Nutritional influences on Volvariella volvacea (Bull. ex. Fr.) Sing. growth in Puerto Rico. I. Carbon and nitrogen

Abstract

Laboratory tests were conducted to determine the growth of a Puerto Rican strain of the straw mushroom Volvariella volvacea on diverse carbon and nitrogen sources at variable carbon/nitrogen (c:n) ratios. Of the carbon sources (cornstarch, cellulose, maltose and lactose), cornstarch and cellulose supported the most vigorous growth. No growth was observed on lactose and maltose. Urea, sodium nitrate, peptone and casein were tested as nitrogen sources at C:N ratios of ∞:1, 60:1, 30:1 and 15:1 with cornstarch as the sole carbon source. The 60:1 C:N ratio stimulated faster growth. Nitrogen sources urea and sodium nitrate did not support growth. Organic nitrogen sources, casein and peptone, stimulated the growth of V. volvacea, with the faster growth on casein.