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FIGURE 8 Pleurotus ostreatus<br />
(Photo by N. G. Nair)<br />
2 Pleurotus ostreatus<br />
Oyster <strong>mushroom</strong>s are a good<br />
choice for inexperienced cultivators<br />
because they are easier to grow than<br />
many other species. In addition,<br />
they can become an integral part<br />
of a sustainable agriculture system<br />
utilising organic waste, can be grown<br />
on a small-scale with a moderate<br />
initial investment, and convert high<br />
amounts of substrate to fruiting<br />
bodies thereby increasing potential<br />
profitability.<br />
Oyster <strong>mushroom</strong>s were first<br />
cultivated on tree logs, and are now<br />
commonly grown on sawdust, wheat<br />
or rice straw and a variety of highcellulose<br />
waste materials, which has<br />
shortened the fruiting period to about<br />
two months. Cultivation merely<br />
involves placing the sterilized and<br />
inoculated substrate in plastic bags,<br />
and keeping them in the cool and<br />
dark. Once the mycelium has grown<br />
throughout the substrate, openings<br />
are cut through the bag to allow<br />
fruiting bodies to develop.<br />
Nevertheless, they have some<br />
drawbacks. These <strong>mushroom</strong>s have<br />
a soft and fragile structure; the<br />
shortest shelf-life of any cultivated<br />
<strong>mushroom</strong>, often displaying bacterial<br />
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