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CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE


When the beds appear very white there is a high risk of less or even too few pinheads.


micro climate will cause them to dry out and restrict further development. This also delays general growth, as the 2nd generation of pinheads will have to develop from deeper down. If the early option is chosen, there is an inherent risk that the pinheads will develop out of sight just below the surface, so the grower is inclined to “pull” more pinheads out of the casing soil, for example by lowering the air temperature or the relative humi- dity. The result may be an unpleasant surprise in the shape of too many pinheads suddenly emerging from the casing soil. Here too, it is crucial to stick to a consis- tent approach, and to look closely at the right moment to cool down. This moment is when approximately 40-50% of the mycelium has come to the surface. If cool down is not too rigorous, the mycelium will always continue to grow. On mechanical harvesting farms, on the other hand, it is best to wait a little longer and start cool down when more mycelium has appeared on the surface. This will give greater uniformity in the flush and cleaner mushrooms.


Easy does it For manual picking farms that want a good picking performance and good quality mushrooms, the spread in the 1st flush is vitally important. Picking must be possible on four to five days of the 1st flush. To achieve this cool down should be done with the fan set to a moderate position. For example, the initial air tempe- rature is 21 degrees Celsius, which has been reduced to 19 degrees after five days, with a CO2 that has fallen in the same period from 3500 to 2000 with an RH of 92-94%. The mycelium will still show some small signs of growth, but on the other hand it will cautiously start forming pinheads, so the process very gradually starts to take off. You should see the first pinheads on the beds after about six days. Now it is important to examine the number of pinheads. If the numbers match the objective, let the temperature drop gradually to 18 degrees Celsius. If there are too many pinheads, keep the temperature at 19 degrees, and if there are too few drop to 17 degrees. The modern intermediate hybrids are quite temperature sensitive, so use this to your


advantage. As the flush approaches being ready, about two days before picking starts, it is important to lower the temperature even further so the flush begins with a compost temperature of 20 degrees or lower. Creating a fluctuating air temperature, 17 degrees one day then back to 18 degrees the next, creates greater spread. For mechanised farms that want all the mushrooms on the bed at the same time, it is important to drop quickly to 17 degrees with a slightly lower RH and a slightly higher fan position. The result will be a more uniform flush.


Several factors It is quite clear that having the right number of pin- heads depends on many different factors. Growers who want to learn how to influence and steer the number of pinheads are advised to stake out a 30 by 30 centimetre square on a bed in a spot where the mycelium is repre- sentative of the rest of the growing room. Studying this small patch of the bed in detail every day, and counting the number of pinheads, will quickly teach growers how to get to grips with all the factors mentioned above. ◗


The cool down


process is important for the ultimate number of pinheads.


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