640 square metres and a further six of 900 square metres. The eight rooms run a two-flush cycle, the other six produce three flushes. The rooms are filled on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays with 80% of the compost supplied by Custom Com- post, a company owned by Walsh (no relation) in Wexford. The remaining 20% comes from Carbu- ry Compost, owned by Monaghan Mushrooms. The compost is incubated with a white intermedi- ate hybrid strains from Amycel or Sylvan. All the casing soil is supplied by Harte Peat. The rooms are filled using a combi-ma- chine from Christiaens
that simultaneously fills, cases and adds CAC-ma- terial as well as adding water to the compost while on the machine. Spray nozzles above the beds generally apply around 30 litres of water per square metre, with a small amount also applied using a sprinkler cart for uniformity. On day five the beds are ruffled and lightly compacted. Cool down starts on day seven, when the air temperature is reduced over the course of one night from 22 to 20 degrees. The subse- quent reduction is more gradual and falls to 18 degrees in four days. Once this temperature has been reached, the RH is
around 90% and the CO2 has been lowered from 3000 to 2000 ppm. At this stage the beds are closely scrutinised and further management decisions depend on the number of mushrooms developing on the beds. The first mushrooms are picked on day 16. On the day before the first flush is comple- tely removed the beds are watered with four to six litres per square metre, with another six to eight litres on the following day. The air temperature is increased to 19-19.5 degrees Celsius between the flushes, and lowered again after a day to 18 de- grees. Depending on how the mushroom look, wa-
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ter is sprayed on the pin- heads of the second flush. After the second flush the beds are inspected, the casing squeezed to assess its moistness and sprayed before the third flush. The yield in three flushes is approximately 32 kgs per square metre.
The farm is styled along typical Irish lines with sheds. Fancom sup- plied the climate control systems. The company employs around 60 pic- kers, and about 20 other employees are respon- sible for filling, empty- ing, cleaning ,ruffling, mushroom processing and the many tasks at the farm and marketing company.
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Leading Suppliers of Mushroom Casing Soil Since 1977
www.mcdon-mushroomcasing.co.uk 142 Trew Mount Road
Dungannon Co. Tyrone T +44 (0)28 8778 4096 F +44 (0)28 8778 4896
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 45
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