Influence of relative humidity and temperature on cultivation of Pleurotus species

Fungi exhibit different behavior under different conditions and react to light. temperature, moisture content etc. The objective of this study was to evaluate the degradation capability of three common white rot fungi, namely: Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus pulmonarius, and Lentinus sajor-caju. The respective fungi were cultivated on rice straw under three different environmental conditions for 90 days. The fungi were collected, pure cultured. DNA extracted, and sequenced by ITS regions. The highest consumption of substrate occurred under the Cellar (dark) exposure condition with Pleurotus pulmonarius producing the least mass loss. The least amount of degradation occurred under the Air (daylight) condition for all of the fungi with the exception of Pleurotus pulmonarius. Exposure to light promoted the formation of fruiting bodies.