ABSTRACT

This study was carried out to evaluate the possible use of local plan product to formulate culture media for microorganisms. The local food product used for this study was starchy foods (cassava, yellow yam, ripe plantain, unripe plantain, ripe banana and unripe banana) and the fungi used was Volvariella volvacea. Starchy foods were used toformulate the culture media (starchy dextrose agar). The growth in the formulated media used was compared with each other to see the media that yielded the best result. The formulated medium was incubated in varying orientation (upward and downward) to determine the one most suitable for culturing Volvariella volvacea. After inoculation of Volvariella volvacea, the length of each of the colony on the petri dishes were taken every 24 hours for 5 days. The mycelial extention of Volvariella volvacea was taken from the different starchy dextrose agars, to determine the media that Volvariella volvacea thrived best. At the end of the experiment (Table 3.1), the cassava dextrose agar showed the highest yield at Day 4, followed by ripe banana dextrose agar which yielded maximally at Day 5. Therefore, from this experiment, there is hope for the use of cassava and ripe banana dextrose agars as suitable readily available and cost effective media for in-vitro growth of Volvariella volvacea.