All around the world growers can receive phase 3 blocks. Especially in countries where no or just some raw materials to make compost are available, importing phase 3 blocks is than the easiest way to start mushroom farms.

Transport of blocks should always be done with cooling trucks/containers with also enough O2. A lack of oxygen during transport can cause severe damage to the mycelium and I saw arriving trucks full of Phase 3 compost with such a high CO2 that the mycelium in the compost never recovered completely after filling. The temperature during transport is kept on 2 to 5 degrees C to stop the mycelium from growing and generating heat in the blocks. That is a challenge sometimes.

When the compost blocks arrive at the farm, they should be stored in a cool room on 2 degrees C. Also make sure to have fresh air going into the cool room, especially if stored for a longer period. To ensure you always have enough stock, a few weeks of compost must be available as transport can always be delayed and can disturb a consistent growing cycle.

Before filling/casing the compost with a head filler it should be brought up to temperature. When you fill and case the same day you want to heat the compost up before filling, if you case the next day, you have more time to heat the compost up inside the grow room, until the casing day but as sometimes blocks are still frozen you need to get the blocks defrosted to make sure the blocks break open at filling. It is no problem to have frozen blocks, you just need to make sure they go through the filling machine and get mixed in. Depending on the climate at your location you normally get the compost out of the fridge the night before filling to give it the chance to heat up, ideally between 15 and 18 degrees C, so after filling the growing process can start. In extreme high outside temperatures, you can heat the compost up in shadowed places. In cold environments you must find a place to defrost the blocks and fill them into the growing rooms and heat the compost up there.

If you fill without a filling machine and place the blocks directly in the growing room, it is easier to warm them up inside the room. After filling remove the plastic and warm the compost up slowly. Do not go too fast to make sure the compost does not rise too fast, and you are not able to stop it anymore from heating up too much.

The yield and quality with imported phase 3 blocks can be good if managed the right way. Temperature and O2 level are key factors as well as watering. Be careful to overwater at the start when the temperatures are still low but wait for some good activity.

Good luck.

Erik de Groot
Global Agriculture Services
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In Xixia county, Henan province, a local factory has introduced high-temperature, high-pressure sterilizers to improve the production of mushroom spawn bags. These new devices enable the factory to produce nearly 50,000 bags daily, benefiting local shiitake mushroom growers.

Previously, farmers used coal for drying mushrooms and sterilizing spawn bags, leading to environmental issues. The switch to electrical devices has improved efficiency and reduced carbon emissions. Smart greenhouses now allow farmers to control growing conditions in real-time, further enhancing productivity.

To support these changes, the local power supplier has upgraded substations and transmission lines to meet the increased electricity demand. This green transformation is expected to save the county over 40 million yuan in production costs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 70,000 to 90,000 tons annually, solidifying Xixia's status as a leading shiitake mushroom producer.

Please read the full article here.
Source: China Daily

We’re delighted to bring you the latest news about the 45th AMGA Conference, set to take place in the stunning city of Auckland, New Zealand. Organized by the New Zealand Commercial Mushroom Growers Federation and Meadow Mushrooms, this event is a must-attend for those in the mushroom industry.

• Date: October 22-24, 2024
• Location: Auckland, New Zealand

The AU + NZ Mushroom Growers Conference 2024 will feature:

• Fascinating Farm Tours
• Renowned International Guest Speakers
• Insightful Australian Researchers
• Engaging Exhibitions
• Two Networking Events

Additionally, attendees can look forward to an exclusive farm tour at Mercer Mushrooms and an all-inclusive tour option to Meadow Mushrooms in Christchurch on October 25th.
For more information about the event, please click here.

SAS EuroMycel has 70 years of experience and advanced technical expertise, thanks to well-oiled processes and modern equipment. As part of a fully integrated mushroom supply chain, we leverage extensive product knowledge and experience to optimize the possibilities of mushroom spawn.

It's hard to believe, but the Mushroom Paris dates from the time of Louis the Fourteenth in the 17th century century. Yet this is the story behind EuroMycel confirmed. Jean-Baptiste de la Quintine, the gardener of the king, Jean-Baptiste de la Quintine, cultivated in Versailles the Agaricus for the first time on a bed of horse manure bisporus, as the Latin name goes.

