Few edible mushrooms demonstrate as much adaptability, mycelial aggressiveness and productivity as Pleurotus ostreatus. They are wood decomposers and grow on a huge variety of substrates, from sawdust to agricultural waste. Pleurotus mushrooms have many vitamins, such as vitamin C, vitamin B, folic acid, potassium, as well as several compounds with medicinal properties, such as lovastatin (lowers blood cholesterol).

 Pleurotus ostreatus can be easily used in social programs to reduce hunger in poor areas and to increase the income of residents of rural areas. After mushroom production, the old compost can be used as a food supplement for pigs, cows and chickens, in addition to being decomposed into worm farms and generating a nutrient-rich substrate for gardens and orchards, also containing a powerful natural anti-nematode substance.
 
 GROWING METHOD
 Commercial cultivation of “White” Pleurotus ostreatus is normally made in fermented compost based on straw and bagasse (pasteurized substrate), or supplemented sawdust (sterilized substrate). It can also be grown on various types of lignocellulosic materials, such as cobs, bark, foliage, etc.