Interactive effects of activated charcoal and zinc supplementation in the casing layer on growth, yield, biological efficiency, and chemical composition of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus)
This study evaluated the individual and interactive effects of activated charcoal and zinc supplementation in the casing layer of white button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). A 3 × 3 factorial completely randomized design was used, with activated charcoal at 0, 10, and 20 g experimental unit-¹ (C1–C3) and elemental Zn at 0, 200, and 400 mg experimental unit-¹ (Z1–Z3), with three replicates. Morphology and chemical composition were assessed in first-flush fruiting bodies, whereas productivity was assessed cumulatively over three flushes. Activated charcoal significantly affected stipe length, stipe diameter, cap diameter, and average fruiting-body weight. The zinc-formulation treatments significantly affected fruiting-body number, average weight, total yield, biological efficiency (BE), protein, and phosphorus. Significant C × Z interactions occurred for fruiting-body number, average weight, protein, phosphorus, and sodium, but not for total yield or BE. C3Z3 recorded the highest fruiting-body number and the highest numerical total yield and BE (79.46%), C3Z2 recorded the highest average fruiting-body weight, and C2Z2 recorded the highest protein content. Zinc concentrations in fruiting bodies and the physicochemical and microbial properties of the casing were not measured; therefore, no conclusions are drawn about zinc uptake, biofortification, or a specific casing-mediated mechanism.
Mustaf KI, Ismail RH, Hameed MA, Haraz MT. Interactive effects of activated charcoal and zinc supplementation in the casing layer on growth, yield, biological efficiency, and chemical composition of button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus). J Appl Biol Biotech 2026. Article in Press. http://doi.org/10.7324/jabb.2027.329453
1. Royse DJ, Baars JJP, Tan Q. Current overview of mushroom production in the world. In: Zied DC, Pardo-Giménez A (eds.)., Edible and medicinal mushrooms: technology and applications, : John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, p 5, 2017; doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119149446.ch2
2. Dissemond MH, Franken CE, Sari M. Agaricus bisporus grown on sustainable peat casing alternatives: a systematic review on quality characteristics. Foods 2025;14(19):3348; doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/foods14193348
3. Kalberer PP. Influence of the depth of the casing layer on the water extraction from casing soil and substrate by the sporophores, on the yield and on the dry matter content of the fruit bodies of the first three flushes of the cultivated mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. Sci Hortic 1985;27(1-2):33–43; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(85)90052-4
4. Pardo A, Pardo JE, De Juan JA, Zied DC. Modelling the effect of the physical and chemical characteristics of the materials used as casing layers on the production parameters of Agaricus bisporus. Arch Microbiol 2010;192(12):1023–30; doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-010-0631-3
5. Young G, Grogan H, Walsh L, Noble R, Tracy S, Schmidt O. Peat alternative casing materials for the cultivation of Agaricus bisporus mushrooms: a systematic review. Cleaner Circular Bioeconomy 2024;9:100100; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clcb.2024.100100
6. Li H, Xi Z, Zhong H, Yan X, Mo T, Chen Q, et al. Integrative analysis reveals casing layer dynamics during Agaricus bisporus cultivation and the growth-promoting effect of Pseudomonas putida AT130. Food Biosci 2026;78:108429; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2026.108429
7. Mustaf KI. Effect of adding some bacterial strains and microelements to casing layer on production, quality, and storage characteristics of the edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus [doctoral dissertation]. College of Agriculture, University of Diyala, Diyala, Iraq, 2023. https://doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.28223.48809
8. Hammad HS, Hassan AA, Mustaf KI. Impact of the microelements supplemented in the casing layer on the chemical constituents of the edible mushroom Agaricus bisporus. Eur Scholar J 2023;4(10):80–5. https://scholarzest.com/index.php/esj/article/view/3969?
