Physical-chemical properties and bacterial community analysis of different composts made by straws or oyster mushroom residues for commerical mushroom Agaricus bisporus

Abstract: Using the traditional wheat straw formula as control, two test compost formulas were designed using corn straws or oyster mushroom (Pleurotus eryngii) residues replacing part of the wheat straw, respectively. At the beginning of composting, the end of phase I, and phase II, compost samples were collected and total DNA were further obtained. Bacterial communities of each sample were analysed using Polymerase Chain Reaction-Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) method based on 16S rDNA using the universal primers from Escherichia coli. The physical-chemical properties of the samples and the yield of the three formula were also measured and analysed. The results showed that the corn stalks formula shared higher particle size and lower nitrogen content than those of the wheat straw formula. At the end of phase II, the corn stalks formula demonstrated considerably high similarity of dominant bacteria with the wheat straw formula. The two formulas also shared similar bacterial diversity variation trends. The oyster mushroom residues formula shared tiny particle size, high nitrogen content. The dominant bacteria species and bacterial diversity variation were highly different from those of the wheat straw formula.