Abstract
We investigated the effect of nitrogen fixing Azotobacter bioinoculant on the mycelial growth and the rate of substrate utilization by Pleurotus eous. The synergistic or antagonistic role of the microorganism during dual culturing with the mushroom or the competitor molds Trichoderma viride, and Trichoderma reesi was studied. Azotobacter was inhibitory to the molds, which are competitive to the mushroom in the seed spawn substrate, but was synergistic towards the mushroom. The growth, substrate utilization potential as total nitrogen content and cellulase enzyme activities of the mushroom in the seed spawn substrate were also enhanced in the presence of the bioinoculant at lower inoculum concentrations, upto 5 ml broth culture per spawn bottle.