in landfills. Many wood-rotting fungi that produce edible mushrooms, such as Pleurotus ostreatus, Flammulina velutipes, and Lepista nuda, are capable of digesting these materials. Research was conducted to determine if growth of these fungal species on paper pulp was similar to that on standard media, and whether nutrient supplements would affect fungal growth rate. Supplements included spent yeast and grain from a beer brewery. All fungi utilized paper sludge as the sole carbon source. Growth on nutrient supplemented pulp agar was similar to that on malt extract agar. In initial fruiting studies, P. ostreatus produced basidiomata on pulp waste. Utilization of paper sludge by mushroom cultivators may present a practical and inexpensive alternative to conventional substrates.