<b>Potential of thermophilic bacteria as microbial inoculant for commercial scale white button mushroom (<i>Agaricus bisporus</i>) compost production</b>

Abstract

Thermophilic bacteria (9), isolated from button mushroom (<i>Agaricus bisporus</i>) compost samples, were evaluated for temperature requirement, extracellular lignocellulolytic enzymes activity assay and potential for white button mushroom compost production. Optimum growth in different bacteria was between 43-55°C. Highest activity of exoglucanase and endoglucanase was recorded in <i>Staphylococcus</i> sp., while that of b-glucosidase in <i>Bacillus brevis</i> and <i>B. megaterium</i>, and xylanase as well as laccase in <i>B. stearothermophilus</i>.<i> Staphylococcus</i> sp. also exhibited second best activity of xylanase. Compost prepared with <i>Staphylococcus</i> sp. exhibited highest colony forming units of bacteria, numbers of mushroom pinheads and mushroom yield.Compost prepared with extraneous inoculation of two potential bacteria (<i>Staphylococcus</i> sp. and B. <i>megaterium</i>-I) at commercial scale did not show much variation in physico-chemical properties, however, compost prepared with <i>Staphylococcus</i> sp. supported early mushroom harvest by 1.5 - 2.0 days and significantly higher mushroom yield in two cultivation trials Thus <i>Staphylococcus</i> sp. has potential to convert agro wastes into selective and productive compost for white button mushroom cultivation.