Carmenza Jaramillo López

Project Leader 

Jaramillo et al. (1998) determined that the agro-industrial residues present in the coffee growing region of Colombia could be used as substrates for the cultivation of tropical mushrooms, such as Lentinula edodes, Pleurotus sajor-caju, Pleurotus florida, Hypsizygus marmoreus, and Ganoderma lucidum.

Agricultural wastes, such as coffee pulp, coffee leaves, rice bran and cotton hulls proved to be technically adequate substrates for the cultivation of mushrooms of the genus Pleurotus, because of the times and the percentage of mycelial invasion found in the incubation phase.

It was determined that agro-industrial residues like spent ground coffee  stem saw-dust, oak saw-dust, and corn bran are adequate materials for the cultivation of the mushrooms Lentinula edodes, Hypsizygus marmoreus and Ganoderma lucidum.

In 1999, Jaramillo reported average biological efficiencies between 60% and 75% in the cultivation of Lentinula edodes on coffee by-products; and biological efficiencies between 16% and 24% in the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum on an enhanced formula in the year 2000. Jaramillo reported average biological efficiencies of 61% in the cultivation of the fungus Pleurotus sajor-cajou on coffee silver skin. During the year 2000, Rodriguez reported average biological efficiencies of 24.2% in the cultivation of Ganoderma lucidum on residues in the coffee-growing region of Colombia. The same author reported average biological efficiencies of 23.1% in the cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus on a substrate based on coffee pulp and water Jacinth.