International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms, 13(4): 397–400 (2011)

Paddy Straw as a Substrate for the Cultivation of

Lingzhi or Reishi Medicinal Mushroom, Ganoderma
lucidum (W.Curt. :Fr.) P. Karst. in India
S.S. Veena1* & Meera Pandey2
1
Division of Crop Protection, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam, Thiruvananthapuram 695 017,
Kerala, India; 2Mushroom Laboratory, Indian Institute of Horticultural Research, Hessaraghatta lake Post, Bangalore
560 089, India

*Address all correspondence to S.S. Veena, Division of Crop Protection, Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Sreekariyam,
Thiruvananthapuram 695 017, Kerala, India; [email protected].

ABSTRACT: Lingzhi or Reishi medicinal mushroom, Ganoderma lucidum, is generally cultivated on hardwood
logs or sawdust/woodchips based formulations. More than 100 million tonnes of paddy straw is being produced in
India per year, and almost 50% of the straw is potentially available for growing mushrooms. In the present study
an attempt was made to use paddy straw as a substrate to cultivate G. lucidim. Different proportions of paddy straw
were mixed with 0, 22.5%, 45%, and 67.5% sawdust and 10% rice bran. Spawn run period, fruiting initiation period,
yield, moisture content, dry recovery, and fruiting body characteristics were recorded and compared. Fructification
was observed with all the substrate formulations and they did not show any significant difference in yield. The highest
biological efficiency (BE) (29.9%) was observed with the combination sawdust:paddy straw:rice bran 22.5:67.5:10,
followed by saw dust:paddy straw:rice bran 45:45:10 with BE 27.3%. The current study demonstrated for the first
time that the cultivation of G. lucidum is possible with paddy straw as the base substrate and indicated the enormous
potential of paddy straw for the cultivation of G. lucidum.

KEY WORDS: medicinal mushrooms, Ganoderma lucidum, paddy straw, cultivation, rice bran, sawdust

ABBREVIATIONS: BE: biological efficiency; SD: sawdust; PS: paddy straw; RB: rice bran

I. INTRODUCTION mented with bran substrate containing calcium is

Species of Ganoderma are economically and eco- commonly used for Ganoderma cultivation.6 Even
logically important as a source of medicinal and though the cultivation technology has advanced in
nutriceutical products.1 The therapeutic effects in- many Asian countries, very little is known about
clude anti-inflammatory, antitumor, antiviral, anti- the cultivation aspect of this mushroom in India.
bacterial, antiparasitic, blood pressure regulation, Successful cultivation of the mushroom on saw-
checking cardiovascular disorders, immunomodu- dust/wheat straw had been reported in India.7,8,9,10
lating, kidney tonic, hepatoprotective, nerve tonic, Paddy rice is extensively grown in many parts of
sexual potentiator, and protection from chronic the country. More than 100 million tonnes of paddy
bronchitis.2 Lai et al.3 reported the total global pro- straw is produced in India per year. Straw is com-
duction of this mushroom in 2002 as about 5000 monly used as fodder; almost 50% of the straw
tonnes, of which 3800 tonnes were produced in is still potentially available for growing mush-
China. In India, the market for Ganoderma-based rooms.11 Considering the increased demand for the
nutriceuticals is growing very rapidly and was es- mushroom in the country, abundant availability of
timated to be about US $20 million in 2000–2001.4 paddy straw in the southern part of the country and
Increasing demand for G. lucidum has led to in- availability of manpower in rural areas, an attempt
vestigation into the suitability of sawdust and ag- was made to standardize the cultivation package of
ricultural wastes as substrates for commercial bag indigenous isolate of G. lucidum on paddy straw–
cultivation of the mushroom.5 Sawdust supple- based formulations.

1521-1437/11/$35.00 © 2011 Begell House, Inc. www.begellhouse.com 397

 Paddy Straw–Based Cultivation of Reishi

FIGURE 1. Fructification of Ganoderma lucidum on sawdust + paddy straw + rice bran.

II. MATERIALS AND METHODS were filled with 1 kg (wet wt) of substrate, fitted
An indigenous isolate of Ganoderma lucidum with a PVC neck ring, plugged with nonabsorbent
(W.Curt.:Fr.) R. Karst. (Ganodermataceae, higher cotton, and autoclaved at 15 psi for 90 min.
Basidiomycetes) (IIHR Ganoderma-2) collected Upon cooling, the sterilized bags were in-
from the forest area of Rajasthan, India, and con- oculated (aseptically) with sorghum grain spawn
served at Mushroom Lab, IIHR, Bangalore, was at the rate of 60 g/1 kg substrate on a wet weight
used for the study. The optimum temperature and basis12 and incubated in the dark at 30 ± 2°C. Af-
preferred pH for mycelial growth of the isolate was ter complete colonization, the bags were opened
determined on MEA. and rolled back to expose the upper surface of the
The spawn was made on sorghum grain spawn run block. A temperature of 30 ± 2°C and
amended with 4% chalk powder (CaCO3). Cut relative humidity of 90%–95% was maintained in
paddy straw of 2–3 in was soaked in cold water the cropping room. Light was provided for 12 h/d
for 6 h and spread on a wire mesh to drain the ex- and, to facilitate ventilation in the rooms, doors
cess water. A substrate formulation comprised of were kept open for 30 min three times per day.
locally available sawdust and rice bran at 90:10 re- The biological efficiency (BE) percentage (fresh
spectively and a moisture content of approximately weight of harvested mushrooms/dry matter content
65%9 was used as control. Five substrate formula- of the substrate) × 100 was calculated.
tions were evaluated in which rice bran was main- Moisture content of mushrooms was deter-
tained at 10% (dry wt) and the paddy straw/saw- mined by the direct oven-drying method: the loss
dust components (% dry wt) varied as follows: (a) in weight after oven drying the sample at 65 ± 2°C.
90:0, (b) 67.5:22.5, (c) 45:45, (d) 22.5:67.5, and The fruiting bodies were oven dried by placing
(e) 0:90. The sawdust was a mixture of many lo- them with the underside of the pileus facing down
cally available woods (Ficus spp., Eucalyptus spp., (until constant dry wt was obtained).
Acacia spp., Azadirachta indica, and Melia dubia).
The moisture level was maintained at 65%. Poly- III. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
propylene bags (36 cm × 30 cm and 150 gauge) Isolation was carried out on Malt Extract Agar

