Academe Research Journals

International Journal of Biotechnology Research

Full Length Research Paper

Molecular characterization and standardization of cultivation for wood ear mushroom [Auricularia polytricha (Mont.)] Sacc.

Veeralakshmi S., Ahila Devi P.*, Prakasam V. and Thiribhuvanamala G.

Centre for Plant Protection Studies, Department of Plant Pathology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: ahila.devi1@gmail.com.

Accepted 15 July, 2014

Abstract

Surveys were conducted in the hills of Nilgiris, Shervoys and Lower Pulneys during rainy season. A wood ear mushroom was collected from coffee plantations of Horticultural Research Station, Yercaud. The fungus was identified as Auricularia polytricha (Mont.) Sacc. based on cultural and morphological characters. Molecular characterization studies on A. polytricha with P. platypus, P. florida and P. eous, using ITS primers exhibited similarity in ITS lengths among the mushrooms. On gel electrophoresis, all the mushrooms amplified a fragment between 600-700 bp. The studies conducted at Mushroom Research and Training Centre, TNAU, Coimbatore revealed that the paddy straw+wheat bran (3:1) ratio recorded minimum days for spawn run (21.3 days), pin head formation (31.3) and first harvest (35.6 days). The same combination also recorded the highest yield of 147.6 g/bed bioefficiency of 59.04%. The total cropping period was also the minimum in the same treatment. In the trials conducted at Vijaya Mushrooms, Coimbatore (North), paddy straw+wheat bran (3:1) ratio again recorded a significantly higher yield of 132.0 g/bed and bio efficiency of 58.20% with minimum cropping period of 47.3 days. The yield performance trials conducted at Maha Mushroom, Kovaipudur, and Coimbatore (South) also revealed the same trend as paddy straw+wheat bran (3:1) again recorded significantly higher yield of 130 g/bed and bioefficiency of 52.00%.

Key words: Auricularia polytricha, substrates, spawn production, ITS primers.