The full article is written in Dutch and can be read here.

Also watch their latest company movie here!

https://www.euromycel.com/

PLANT-based burgers and bangers that could “revolutionise” food production in the UK have finally hit the shelves.

MYCO’s pioneering range has been rolled out having been in development for well over a year.

The products are made from Hooba, the Yorkshire firm’s own plant-based protein. Hooba is manufactured under the same roof as Myco’s pioneering vertical farm, where the oyster mushrooms used to create the protein are grown.

This completely unique production process, which results in reduced food miles, has resulted in Myco being heralded as creating ‘Britain’s Greenest Burger’.

Now 10,000 of those burgers – along with 20,000 Hooba sausages – have initially been produced for the long-awaited launch.

“Developing and perfecting these products has been a true labour of love, so to finally bring them to market is an incredibly proud moment,” said Sales Director, Andy Fenner.

“Myco’s team is full of parents and grandparents who want to play their part in giving our planet a future. Humans eat too much meat, so we need to find ways to make swapping it out of our diets a bit more appetising.

“We wanted to manufacture a product that matched meat for texture and taste – and the feedback has been glowing.

“In a blind taste test, our sausages and burgers beat some of the biggest plant-based brands in Britain, and there was high praise for the mouthfeel which, historically, has been one of the big stumbling blocks to people eating less meat.

“Our next goal is to get Hooba onto shelves and tables across the country and let suppliers and customers see how good it tastes for themselves.

“We are over-the-moon that our range is finally packaged and ready to go and given how little impact its production has on our planet, we believe this could revolutionise the way food is manufactured. Our hope is that our sustainable manufacturing process could become a blueprint for the food industry.”

Having already agreed listings with multiple suppliers, including some leading artisanal and plant-based wholesalers, the team have also been in pre-launch discussions with a range of retailers with the view of stocking and using Hooba.

And production will be ramped up considerably over the coming years.

Having appointed former Vbites boss David Wood as CEO, Myco is set to create around 70 jobs following a £1.2m investment earlier this year.

Those jobs will be based at the Leeming Bar production plant, which is the first in Britain to both grow and manufacture a plant-based protein under the same roof.

Source: Myco

Europe is now at the time of the year summer will burst out. And every year the same growing problems occur at this time, getting worse and worse every year.

Summers seem to get hotter and it is time to adapt before real growing problems are there. There are a number of things growers can do but of course a good cooling system is a must. Well calculated, fitting the circumstances of your own country. But even the best cooling system will not cover everything. If we take the summer temperature last year in Holland at 42° nobody has a cooling system which will handle these extreme temperatures in our country.
If at the same moment also the relative humidity is high it is not only cooling but also the heating that counts. And that brings me to the first mistake many growers make. In summer switch of the heating system. Its hot enough outside, I do not need heating. Wrong!!!

De-humidification only works if the cooling can work in combination with a bit of heating. So, by switching of the heating the system can make the air dryer anymore. And you need dry air to cool a hot room. The easiest way to cool a growing room is to give water to the casing soil. The best way is to give many small quantities up to 2 litres. That can be evaporated again. Spread the watering over 24 hours. The dry air coming into the room will take care of the evaporation and will help cooling the growing room. Keep the casing soil wet but the floor as dry as possible. That is why I do not close the room completely if the outside is hot but dry. It is possible to use air which is much higher than the compost temperature as long as the incoming air is dryer than the air in the room.

In the mollier diagram one can calculate how much fresh air is necessary to absorb the evaporated water in the room. And for that cooling by evaporation you only need a few litres of water extra. No extravagant quantities as some growers tend to do. An extra help will be some mobile coolers on the farm. They can be placed into the room just before the heat surge is starting. The price of such a mobile cooler is a lot lower than the costs of losing a room.But in the end, judging a room is important. If compost is active and the C/N ration is relatively high one can expect activity. It is of outmost importance that cooling starts before the surge starts. Once a compost is going up it is hard or impossible to stop it.

The Growtime company has been steadily increasing exports and securing the confidence of major agricultural enterprises worldwide.