398 International Journal of Medicinal Mushrooms

 Veena & Pandey

Medium (HiMedia Laboratories, Mumbai, India) among the substrates used, wheat straw + 5% rice
using tissue-culture technique. The optimum tem- bran produced the highest yield. Sawdust is the
perature and preferred pH for mycelial growth of most popular base ingredient used in formulated
the isolate, IIHR Ganoderma-2, were 30°C and 4.0 substrates for G. lucidum cultivation,5 and saw-
to 6.5, respectively. dust supplemented with bran substrate containing
The spawn run period was not influenced by calcium and sucrose is commonly used for Gano-
the change in substrate combination. Average derma cultivation.6 However, Stamets13 pointed
spawn run period ranged from 18.8 to 22.8 d. Simi- out that sources of hardwood byproducts are be-
larly, the fruiting initiation was also not affected. coming scarce due to deforestation, and alternative
Irrespective of the substrate, it took 8 to 9 d to substrates are in increasing demand by mushroom
form initials. Fructification was noted with all the cultivators. India is blessed with an abundance of
substrate formulations evaluated, and there was no agricultural wastes, and 50% are left out for burn-
statistically significant difference in yield between ing and soil incorporation.14 Straw is commonly
various substrate combinations. The BE ranged used as fodder; almost 50% of the straw is still
from 25.7% (90% paddy straw, 10% rice bran) to potentially available in India for growing of mush-
29.9% (22.5% sawdust, 67.5% paddy straw, 10% rooms.11 Compared to sawdust, rural Indian people
rice bran) (Table 1). Total mushroom yield (g/kg have more access to paddy straw/wheat straw, and
substrate) was obtained from three flushes in a har- other edible mushrooms are being cultivated on
vest period of 90 d. The experiment was repeated the same. Considering the availability of enough
three times. The yield obtained was on a par with manpower in rural areas, a cultivation package
the recommended substrate combination from the based on locally available substrates is essential
lab, sawdust and rice bran 90:10. for the expansion of mushroom cultivation. Yield
The dry recovery varied from 24.1% to 29.8% recorded in the study was higher than reported by
and there was no significant difference among the other workers in the country who investigated the
combinations. The effect of substrate combina- yields using various substrates.7,8,10 The current
tions on the morphological characteristics of the study demonstrated for the first time that the culti-
fruiting body was studied in detail. The change in vation of G. lucidum is possible with paddy straw
substrate formulation did not make any significant as the base substrate and indicated the enormous
change in morphological features of fruiting body potential of paddy straw for the cultivation of the
such as pileal width (73–93 mm), pileal thickness species. It also showed that the change in substrate
(6.9–8.1 mm), stalk length (58–74 mm), and stalk would not affect yield, dry recovery, and morpho-
thickness (5.8–7.3 mm). logical characteristics of the fruiting body. Paddy
Mishra and Singh10 evaluated 20 substrate straw alone or in combination with other substrates
combinations comprised of sawdust, wheat bran, can be successfully utilized for the cultivation of
rice bran, coir pith, wheat straw, and mustard straw G. lucidum mushroom. Exploitation of alternate
for the cultivation of G. lucidum and found that substrates for cultivation may give growers more

TABLE 1. Effect of Paddy Straw–Based Substrate Formulations on Yield of Ganoderma

lucidum
I Crop II Crop III Crop
(g/kg wet (g/ kg wet (g/ kg wet
Substrate combination substrate) substrate) substrate) Pooled analysis
SD22.5: PS 67.5: RB10 98.31 (28.0) 113.53 (32.4) 102.2 (29.2) 104.71 (29.9)
SD45: PS 45: RB10 92.23 (26.3) 97.97 (27.9) 97.3 (27.8) 95.84 (27.3)
SD67.5: PS 22.5: RB10 106.90 (30.5) 76.10 (21.7) 89.3 (25.5) 90.76 (25.9)
SD90: RB10 97.8 (27.9) 87.20 (24.9) 99.5 (28.4) 94.83 (27.0)
PS90: RB10 77.46 (22.1) 98.80 (28.2) 93.6 (26.7) 89.97 (25.7)
CD (p=0.01) NS NS NS NS
*Values in parentheses are biological efficiency in percentage.
SD, sawdust; PS, paddy straw; RB, rice bran

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 Paddy Straw–Based Cultivation of Reishi

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