Growth characteristics of Myco-Composites Produced Using Locally Isolated Ganoderma Species and Lignocellulosic Waste

This study reports the development of myco-composites from locally isolated Ganoderma species and regional lignocellulosic wastes such as paper, cardboard, sawdust, and wood shavings. Eight substrate formulations were evaluated for fungal colonization and composite quality. Visual inspection revealed that fine, fibrous substrates like paper and cardboard achieved the most uniform mycelial colonization and highest densities (0.45 and 0.41 g/cm3, respectively), while coarse, porous substrates such as wood shavings and mixed substrates (M1 and M2) produced lighter, less dense composites (0.27 g/cm3). Volumetric shrinkage ranged from 7.1% to 26.7%, with lower values in cardboard and higher in wood shavings. FTIR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of characteristic fungal and lignocellulosic functional groups in mixed composites. These findings demonstrate that composite density, dimensional stability, and chemical structure are strongly influenced by substrate type and proportion, highlighting the potential for tailored myco-composite materials using local waste resources. Graphical Abstract O_FIG O_LINKSMALLFIG WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=65 SRC="FIGDIR/small/690336v1_ufig1.gif" ALT="Figure 1"> View larger version (23K): org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d54a45org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@ff08daorg.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@19e29f4org.highwire.dtl.DTLVardef@d46577_HPS_FORMAT_FIGEXP M_FIG C_FIG