No abstract

Mushrooms, the edible fungi, contain some healthy compounds, such as polysaccharide and triterpenes, and low calorie. Therefore, the demand for mushrooms is gradually increased. The annual turnover of mushroom is around NT$ 13.3 billion, which is counted around 18% of the total vegetable production value (NT$ 73.3 billion) in Taiwan (Council of Agriculture, Executive Yuan R.O.C., 2015). Currently, mushrooms are typically cultivated within a 3-D architectural structure inside air-conditioned facilities. Substrates used commonly in mushroom production include agricultural byproducts, such as cereal straw, rice, wheat, corn, and barley, cotton, cobs, husks, and pulp (Chang & Miles, 1989). After mushrooms are harvested, the spent mushroom substrate (SMS) becomes an agricultural wastes and by-products, which were estimated about 0.25 million tons per year in Taiwan. SMS has now be applied as compost,