Production technology of growing medium for cultivated fungi based on hemp and energy grass straw
Title of the offer
Production technology of growing medium for cultivated fungi based on hemp and energy grass straw
Offer description
The subject matter of this Invitation is a technology based on the use of energy grass straw and hemp straw as waste materials in oyster mushroom cultivation. Research resulted in determining the preparation method and composition of growing medium which includes energy grass and hemp straw and ensures high yields of good-quality fruiting bodies of oyster mushrooms.
Composition of the growing medium:
growing medium 1: wheat straw mixed 1:1 with miscanthus giganteus straw, enriched with wheat bran which makes up to 20% of the weight of the growing medium;
growing medium 2: wheat straw (80%) mixed with hemp straw (20%), enriched with wheat bran which makes up to 20% of the weight of the growing medium.
Method for preparing the growing medium using the mixtures:
- shredding the wheat and miscanthus giganteus straw with a drum shredder or, alternatively, a chaff cutter; hemp straw needs to be shredded with a hemp and corn shredder (straw shredders cannot be used for that purpose);
- humidifying the mixtures to reach a humidity of 70% using a rotating steel drum (the drum allows to apply water in precise amounts and ensures heterogeneity of the growing medium);
- pasteurization of humid growing media with steam in a pasteurization chamber (similarly to a traditional pasteurization process) at 60°C for 12 hours; afterwards, the pasteurization temperature must be maintained at 58–54°C for 36 hours;
- once cooled to 25°C (or below), the growing medium is colonized with the mycelium, packaged in plastic bags and compacted into ca. 15 kg blocks using a hydraulic press (in the same way as in a traditional process of preparing the growing medium for oyster mushroom cultivation);
- the incubation takes 14–21 days depending on the amount of mycelium used, oyster mushroom variety and incubation temperature (in the same way as in a traditional process of preparing the growing medium for oyster mushroom cultivation).
Note: the growing media prepared based on the mixtures described above deliver higher yields than traditional growing media; the fruiting bodies of oyster mushrooms exhibit very high quality. Also, a growing medium with hemp straw is more resistant to infections.
