Cultivation of mushrooms

The cultivation and harvesting of most mushroom types is similar. The process description described below is focussed on the most common type, the white mushroom.

Spreading

For the production of mushroom the mycelium is spreaded on sterile corn grains. The mycelium consists of short fungi threads. The fungi threads can grow well on the corn grains.
The corn grains should be sterile. If they are not sterile other micro-organisms compete with the mushroom. This results in an impure and slow growth of the mushrooms.

Mixing

As the mycelium has grown a little, it is mixed with fertile compost. This compost is composed of horse dung, straw, chick fertilizer and gypsum. The mixture of grains, mycelium and fertile compost is called through-grown compost.

Transport

The through-grown compost is transported to the cultivator. The mycelium is a vulnerable product. To maintain the high quality the product is cooled during transport.

Filling and covering

The cultivator fills the cultivation cells with the through-grown compost. The cultivation cells have a hight of 10 centimetres. On top of each other there are 5 to 6 cultivation cells. The cultivator has several halls were multiple cultivation cells are putted. In every hall the growth of the mushrooms is in another stage. In this way the cultivator can harvest continuously and the activities can be split in time. Diseases are also limited this way.
The through-grown compost is covered with topsoil. The topsoil holds moisture and therefore provides a constant humidity of the through-grown compost.

Growth (fermentation)

The growth of the mushrooms takes 6 to 8 weeks. Because mushrooms are family of the fungi the growth is also called fermentation. During the growth, the growth conditions are controlled precisely. Climate control computers, aerators and rainsystems keep the temperature and humidity at the optimum values.
It is important that the mushrooms do not get contaminated with other fungi. Therefore special hygienic measures like disinfection baths and special cloths are taken.

Harvesting

The harvesting of the mushrooms takes place in several stages, called flights. After a week of growth the first mushrooms are ready to harvest. The first flight can take place. From now on there can be mushrooms harvested every week. After 6 to 8 weeks there is no significant growth of mushrooms any more. The used compost is being collected and is very useful in the horti- and agriculture.

Harvesting can take place manually or mechanically:

• To get sound mushrooms the mushrooms can only be harvested manually. The sound mushrooms are very suitable for selling as fresh mushrooms. During harvesting the stalk at the foot is cutted off immediately. They are sorted on the basis of size and putted in the consumers packaging directly. Because mushrooms are very vulnerable they should be handled carefully. With manual harvesting there can be harvested 30 kg of mushrooms per man-hour.
• Mechanically harvested mushrooms are only used for industrial applications. The mushrooms are being treated and intended for jar or can or meant as frozen mushrooms. Due to the mechanical harvesting the mushrooms are damaged lightly and can not be used as fresh mushrooms anymore.

Transport

The vulnerable mushrooms are transported in a cooled vehicle. The quality remains high at a temperature between 0 and 4ºC and humidity of 90-95%.

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