Performance of olive mill solid waste as a constituent of the substrate in commercial cultivation of Agaricus bisporus.

The feasibility of using olive mill waste (OMW) as an ingredient in the substrate used for cultivation of
Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Sing. was studied in a large-scale cultivation trial, concerning 2500 m2 of
mushroom growing area, at a specialized mushroom farm. Standard commercial cultivation technique
involving compost preparation, spawning, casing and harvesting was used. The performance indicators
such as mushroom yield, biological efficiency, market quality as well as horticultural value of the spent
compost showed that the compost prepared with OMW was superior to the control compost in all the
categories. The OMW-amended substrate supported higher populations of beneficial microorganisms
especially, actinomycetes which enabled the breakdown of the compost ingredients. It is suggested that
OMW is a suitable ingredient for the preparation of mushroom substrate. We have demonstrated that
conversion of OMW (a liability) into value-added mushroom substrate (an asset) is an effective waste
management tool in oleaculture.