The effect of RGB LED lights on oyster mushroom (Pleurotus spp.) fruit-body characteristics

Light plays an important role in fruit-body development and morphology during Pleurotus spp. cultivation. To understand the effects of light color on fruit-body properties, we evaluated the fruit-body characteristics of Pleurotus spp. varieties cultivated under blue, red, and purple LED light sources. The main results are as follows: The overall fruit-body shape showed differences depending on the color of the LED light. The fruit-bodies of mushroom cultivated under blue and purple light were generally similar to the mushroom shapes typically produced, while those of mushroom cultivated under green light were abnormally shaped, probably due to the absence of effective light source. The average cap lightness of mushrooms cultivated under blue, green, and purple LED lights was 57.0, 57.4, and 59.4, respectively. The average cap lightness of all varieties except Wonhyeong1ho and Hwang-geumsantari cultivated under the three LED light sources were statistically significantly different (P<0.05). The cap redness varied significantly depending on the LED lighting and variety. Only Gonji7hoM, the cap color mutant of Gonji7ho, showed negative cap redness values under all three LED light sources. Among the eight varieties excluding Gonji7ho, the highest cap redness was observed when cultivated under the blue LED. The average harvest weight of the varieties cultivated under purple, blue, and green LED light were 68.0, 58.3, and 50.1 g, respectively. The yield of Gonji7ho, the mushroom variety with the highest yield, cultivated under blue, green, and purple LED light were 92.8, 77.1, and 98.6 g, respectively. The earliness when grown under the purple, blue, and green LED lights were 5.3, 5.8, and 5.8 days, respectively. Among the varieties, six, three, and two cultivars showed the shortest earliness under the purple, green, and blue LED, respectively. The fruit-body lengths were 66.4, 51.8, and 46.8 mm when cultivated under green, purple, and blue lights, respectively. These results are expected to serve as a foundation for producing mushrooms with traits demanded in the market.