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Abstract: In the production of the commercial mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, there is a continuous search for cheaper and higher yielding bulk ingredients and supplements which will serve as suitable composting materials. Horse manure has been used for over two centuries in growing mushrooms and is generally considered the primary composting material. Other animal manures such as poultry, pig and sheep are also used extensively. Excellent synthetic composts can be prepared by using such bulk ingredients as hay, straw or crushed corn cobs (1). Several types of sawdust have also been investigated (2). There are various factors which must be considered when evaluating a new or different material to be composted for growing mushrooms. Among these are: 1. Is it available in good supply on the open market at prices competitive with horse manure or synthetic materials? 2. Is its productive capacity relatively equal to horse manure or synthetic composts? 3. Is the composting time similar to that of horse manure or synthetics? 4. Is labour cost acceptable? 5. Are composting and handling procedures as standardizable as those already in use? During and following periods of drought, hay and straw are often in short supply and prices of these materials increase. The grower or custom composter may have to locate supplies at greater distances thereby increasing transportation costs. This was indeed the situation in the northeastern United States a few years ago when operators of horse stables were unable to locate adequate supplies of straw to be used for bedding. The stables were prepared to use dried sugar cane bagasse for bedding but the brokers and dealers in horse manure were uncertain as to whether the mushroom industry would accept this kind of material for composting. The Mushroom Research Centre of The Pennsylvania State University was requested to investigate the subject and this investigation is the basis of this paper. Furthermore, it is appropriate to report this work now that there is an increasing interest in commercial mushroom growing in sub-tropical climates where sugar cane is a normal crop.
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