Using residues as substitutes for farm inputs and soil amendments
01/01/2026
After the oyster mushroom (Pleurotus ostreatus) harvest, a large volume of substrate is left over and is usually discarded. This project, which is also my undergraduate thesis, evaluates the nutritional composition of this spent mushroom substrate in different formulations, to find out whether it can return to the field as a biofertilizer.
What we investigate
- Macro- and micronutrient contents of the substrate under different treatments;
- The relationship between substrate formulation and mushroom yield;
- The potential agricultural use of the material, closing the production cycle.
The first results are part of a paper for CIC 2026.
Authors
Undergraduate Student in Agronomic Engineering
I am an undergraduate student in Agronomic Engineering at the School of Engineering of Ilha Solteira (FEIS/UNESP), Brazil. My research aims to understand how fungi and other microorganisms can contribute to more sustainable agriculture: from the use of spent mushroom substrate as a biofertilizer to microbial bio-inputs and natural compounds with antifungal properties. I take part in projects with national and international collaborators, with support from CNPq and UK Research and Innovation.