Nutrient-Rich Vegetable Wastes as Substrates for Fungal Propagation: A Dual-Phase Growth Assessment

Fungal cultivation is traditionally based on commercially available standard media such as Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA). However, the growing demand for economic, sustainable and environmentally friendly practices has led to increased interest in the use of alternative media. Using organic waste, especially vegetable and fruit waste, as culture media not only reduces the laboratory costs but also promotes the recycling of biomass. In addition, they can improve the growth characteristics of specific fungi depending on the nutritional profile of the residues used. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of vegetable waste, including cabbage, onion, carrot, beans, beetroot and drumstick as an alternative nutrient source for fungal cultivation. Six different fungal genera were selected for the investigation: Aspergillus sp., Fusarium sp., Mucor sp., Penicillium sp., Rhizopus sp. and Trichoderma sp. Quantitative analysis of fungal growth was conducted using spore counts obtained with a haemocytometer on the 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th day from the day of inoculation, along with measurement of mycelial dry weight after five days from the day of inoculation. All the experiments were carried out using liquid media with Potato Dextrose Broth (PDB) serving as the control. Where Onion supported the higher spore and mycelial biomass production of Mucor sp. and Rhizopus sp. Higher spore production of Aspergillus sp. and Penicillium sp. was observed in carrot waste media. Furthermore, drumstick and cabbage highly induced the spore production of Fusarium sp. and Trichoderma sp., respectively. Moreover, Aspergillus sp. and Fusarium sp. showed higher mycelial biomass growth on cabbage waste media. Notably, several vegetables waste-based media exhibited superior performance compared to PDB, demonstrating their potential as cost-effective and sustainable alternatives for fungal cultivation.