Bioconversion Impact of Pleurotus ostreatus on the Value of Rice and Groundnut By-products as Feed Resources

Abstract

The livestock industry in many developing countries is challenged with high cost of quality feed ingredients. For countries with agro-based economies, agro-industrial by-products are generated in large quantities but under-utilized and treated as “wastesâ€Â. However their potential use as low-cost animal feed materials is challenged with digestibility problems and low protein content. In the present study sought to evaluate the potential of fungal biotechnological (bioconversion) pre-treatment of transforming two major agro-wastes, namely rice (Oryza glaberrima) straw and groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) shells, into valuable animal feeds. In a Completely Randomized Block Design, rice straw (RS), groundnut shells (GS) and a 1:1 ratio mixture of RS and GS were separately subjected to a 5-week Pleurotus ostreatus solid-state fermentation (SSF) process. The study demonstrated that P. ostreatus SSF increased (P<0.05) the level of limiting nutrients particularly, proteins and minerals (P, K and Ca) while at the same time decreasing the fibre and tannin levels to enhance their digestibility for monogastrics and ruminants.