Biological Recycling of Agricultural residues with Mushroom for Multidimensional Use

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Commodities

• Animals: goats, sheep
• Animal Products: meat
• Miscellaneous: mushrooms

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, parasite control
• Crop Production: nutrient management
• Soil Management: composting, soil quality/health

The rapidly growing global population and expansion in the agriculture sector has resulted in the generation of large amount of agricultural wastes which are rich in lignocelluloses.. Biological recycling strategy to increase resource and efficiency while maintaining ecological sustainability is a potential solution. In this application, we propose interdisciplinary systems research approaches through utilization of mushroom to convert the lignocellulosic biomass to fruiting bodies with high nutritional quality and medicinal value against many ailments including gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites. Furthermore, spent mushroom substrate (SMS) remaining after mushroom harvest has high levels of organic matter and minerals and possess a great potential to be utilized in agricultural and horticultural sectors and further contribute to reduce the use of non-renewable resources. White-rot fungi, one type of edible mushrooms, is proposed to serve as a pretreatment tool for delignification by using agricultural residues as the substrate biomass resources. The mushroom enzymatically converts the substrate or compost into mushroom that has multiple uses as food and medicine in humans and against gastro intestinal nematode parasites in livestock. The SMS recovered can be used as feed, organic fertilizer and soil remediation to supply nutrients and increases the water-holding capacity. The proposed work provides an opportunity for research and extension to develop and champion adoption of sustainable production practices tailored to the needs of small and limited resource farmers to recycle nutrients from abundantly available resources back into value added products. The findings expect to lay the ground for more research to establish sustainable bio recycling and valorization of agricultural waste in the southern United States and the nation at large

1. Evaluate physiochemical and nutritional quality of mushroom, substrate, and spent mushroom substrate.
2. Evaluate application of spent mushroom substrate as soil fertilizer for cultivation of horticultural crop.
3. Determine the ability of mushroom and spent mushroom substrate as a nematicide against the gastrointestinal nematode parasite Barber Pole worm in small ruminants.