9. Long PE, Jacobs L. Aseptic fruiting of the cultivated mushroom, Agaricus bisporus. Trans Br Mycol Soc 1974;63(1):99–107; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0007-1536(74)80140-3
10. Bechara MA, Heinemann PH, Walker PN, Demirci A, Romaine CP. Evaluating the addition of activated carbon to heat-treated mushroom casing for grain-based and compost-based substrates. Bioresour Technol 2009;100(19):4441–6; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2008.12.064
11. Eide DJ.Transcription factors and transporters in zinc homeostasis: lessons learned from fungi. Crit Rev Biochem Mol Biol 2020;55(1):88–110; doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/10409238.2020.17 42092
12. Soares LW, Bailão AM, Soares CM de A, Bailão MGS. Zinc at the host-fungus interface: how to uptake the metal?. J Fungi 2020;6(4):305; doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/jof6040305
13. Rzymski P, Mleczek M, Niedzielski P, Siwulski M, G?secka M. Cultivation of Agaricus bisporus enriched with selenium, zinc and copper. J Sci Food Agric 2017;97(3):923–8; doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/jsfa.7816
14. Leyva Ramos R. Adsorption of zinc (II) from an aqueous solution onto activated carbon. J Hazard Mater 2002;90(1):27–38; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0304-3894(01)00333-8
15. Moreaux K. Spawn production. In: Zied DC, Pardo-Giménez A (eds.). Edible and medicinal mushrooms: technology and applications. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, p 89, 2017; doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119149446.ch5
16. Hassan AA, Natheer AM, Mahmoud AR. Improvement of agronomic characters and productivity of Agaricus bisporus Lange (Imbach) using some organic sources. Iraqi J Agriculture 2002;7(3):104–12.
17. Buth J.Compost as a food base for Agaricus bisporus. In: Zied DC, Pardo-Giménez A (eds). Edible and medicinal mushrooms: technology and applications. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, p 129, 2017; doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119149446.ch6
18. Pardo-Giménez A, Pardo González JE, Zied DC. Casing materials and techniques in Agaricus bisporus cultivation. In: Zied DC, Pardo-Giménez A (eds.). Edible and medicinal mushrooms: technology and applications. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, UK, p 149, 2017; doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119149446.ch7
19. Sánchez JE, Royse DJ.Adapting substrate formulas used for shiitake for production of brown Agaricus bisporus. Bioresour Technol 2001;77(1):65–9; doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0960-8524(00)00130-9
20. Dündar A, Acay H, Yildiz A. Yield performances and nutritional contents of three oyster mushroom species cultivated on wheat stalk. Afr J Biotechnol 2008;7(19):3497–501; doi: https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB08.594
21. B?kowski J, Kosson R, Horbowicz M. Nutritional values of different strains of mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus). Acta Agrobot 1986;39(1):111–21; doi: https://doi.org/10.5586/aa.1986.010
22. Allen SE, editor. Chemical analysis of ecological materials. 2nd ed. Blackwell Scientific Publications, Oxford, UK, 1989.
23. Olsen SR, Sommers LE. Phosphorus. In: Page AL, Miller RH, Keeney DR (eds.). Methods of soil analysis. Part 2: chemical and microbiological properties. 2nd ed. American Society of Agronomy and Soil Science Society of America, Madison, WI, p 403, 1982; doi: https://doi.org/10.2134/agronmonogr9.2.2ed.c24
24. Al-Tamimi RAK. Chemical analysis of soil, water and plant: principles and applications [in Arabic]. University of Anbar, Anbar, Iraq, 2016.
25. Duncan DB. Multiple range and multiple F tests. Biometrics 1955;11(1):1–42; doi: https://doi.org/10.2307/3001478
26. Noble R, Dobrovin-Pennington A, Hobbs PJ, Pederby J, Rodger A. Volatile C8 compounds and pseudomonads influence primordium formation of Agaricus bisporus. Mycologia 2009;101(5):583–91; doi: https://doi.org/10.3852/07-194
27. Carrasco J, Preston GM. Growing edible mushrooms: a conversation between bacteria and fungi. Environ Microbiol 2020;22(3):858–72; doi: https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14765
28. Wang YH, Yang XY, Wan LZ, Ren HX, Qu L, Guo HD, et al. Influence of the casing layer on the specific volatile compounds and microorganisms by Agaricus bisporus. Front Microbiol 2023;14:1154903; doi: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2023.1154903
29. Baars JJP, Scholtmeijer K, Sonnenberg ASM, Van Peer A. Critical factors involved in primordia building in Agaricus bisporus: a review. Molecules 2020;25(13):2984; doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25132984
Year
Month
Substrate optimization for cultivation of Pleurotus ostreatus on lignocellulosic wastes (coffee, sawdust, and sugarcane bagasse) in Mizan–Tepi University, Tepi Campus, Tepi Town
Dagnew Bitew Tarko, Abel Mandefro SirnaThe successful cultivation of Philippine wild mushroom Pycnoporus sanguineus (BIL7137) using rice straw and sawdust-based substrate
Rich Milton R. Dulay, Eduardo J. Damaso JrEffect of perforation size and substrate bag fruiting position on the morphology of fruiting bodies and clusters in Pleurotus ostreatus (Jacq.) P. Kumm
Iryna Bandura, Omoanghe S. Isikhuemhen, Alina Kulik, Marina Serdiuk, Olena Sucharenko, Valentina Jukova, Viktoriia Koliadenko, Nona Gaprindashvili