THE ROLE OF LOCALLY PRODUCED CASING MATERIALS AND EXTRACTS COMPARED TO IMPORTED AND THEIR EFFECT ON THE PRODUCTIVE QUALITIES AND BIO-EFFICIENCY OF WHITE BUTTON MUSHROOM (AGARICUS BISPORUS)

Abstract

Abstract: The experiment was carried out in cooperation between the Faculty of Education for Pure Sciences, Department of Biology and the Center for Desert Studies - University of Anbar to investigate the role of locally prepared casing materials and extracts and their effect on the productive qualities and biological efficiency of white button mushroom Agaricus bisporus. In this study, 4 types of Casing soil assimilates were used. They are : T1 used as a control agent (imported soil) and T2 prepared locally from reed peat, palm roots, coal, limestone, dolomite, T3 composed of river sand, peat moss and T4 consisting of spent mushroom substrate, river sand and peat moss and 4 types of extracts organic (t2), mineral extract (t3), organic and mineral mixture (t4). T2 casing soil was characterized by the highest total fruit yield rate 1n stages (1, 2, 3 and 4) amount to 48.771 kg m2 and the highest biological efficiency rate reached 72.253% with blend T2t2 and highest cap diameter of 47.97 mm compared to other treatments, While the highest cap rate of 19.96, 19.54 and 19.36 mm was achieved with T4, T3 and T2 titration coefficients respectively. The highest rate of stem diameter was 10.76, 10.56 and 10.15 mm achieved with T1, T2 and T4 respectively. It was found that the t2 extract gave the highest rate of cap diameter, thickness 52.26 and 21.08 mm, respectively, and the highest rate of fruiting bodies production at 2, 3 and 4 reached 31.000 kg -2 compared with other extracts. It was also found that the use of t4 and t2 extracts gave the highest rate of leg diameter of 10.65 and 10.64 mm respectively. Due to the significant results achieved by local treatment T2 when compared with the imported treatment T1 used as control, it is recommended to prepare them for use as a successful alternative for the purpose of reducing the cost of producing domestic mushrooms.