Rohit Kumar, Gopal Singh, Ramesh Singh, Prashant Mishra, Rajendra Singh and Rekha Dixit
Abstract
Cordyceps militaris is a commercially important medicinal mushroom valued for its diverse bioactive compounds and therapeutic properties. Optimization of its nutritional requirements is essential for enhancing mycelial growth and biomass production under laboratory conditions. The present investigation was conducted to evaluate the effect of different legume extracts on the in vitro mycelial growth and biomass production of C. militaris. Four legume extracts, namely cowpea, fababean, kidney bean and soybean, were evaluated at 2% and 4% concentrations using basal agar medium for radial mycelial growth and the corresponding basal broth medium for dry matter production. The observations included radial mycelial growth, mycelial growth rate, dry matter growth rate and spawn run period. Among the legume extracts, soybean extract at 2% recorded the highest radial mycelial growth (89.68 mm), mycelial growth rate (7.47 mm/day), dry matter growth rate (1.09 mg/day) and the shortest spawn run period (7.33 days), followed by soybean extract at 4%, which recorded 87.67 mm radial mycelial growth, 7.30 mm/day mycelial growth rate, 0.98 mg/day dry matter growth rate and 7.67 days for spawn run. Cowpea extract at 2% and 4% showed moderate improvement in mycelial growth and biomass production, whereas fababean and kidney bean extracts were comparatively less effective. In contrast, the control treatment recorded the lowest mycelial growth, biomass production and the longest spawn run period. The findings indicate that supplementation of the basal medium with legume extracts markedly enhances the vegetative growth and biomass production of C. militaris. Among the different treatments, soybean extract at 2% proved to be the most effective organic supplement for promoting rapid mycelial growth, higher biomass production and faster spawn development under in vitro conditions. Therefore, supplementation of the basal medium with 2% soybean extract is recommended for efficient spawn production and cultivation of C. militaris.