CULTIVATIONTIPS ADVISIE The future of pre-wetting
By Con Hermans AdVisie ‘the mushroom growing consultants’, Heythuysen
hermans@mushroomconsulting.nl
Photo: AdVisie
Pre-wetting straw bales has become an integral part of the fermentation schedule at many compost yards. Immersing the straw bales in goody water and storing them for a few days initiates pre-fermentation. The combination of straw (carbohydrates), goody water (nitrogen+- water+biomass) and air (oxygen), increases the temperature to 60-70° Celsius or even higher in a short time. This dissolves the waxy layer around the straw and softens the structure. The great advantage is that when the bunkers are filled with the compost mix for the first time, any water is immediately absorbed well. The mixture can then easily be left in situ for 2-4 days before it is removed. A mixture with straw that has not been pre-wet has to be removed and turned after just 1 day. Without pre-wetting, the entire fermentation process in the bunker takes at least 3 days longer. This is why pre-wetting is so popular. In the past, other ways of wetting straw such as spraying and applying suction were used. Pre-wetting has replaced these methods as it provides homogeneous soaking, requires little investment, is simple and flexible. Transport costs account for a substantial portion of the price of straw. And combine harvester manufacturers have found a solution for that. Knives positioned in the combine and the baler- press finely chop the straw before it is pressed into bales under high pressure. As a result, the weight of the bales has risen from just 400 kg to 550 kg or even higher. A compact straw logically results in lower transport costs, but it is highly unsuitable for our way of pre-wetting. As standard, the bales are immersed in liquid for about two-three minutes in order to absorb enough moisture and leave enough pockets for the necessary oxygen. After the bales have been left for a few days and the temperature has risen, you will notice a pleasant, sweet smell when opening the bales. However, very firmly compacted bales do not absorb water as easily and there is barely any space for the pockets of air. The temperature in these bales hardly increases. When the bales are opened, the straw is often still quite dry with an acidic smell. You might even wonder what the point of pre-wetting was. If we want to keep achieving the desired results, we will have to adapt our method of pre-wetting/ pre-fermentation.
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