Andrew, Samora Macrice2024-06-172024-06-172023Andrew S.M. (2023). Production and nutritional value of Pleurotus floridanus grown on rice straw supplemented with Leucaena leucocephala foliage. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators 17 (2023) 100223https://repository.udsm.ac.tz/handle/123456789/6074NAEdible mushrooms are increasingly recognized to offer health, environmental and socio-economical benefits across the globe. However, long cultivation time and low nutritional value of harvested mushrooms have remained the limiting factors for taping the benefits and sustainable production in developing counties. There is therefore a need to seek for alternative substrate formulations that would shorten cultivation time, increase the nutritional value of mushrooms as well as ensure environmental sustainability. This study examined the potential of using nutrient and biomass rich Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit foliage in combination with the rice straw (traditional substrate) to bolster production and nutritional value of Pleurotus floridanus mushroom in Morogoro, Tanzania. Mushrooms were grown in 30 × 40 cm 1.6 kg dry weight polythene bags in a randomized complete block design experiment with five treatments. The shortest cultivation period (average of 21 days) which stemmed largely from spawning to full mycelia colonization was attained when 5% Leucaena foliage was mixed with the rice straw. There was a significant (p < 0.05) increase in protein content from 23.3 to a maximum of 29.8%, when rice straw was supplemented with the 5% Leucaena, while further increase in Leucaena supplementation caused a lowering of crude protein content. There were significant increases (P < 0.05) in the contents of copper and calcium minerals when 5% of Leucaena foliage was incorporated into the growing substrate. Thus, to increase production cycle and contents of protein and essential minerals, addition of 5% of L. leucocephala foliage is recommended during production of P. floridanus using rice straw, for sustainability.enCultivation; Edible mushrooms; Protein; Essential minerals; Food and income security; Environment; SustainabilityJournal Article, Peer Reviewedhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2022.100223