ISMSNEWS Unity in diversity
T
he 19th ISMS Congress was celebrated as part of Mushroom Week in The Netherlands, at the beginning of June. Nearly 500 delegates representing some 47 countries descended on
Amsterdam for four days of presentations, lectures, posters, tours and the chance to visit the industry’s largest trade show in Den Bosch. For the relatively small group of scientists engaged in the business of mushroom research it is a rare opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with like-minded colleagues from around the world who are engaged in similar work. Per- haps more importantly, the Congress provides a venue for these scientists to inform the larger mushroom community about the advances being made in all aspects of mushroom technology. This after all, is what ISMS was created to do. Provide a mechanism by which new ideas and technologies can be transferred from the scientists to the end users. There were many outstanding presentations over the course of the week, among them: The use of fungal biomass to create renewable and biodegradable structural materials; New insights into the utili- zation of sugars in the composting process; Current research into the identification of taste components in various edible fungi; and Intro- duction into seasonal growing of Morel mushrooms. Of particular interest to me as a member of the Society’s ExCom was the diversity of species that were reported on at this Congress. ISMS has historically had a reputation as being the ‘Agaricus’ society, with our membership and Congresses largely focused on Western
cultivation techniques and the white button mushroom. However, as the Society has grown, particularly in China, that perception has begun to change, and the demographics of the 19th Congress serve as confirmation. In addition to the broad geographic diversity of the attendees, it is worth noting that of the nearly 120 lectures and presentations that were submitted, approximately half con- cerned mushrooms other than Agaricus! In addition, the Society felt it important to include marketing science as a topic of interest to both scientists and the industry alike, and two sessions, as well as a key note lecture were devoted to this subject and were well attended. I believe all of this reflects the ever changing face of our industry and the efforts of the ISMS to keep pace with innovation both inside and
outside the laboratory. In order to remain competitive in a global economy, we must continue to ‘push the envelope’ and for that we need our scientists and technicians to have the support of the indus- try that they serve in order to grow our future. I hope you will agree that our efforts are worthwhile and that the industry will continue to support the gathering together of the practical and technical at events such as these. We hope to see you all at our next gathering, when Canada plays host to our historic 20th Congress!
Mark Wach, Past President ISMS CULTIVATIONTIPS ADVISIE Supplement enriches poor compost By Con Hermans
AdVisie ‘the mushroom growing consul- tants’, Heythuysen
hermans@mushroomconsulting.nl Photos: AdVisie
Supplement is often added as a standard procedure to incubated compost at a rate of 14 kg per ton. But it’s a good idea to check standard procedures occasionally. Supplementing compost with protein-rich products is a process developed around 35 years ago. A clear relationship was found to the nitrogen richness of the compost. In normal composts, adding supplements gave additional production of some 3 kg/m2, while on poor composts this figure could even reach in excess of 6 kg/m2. However, hardly any extra increase in production was seen on nitrogen-rich composts. The tests were run then using 1, 1 ½ and 2 kg of supplement per 100kg/m2 of fresh compost. The best results were often obtained with 1½ kg, but 1 kg was a safer margin and financially more interesting. Also realise that the supplement was mixed through the upper layer of compost by an inoculation machine. If you convert these figures to today’s circumstances, then 1 kg of supplement per 100 kg of fresh compost compares to around 18 kg of supplement per ton of incubated compost and 1.5 kg to even 27kg/ton! So the 14 kg/ton now applied by many growers is on the low side. Is today’s incubated compost richer than in the past? I have my doubts, especially as now in particular composters try to rid compost of ammonia in a short space of time and therefore cannot create compost that is too rich in nitrogen. As a result, this ‘poorer’ compost could use a higher rate of supplement. There are growers who achieve clearly better results using 18-21 kg of supplement per ton of incubated compost. Is this the maximum? I don’t think so. What is always important is to mix the supplement well through the compost, and ensure that controlling the compost temperature is not a problem. Do, however, avoid the mistake of filling less compost and adding more supplement. Supplement is intended to supplement the nutrients in the compost and not replace compost.
MUSHROOM BUSINESS 19
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