Biotransforming the Spent Substrate of Shiitake Mushroom (Lentinula edodes Berk.): A Synergistic Approach to Biogas Production and Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) Fertilization

Agro-wastes, such as crop residues, leaf litter, and sawdust, are major contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions, consequently a concern for climate change. Nowadays, mushroom cultivation has appeared an emerging agribusiness that helps in the sustainable management of agro-wastes. However, partial utilization agro-wastes by mushrooms results generation significant quantity spent substrates (SMS) have continued become environmental problem. In particular, Shiitake (Lentinula edodes Berk.) can be grown on different types also generate considerable amount SMS. Therefore, this study investigates biotransformation SMS obtained after into biogas attendant slurry digestate (SD) tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) fertilization. Biogas production experiments were conducted anaerobically using four treatments SMS, i.e., 0% (control), 25, 50, 75% inoculated with proportional cow dung (CD) inoculum. The revealed 50% treatment yielded highest volume (8834 mL or 11.93 mL/g organic carbon) methane contents (61%) along maximum reduction physicochemical proximate parameters slurry. Furthermore, from further helped increase seed germination (93.25%), seedling length (9.2 cm), root (4.19 plant height (53.10 chlorophyll content (3.38 mg/g), total yield (1.86 kg/plant), flavonoids (5.06 phenolics (2.78 tannin (3.40 mg/g) significantly (p < 0.05) 10% loading rate. findings suggest upcycling inspired circular economy approach through synergistic bioenergy secondary fruit crops, which could potentially contribute minimize carbon footprints sector.