Open Access

ARTICLE

Direct Application of Fresh Spent Mushroom Substrates Enhances Rice Grain Yields

Hengdong Zhang^1,2,*, Rongji Wang^1,2, Jianchong Zhang^1,2, Fali Zhang^1,2, Zhiwang He^1,2

1 Qianxinan Academy of Agricultural and Forestry Sciences, Xingyi, China
2 Key Laboratory of High Quality, High Efficiency, and Yield Enhancement in Grain and Oil Crops, Xingyi, China

* Corresponding Author: Hengdong Zhang. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Advances in Crop Genetics and Breeding for Sustainable Agriculture)

Phyton-International Journal of Experimental Botany 2026, 95(3), 12 https://doi.org/10.32604/phyton.2026.077976

Received 21 December 2025; Accepted 23 February 2026; Issue published 31 March 2026

Abstract

Spent mushroom substrate (SMS), the residual byproduct of mushroom cultivation, represents a nutrient-rich agro-residues with potential for paddy field application. This study evaluated the effect of direct SMS application on rice yield, yield components, biomass production, and nitrogen uptake (NU), aiming to provide useful information for fresh SMS utilization in paddy. Field experiments were conducted using a split-plot design with three replications, three SMS rates (0, 9, and 18 t ha⁻¹ dry matter) as the main plots and three nitrogen (N) (0, 90, 180 kg ha⁻¹) as subplots in 2023 and 2024. Each plot was planted with rice cultivars Jingliangyou-534 (2023–2024) and Yongyou-1540 (2024). Results indicated that SMS application (9 and 18 t ha⁻¹) significantly increased nitrogen content in straw and grain at maturity by 8.54%–41.42% and 1.71%–16.27%, respectively. Correspondingly, NU in straw, grain, and aboveground increased by 11.85%–92.81%, 11.22%–43.59%, and 11.28%–53.18%, respectively. Aboveground biomass, panicles per m² and spikelets per panicle increased by 6.83%–27.66%, 0.44%–24.54%, and 5.01%–13.26%, respectively; no consistent effects were observed on setting rate for either cultivar across both years. Grain yield improved by 4.70%–23.57%, compared with no SMS application. These findings provide preliminary evidence that fresh SMS (≤18 t ha⁻¹ dry matters) can be applied directly, without composting, as a convenient and effective strategy to enhance rice productivity, though further studies are needed to clarify the mechanisms underlying increased N uptake.

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Keywords

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