Good compost is selective COMPOST 4
Compost is the foundation that supports cultivation and represents 85% of the power behind mushroom production, so it goes without saying that good compost is vital. But what actually constitutes good compost?
This article examines selectivity. By Con Hermans, AdVisie
hermans@mushroomconsulting.nl
O
ne of the first criteria that must be fulfilled by compost for mushroom growing is selectivity. But what is selectivity, and how is selective compost produced? There are hundreds of thousands of different moulds, but in selective compost we want only mushroom mycelium to develop. If competitor moulds are allowed to multiply, they can reduce production by figures in excess of 80%. When exotic varieties like shiitake, nameko and king oyster mushrooms are grown, the nutrient medium is sterilised in order to destroy 100% of the micro-organ- isms. The substrate is then inoculated with mycelium in a clean room with sterile conditions and the mycelium is allowed to develop in sterile plastic bags. The bags are only opened for the production phase once the substrate has been completely colonised. However, for agaricus this type of production process is far too expensive, financially unfeasible, and besides, unnecessary. In this case sterilisation is not the basis of selectivity, but
rather fermentation and pasteurisation. The microflora found in the substrate are not destroyed, but instead utilised to optimise the conditions for growth for the mushroom mycelium to the detriment of competitor moulds.
Various different strategies are employed to create selective mushroom compost: selection of raw mate- rials, removing nutrition through fermentation and destroying competitor moulds, stimulating the growth of useful microflora, hygiene and quick colonisation. The composting process as a whole is a series of steps that all have to be taken. If one of these steps is not performed properly, the following step will not be effective enough either.
Selection
The foundations for selectivity are laid right at the start of the process, which is selection ‘at the door’ when the raw materials arrive. Fermenting and pasteurising will
Substrate for nameko is made selective by sterilising it.
Straw quality: Bad straw has a high concentration of undesirable moulds.
34 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
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