How GROWTIME and Osatina Grupa came together: a leap of faith that paid off

GROWTIME has again signed a contract with Osatina Grupa, a leading agricultural company in Croatia, for the supply of Newton mushroom picking lorries. Osatina Grupa, headquartered in the beautiful Đakovština area, is renowned for its comprehensive agricultural operations, including fruit and vegetable farming, dairy and meat production, animal feed production, and the generation of bioenergy. Their diversified and synergistic business model, which has been perfected over more than 25 years, emphasizes sustainability and modern technology.

The story of our collaboration with Osatina Grupa is one of risk, trust, and long-term success. As a large and innovative corporation, Osatina Grupa was a highly sought after business partner. They had numerous offers, many of which were less costly than what GROWTIME could provide. Negotiations during the COVID-19 pandemic added to the challenge, as physical presentations of our products were limited and travel was impossible due to the restrictions imposed.

Despite these hurdles, our high-quality and efficient products and the promise of lower overhead in the long run convinced Osatina Grupa to choose GROWTIME. They decided to take a risk on our more expensive Newton mushroom picking trolleys, driven by the argument that these high-quality devices would be more cost-effective over time.

A decision proven right
The initial cost of our trolleys appeared higher, but the investment was projected to pay off through superior performance and reliability. Osatina Grupa’s faith in our products was validated when they returned to GROWTIME for more of the same Newton picking trolleys a few years later, proving the wisdom of their original decision. This repeat business speaks volumes about the quality of our offering.

For GROWTIME, a client returning for the same product is the highest form of endorsement. It underscores that the initial investment, despite the higher initial price, was justified by the long-term benefits. The repeated orders from Osatina Grupa confirm the value and effectiveness of our solutions, showcasing our dedication to developing products that align perfectly with customer demands.

Cutting-edge Newton as well Pascal trolleys drive GROWTIME’s global success
A key driver behind this international success is GROWTIME's innovative products such as Newton & Pascal mushroom picking trolley. Known for their exceptional quality and cost-effectiveness, the Newton and Pascal trolleys has quickly become a favorite among large-scale mushroom producers. It was Osatina Grupa’s top choice then, and it’s their top choice now.

The trolleys feature from Growtime a robust design and user-friendly functionality, including electric drives and winches that automate the movement of the platform. This not only improves the ergonomics of the work but also increases the yield by allowing more precise and efficient picking. Additionally, the trolleys are equipped with advanced safety features and easy-to-use controls, ensuring both high performance and worker safety.

Moreover, Newton as well Pascal lorries ensure a quick return on investment due to their aforementioned low maintenance costs and high effectiveness. This combination of reliability and efficiency has made them a preferred option for agricultural enterprises looking to optimize operations and reduce overhead. For more information about the Newton mushroom picking trolleys and to explore GROWTIME's full range of products, visit this link.

Water can be purified using mushroom substrate: the mixture of fungal filaments and horse manure that remains after harvesting mushrooms. The substrate effectively decreases concentrations of pesticides and drugs in contaminated water.

Utrecht University researchers Brigit van Brenk, Han Wösten, and colleagues demonstrate this in a paper in the scientific journal Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology. The results show the potential of the substrate as a promising alternative to current water purification methods.

White button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) are grown on composted, sterilized horse manure. Grains containing the fungus are mixed into the compost, from which fungal filaments grow that fill the compost. Fruiting bodies of the fungus, mushrooms, eventually develop from this network of filaments.

But what to do with the substrate after the mushrooms are harvested? In the Netherlands, not much is done with the leftover waste: instead, large quantities are sent to Germany to be used as fertilizer. But couldn’t the substrate be put to better use

Enzymes

Van Brenk and her colleagues suspected that there might be a better way to use the substrate. Fungi that live off dead plant material, such as white button mushrooms, make enzymes to break down lignin. However, these enzymes are not highly specific, and it has been shown that they also break down substances other than lignin.

The researchers therefore decided to investigate the potential of using the leftover waste from mushroom cultivation to purify contaminated water. After all, concentrations of drug residues, pesticides and other harmful substances in surface water and groundwater are increasing, posing a threat to aquatic life forms. Moreover, existing methods of purifying water of such substances are expensive.

Please read the full article here.

Source: Utrecht University