Feeding value of spent mushroom (Volvariella volvacea Bull.) substrate based diet in sheep. (Short Communication)

Abstract

FEEDING VALUE OF SPENT MUSHROOM (Volvariella volvacea Bull.) SUBSTRATE-BASED DIET IN SHEEP C.C. Sevilla*, R.E. Mojica* and T.H. Quimio* Low quality roughages are used for mushroom bedding. The fungus derives its nourishment by breaking down the carbohydrates. Of the different species of fungi, Pleurotus sp. Coprinus cinereus and V. displacia have been shown to inprove the nutrient coIrposition and digestibility of the compost when fed to ruminants (Burrows et al., 1979). While Vijchulata and Sanpote (1982) reported no signifixchanges in the nutrient conposition of rice straw used as substyrate for growth of V. volvacea, they did find it acceptable as feed for sheep. In this study, four sheep (14kg LW) were used in a digestibility trial in a 4x4 k&in square design to evaluate the following dietary treatments: I rice straw (65%) and banana leaves (35%) II spent rice straw (65%) and spent banana leaves (35%) III Banana leaves and IV spent banana leaves, All animals were given a concentrate mixture corrposed of 66% copra meal, 30% rice bran and 4% salt & bone meal mix at 1% of the liveweight. The roughages were fed ad libitum. Table 1, Chemical composition of the roughages and the voluntary dry matter intake (DMI) and organic matter (a) digestibility of the diet fed to sheep Results show that V. volvacea grown on either rice straw or banana leaves did not improve the chemical value of the roughages. Apparently, this is due to the inability of the fungus to degrade fully the ligno-cellulose corrponent of the roughages. This is further exerrplified by the lower organic matter digestibility of the spent roughages. It is preferrable that rice straw alone be used as rrushroom substrate since banana leaves contain higher concentrations of lignin. The dry matter intake of the compost was about 1.5% of liveweight, compared to only 1.0% of liveweight tien fed alone (Vijchulata and Sanpote 1982)* This experiment shows that spent substrate from V. volvacea culture may be used as a ruminant feed with adequate concentrate supplemtation, We would like to thank USAID for financial support for this project. BURROWS, K.J. SEAL, B. and H.O.W. EGGINS, (1970) In: Straw Decay and Its Effect on Disposal and Utilization ed. E. Grossbard, (John Wiley and Sons, New York). VIJCHULATA, P. and SANParE, S. (1982) In: 'The Utilization of Fibrous Agricultural Residues as Animal Feeds'. pp. 113-118 ed. P.T. Doyle (University of Melbourne). *Institute of Animal Science and Department of Plant Pathology, UP at Los Banes, College, Laguna, Philippines 4031, 22A