Effects of Various Plant Growth Hormones on Yield and Production Efficacy of Agaricus bisporus (Lange) Imbach
Abhishek Sachan
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
S. K. Biswas
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Anju Shukla *
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Vijaya Singh
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Priyanshu Singh
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Saurabh Saini
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Krishnapal
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Akash Kumar Kamal
Department of Plant Pathology, Chandra Shekhar Azad University of Agriculture & Technology, Kanpur, India.
Shivam
Department of fruit science, College of Horticulture, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar University, Lucknow, UP, India.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Button mushroom (Agaricus bisporus) cultivation is a critical component of sustainable agriculture, addressing global food security challenges through efficient resource utilization. This study evaluated the impact of plant growth hormones—gibberellic acid (GA₃), cytokinin (CK), and naphthaleneacetic acid (NAA)—on yield, growth kinetics, and nutritional quality in A. bisporus. Compost substrates (4 kg) were amended with hormone concentrations ranging from 2–10 ppm. Results demonstrated that GA₃ at 10 ppm (T₃) exhibited superior performance, achieving the shortest spawn run (12.33 days), earliest pinhead initiation (18.77 days), and fastest first harvest (26.00 days). Morphologically, T₃ produced optimal characteristics with maximum stalk length (3.53 cm), stalk width (2.87 cm), and cap diameter (5.62 cm). T₃ delivered the highest total yield (1345.97 g) and biological efficiency (33.62%), with peak nitrogen (5.32 mg/100 g) and phosphorus (21.09 mg/100 g) content. CK at 10 ppm (T₉) ranked second in overall performance, while NAA at 10 ppm (T₆) maximized magnesium (49.65 mg/100 g) and copper (3.98 mg) concentrations. These findings establish GA₃ supplementation as the most effective strategy for accelerating production cycles and maximizing yield in A. bisporus, demonstrating the potential of targeted phytohormone applications for sustainable mushroom cultivation.
Keywords: Agaricus bisporus, gibberellic acid, plant growth hormones, biological efficiency, yield optimization, mushroom cultivation