Growing Media Preferences and Their Perceived Effects on Yield among Mushroom Farmers in Bushenyi District, Western Uganda

Abstract

In Uganda, mushroom cultivation supports smallholder farmers’ income and food security, but success depends on suitable growing media. This study examined substrate preferences, sources, and perceived yield effects among 52 mushroom farmers in Kyamuhunga, Bushenyi District, using structured surveys and statistical analyses (R software, p < 0.05). Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, binomial tests, Fisher's exact tests, and Cochran's Q test were employed to examine substrate use patterns, farmer preferences, and associations between media types, setting the statistical significance at p < 0.05. The study revealed diverse substrate portfolios among farmers, with sawdust being the most used material (46.2%), followed by coffee husks (34.6%), banana refuse (28.8%), cotton waste (26.9%), and legume trash (26.9%). The chi-square goodness-of-fit test showed no significant difference in usage frequencies (χ²(4) = 4.92, p = 0.295), indicating balanced substrate utilisation. Primary media choices were remarkably uniform (χ²(4) = 0.31, p = 0.989). Cost and availability dominated decision-making (65.4% combined; χ²(5) = 15.84, p = 0.007), while yield considerations influenced only 25.0% of farmers. Half of all farmers (50.0%) sourced substrates from their own farms, with 34.6% purchasing materials (χ²(3) = 27.85, p < 0.001). Notably, cotton waste was perceived as highest yielding by 28.8% of farmers despite lower actual usage (26.9%). Binomial tests revealed that four of five substrates were used by significantly fewer than half of farmers (p < 0.05), and no significant associations were found between substrate types (Fisher's exact p > 0.05), indicating independent selection patterns. The study contributes to understanding smallholder mushroom production systems and provides evidence-based recommendations for interventions to enhance productivity and farmer livelihoods.