Performance of tea waste as a peat alternative in casing materials for bottom mushroom (Agaricus bisporus (L.) Sing.) cultivation

In this study we describe the principal physical and chemical characteristics of different mixtures tea production waste and peat (100% tea waste, 75% tea waste + 25% peat, 50% tea waste + 50% peat, 25% tea waste + 75% peat, and 100% peat as control) as casing material in mushroom (Agaricus bisporus (L.) Sing.) cultivation. Of possible tea production waste mixture to the traditionally used peat, the treatment 25% tea waste + 75% peat is confirmed as the best because of its highest yield and number of mushrooms. Our results showed also that high EC, high organic matter content and low pH in casing material (100% tea production waste and 75% tea production waste + 25% peat) decreased the total yield but increased dry matter in mushrooms. High iron contents in casing mixtures gave a significant positive correlation with total yield.

However a mixture of tea production waste and peat is a practicable casing material for the North regions of Iran, where the peat casing is more expensive and hard to find when compared with the tea production waste.