A company in British Columbia is working on the cutting edge of technological design. Salmon Arm's Technology Brewing Corporation has just been awarded $50,000 from B.C.'s Agritech Innovation Challenge for its development of a vision-guided robot capable of accurately picking, trimming and placing mushrooms in store-ready boxes.

"I'm often (asked) aren't you worried about taking people's jobs? Everything that we've automatized people don't want to do," Technology Brewing founder Mike Boudreau said. Boudreau built his first robot in 1985 and launched Technology Brewing in 1999 transitioning the company into robotics in 2006. As someone on the frontline of the robotic world, Boudreau explains the industry, and it isn't quite what one would expect. The jobs the company's robots have been designed to do are far less glamorous than the robots themselves.

See, identify and pick
As mushrooms come in different shapes and sizes, and at some stages of their growth double in size in just 24 hours, Boudreau's company is developing a robot that can see the mushrooms, identify which ones to pick and which to leave. If it sounds complex and expensive it's because it is.

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According to mushroom quotation provided by Guizhou Dili Agricultural Products Logistics Park, on August 14, Shiitake mushroom, Pleurotus cornucopiae, White beech mushroom, Brown Shimeji mushroom, Monkey head mushroom, Pleurotus nebrodensis, Enoki mushroom, Cordyceps militaris, Big Clitocybe, Seafood mushroom and Pleurotus geesteranus are 11 varieties that show price rise.

1. Price of Shiitake mushroom has risen from 10.6 to 12.4 CNY per kg, indicating 17% of increase range.

2. Price of Pleurotus cornucopiae has risen from 6 to 8 CNY per kg, indicating 33% of increase range.

3. Price of White beech mushroom has risen from 11.7 to 14.2 CNY per kg, indicating 21% of increase range.

4. Price of Brown Shimeji mushroom has risen from 13.3 to 15.8 CNY per kg, indicating 19% of increase range.

5. Price of Monkey head mushroom has risen from 14 to 16 CNY per kg, indicating 14% of increase range.

6. Price of Pleurotus nebrodensis has risen from 22 to 26 CNY per kg, indicating 18% of increase range.

7. Price of Enoki mushroom has risen from 5 to 5.3 CNY per kg, indicating 6% of increase range.

8. Price of Cordyceps militaris has risen from 13 to 14 CNY per kg, indicating 8% of increase range.

9. Price of Big Clitocybe has risen from 14 to 16 CNY per kg, indicating 14% of increase range.

10. Price of Seafood mushroom has risen from 12 to 14 CNY per kg, indicating 17% of increase range.

11.Price of Pleurotus geesteranus has risen from 9 to 10 CNY per kg, indicating 11% of increase range.

On the contrary, by August 14, Pholiota nameko and Drumstick mushroom are 2 mushroom varieties that show price fall.

1. Price of Pholiota nameko has dropped from 14 to 12 CNY per kg, indicating 14% of decline range.

2. Price of Drumstick mushroom has dropped from 12 to 10 CNY per kg, indicating 17% of decline range.

“Price of Superior Shiitake mushroom, Oyster mushroom, King oyster mushroom, Agrocybe cylindracea and Button mushroom is respectively at 14 CNY, 5 CNY, 6 CNY, 10 CNY and 10 CNY per kg. Price of several industrialized (factory-mode) mushroom varieties starts to climb in early August,” introduces manager of Guizhou Dili Agricultural Products Logistics Park passionately.

These three principles are the base of disease control on a mushroom farm. To my opinion there is no farm that has not a spot of disease somewhere.
But depending on what is done it will develop into a serious problem or it will stay a hidden time bomb.
If a problem is discovered it is of crucial importance that is recognised. To make sure that will happen training of people on the farm and especially pickers is needed. They are your eyes on the farm.
They need to know the most common diseases and especially in a young stage. Many places of dry bubble are not recognised and are only seen if the disease is in an almost incurable stadium. The small wart on a mushroom or grey spot is often missed.
The same goes for insects. Many growers do not know the difference between a phorid and a sciarid. Although the damage pattern is totally different, so Is the threshold where it really starts costing production. Also the cure is completely different.
Example: growers use diflubenzuron against phorids.
It is only active against sciarids.
If the disease is recognised then it should be isolated. It can be covered on the spot but the most important is to simply keep all doors closed. Check filters and door seals. If a room is infected, make sure the infection is contained in that one room and does not spread on the farm.
After the isolation the disease can be treated. If the spot is detected in an early stage one can do with just a sport treatment. If it is more the whole room should be taken on.
But too often the infection spreads and the whole farm must be treated. Generally room treatment for a full cycle with an overlap of two or three rooms to break the lifecycle of the disease.

So, just a test:
Look at the photo and spot the phorid. Or is it a sciarid?