Abstract—In the present study, with a final goal of using spent mushroom substrates as roughage for cattle, mushroom cultivation experiment has been conducted on Flammulina velutipes using fermented sweet corn stover (FS) cut at the length of 13mm and 30mm as a substrate material (FS13 and FS30, respectively), and productivity and eating quality of fruiting bodies were evaluated. A total of nine substrates were prepared: control (composed mainly of ground corncob and rice bran), four FS13 groups (24, 48, 73 and 100% of rate of replacement with corncob, on dry matter basis) and four FS30 groups (the same replacement rates as in FS13 groups). The cultivation period increased in FS13 groups comparing with FS30 groups (P<0.05) and did with increasing replacement rate (P<0.01). Fruiting body yield was not affected by the length of FS, but increased gradually with increasing replacement rate, although decreased values were found when the rate was reached to 100%. Eating quality of the fruiting bodies was affected neither by length of FS nor by replacement rate. In conclusion, corncob can be replaced up to 73% with FS without showing any negative effect on productivity of F. velutipes. 
 

Index Terms—agricultural waste, corncob, Flammulina velutipes, mushroom, mushroom substrate, sweet corn stover

Cite: Sayaka Kurata and Katsuki Koh, "Potential of Fermented Sweet Corn Stover as a Substitute for Corncob in Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes) Substrate," Journal of Advanced Agricultural Technologies, Vol. 4, No. 2, pp. 165-169, June 2017. Doi: 10.18178/joaat.4.2.165-169