Challenges and opportunities of growing organic oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) on stumps for model forest and chemical and nutritional values

Non-wood forest products (NWFPs) sustainability is important for model forest mission. Edible mushrooms are one of the most important NWFPs and some of wild mushrooms are collected and exported. Thinning is usually applied for sustainability forest management. Stumps after thinning process were decomposed naturally by the forest parasitic and saprophytic organisms, whereas stumps might be big potential for organic oyster mushroom. Harvested organic oyster mushroom yield, morphological features, chemical and nutritional components change according to locations of forest. In this study, the highest yield was obtained in forest of Guneykoy with 300.29 g per stump. However, protein content was found to be the highest (23.94%) at Sermayecik location. Total acidity was determined between 0.09 and 0.13% and pH was 5.93-6.21. The total phenolic content was calculated between 84.32 and 90.10 mg GAE 100 g(-1) and antioxidant activity was found between 502.17 and 575.42 mu M TE 100 g(-1). 10% of fresh mushroom grown on stumps was infected by the larvae of scarid and cecids, while 1% of them was infected by Hirudinea. Trametes versicolor, Bjerkandera adusta, Trametes gibbosa, Armillaria mellea, Hypoloma fasciculare, Auricularia auricula-judae were also other parasitic mushroom species recorded grown naturally on some stumps. Possibility of organic oyster mushrooms on stumps in forest ecosystem and their nutritional values were discussed in this study.