Improving white oyster mushroom productivity by biogas sludge and its potential as functional foods

White oyster mushroom (Pleurotus florida) is widely consumed by Indonesian people in daily life. It contains high nutrients, especially its protein content. Protein can be generated from meat but it is expensive and gives an economic burden to some people, particularly in this pandemic condition. The aim of this research was to improve the productivity of white oyster mushrooms using sludge biogas as biofertilizer and to provide alternative protein sources. The mushroom medium used in this research consisted of M1, M2, and M3, and each medium was made in three replications. Parameters observed were harvesting age, fresh weight, number of caps, stalk length, and diameter of caps. The data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA and the difference between means was determined by DMRT. All media with the sludge addition improved the growth and production of the mushroom. M2 medium demonstrated the best improvement in productivity. The increasing productivity in the M2 medium included fresh weight (118), diameter of cap (22), number of caps per cluster (225), and stalk length (50). In conclusion, the sludge biogas could be able to enhance the productivity of white oyster mushroom. The increasing production of this mushroom will affect the availability of alternative protein sources and support food safety in this pandemic situation. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.