Background:

The wild maguey mushroom (Pleurotus opuntiae) is an important food of the semi-arid zones of the center of Mexico, appreciated by peasants and indigenous people since ancient times, of desirable flavor and used in rainy seasons; however, there are few studies about its cultivation.

Objectives:

To compare the production and nutritional quality of P. opuntiae and P. ostreatus basidiomas grown in wheat straw, as well as to evaluate the combination of different agricultural residues combined with maguey leaves for the cultivation of P. opuntiae, under controlled conditions.

Methods:

Pleurotus opuntiae and P. ostreatus were grown in maguey leaves and pasteurized agricultural residues at 80 °C/2h. Total production, biological efficiency and production rate were quantified. A proximal chemical study of the basidiomas obtained in the different substrates was performed. The statistical design was randomized, in addition an analysis of main components was performed to determine the correlation between the yields obtained.

Results and conclusions:

The best productive parameters were obtained in wheat straw with the P. ostreatus strain, but P. opuntiae had a higher content of crude protein and ashes in the combination of two agricultural residues with maguey leaves.