WATERING
we now do is apply around 15 l/m2 before cool-down using our normal Vullings installa- tion. That is a good six to 10 litres less than in the control rooms. We can monitor this easily because we fill two rooms on the same day every week, one with and one without the pipes in the casing. We don’t run any risks, as later on in the growing cycle we can irrigate in the casing. During cool-down, we don’t water using the pipes either. I don’t think the mycelium could cope. It’s at a stage of full growth and watering through pipes could easily destroy it. But on day 13 or 14, we start irrigating using the pipes. In the ‘normal’ rooms, I only start applying water after the first flush, to avoid jeopardising the quality. With the pipe irrigation system, we can water in sessions of 0.3 litre per square metre from two days before picking. We start with three or four sessions per 24 hours, and when the flush is in full production we irrigate in eight, 0.3 litre session per 24 hours. In total, we end up at a minimum of 12 litres during the first flush.”
After the flush, Van de Berg falls back on the familiar Vullings installation that sprays above the beds and applies about 6 l/m2. “This raises the question of whether you need a conventional system, “says Van de Berg, “or whether the pipes are adequate on their own. We haven’t tried it that way yet, but I intend to. It could save a huge amount of money on a new farm. But anyway, during pin out-grow and picking the second flush, we use the pipes. We then apply a total of around 8 l/m2, again in sessions of 0.3 litre. A further 4 litres is applied after the second flush. We repeat this in the third flush to keep the casing soil nice and moist.”
Not a guinea pig
Van de Berg is very satisfied with the results achieved with the Netafim irrigation system. At his farm in Boekel, the first two flushes yield one to one and a half kilos more per square metre and whereas poor quality forced the third flush to be harvested mechanically, the third flush currently produces good quality mushrooms too. “My third flush now produces about five to six kilos of 95% class 1 quality”, according to Van de Berg. “That’s where my biggest gain is at the moment. But I am sure we still have to try out a lot of different things to get the system optimised. My farm is not a guinea pig, it has to earn me a living, which is why I was very cautious at the start. We have been using it for almost a year now, and I have asked Netafim to provide irrigation systems for my other six growing rooms. Then we can quickly benchmark the performances by filling two rooms with the same compost and growing under the same outside influences, but using a different spraying
14 MUSHROOM BUSINESS
▲ The filter ensures water is only released at a certain pressure.
pattern. Maybe the casing soil doesn’t have to be as heavy and wet if you work this way. Dutch growers want the casing to be supplied wet and heavy, but is that really necessary? It also seems that we can order less casing soil. The buffering capacity of casing soil doesn’t need to be maintained for such a long time. Except during cool-down, you can always irrigate without wetting the surface of the casing soil or the mushrooms. Those are things that still need our attention.”
Conclusion
FTNON Dofra has a booth at the Dutch Mushroom Days in June in Den Bosch: stand 18. Vullings can be found in stand 30 and Netafim in stand 8.
The conventional systems available on the market all function perfectly well. The water distribution pattern appears to be marginally better with systems that spray from the sides, but it is important here to ensure that each nozzle is unblocked and correctly adjusted, and that the water pressure is sufficient and stable. After all, spraying is normally only done from one side of the bed. For this reason, some growers prefer to occasionally use an ‘old-fashioned’ spraying lorry or sprinkler to wet the other side of the bed. This is a good solution. Nozzles above the beds are also a good system, provided the water pressure is high enough, and the fan is deactivated during spraying. Netafim’s irrigation system seems to have a golden future ahead, but we have to wait and see what the costs are per square meter in practice and whether a second system is required to spray over the beds. However, the results so far are promising. In practical terms, on a modern farm, choosing which system to use comes down to what best suits the specific situa- tion. How crucial is 100% water distribution? What is an acceptable price tag? How high are labour costs? These factors differ per farm.
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