IES20050384A2 - A method of growing mushrooms - Google Patents

Abstract

A method of growing mushrooms is carried out in a growing house 1 having shelves 3 on the underside of which are mounted spray nozzles 4 for delivering a spray of water onto casing, usually peat, which is laid on compost in turn on the shelves 3. The fine spray gives efficient wetting and little disturbance of the casing and compost. This reduces the growing cycle time. <Figure 1>

Description

The present invention relates to a method of growing mushrooms and further, to a growing house for use in the carrying out of the method. ·<}· SD 0 Q kb u ti . s Essentially, the process of growing mushrooms commercially comprises preparing a seeded compost which is seeded with mushroom spore, placing this in some form of container, placing a layer of a casing materia!, very often peat, on top of the compost, then wetting the peat and compost. Then the top of the casing is raked and smoothed over or ruffled, as it is often called, which includes drawing a certain amount of the compost up in through the casing. As the mushrooms grow, they are harvested. Generally, about three flushes or crops of mushroom are harvested from every container.

A particularly effective way is to grow the mushrooms on shelving. The shelves are filled with a layer of seeded compost and a layer of casing, usually peat, is placed on top of the compost. Then the peat is wetted. Usually, this is done by delivering heavy jets of water on the peat forming the casing which wets the peat very quickly, however, this aggressive wetting is not as effective as it should be. The water tends to be delivered throughout the casing, finding its way out of the casing, rather than being retained within the casing. Very often, this aggressive wetting causes the formation of hollow channels within the casing. Normally, water is applied via a fixed spray bar, often called a water tree, from the side of the shelving applied across the bed of the casing. This is very difficult to get an even application of water. Also this aggressive method of watering has a washing effect on the peat.

A further problem with water during cropping is that the mushrooms, already on the 30 bed, are subjected to splashes of peat from the casing.

Another problem is that during the initial wetting of the compost and indeed during much of the growing, it is desirable to have the relative humidity of the growing house as high as possible. While aggressive wetting of the growing house, and in particular the casing provides a considerable quantity of water in the house, it generally tends «0 50 3 8 4 -2to run off very quickly and thus the air within the house is not humidified as efficiently as it should be.

The present invention is directed towards providing an effective method of wetting the casing and compost in an efficient manner.

Statements of Invention According to the invention, there is provided a method of growing mushrooms on an elongate shelf comprising: drawing a sheet of plastics netting longitudinally onto the shelf to cover the shelf; delivering seeded compost onto the netting as it is being drawn onto the shelf; delivering casing on top of the compost, delivering a fine mist of water onto the casing for a preset time at preset time intervals in an initial wetting stage; then allowing the casing to rest for a preset time in a water absorption stage; delivering a further fine mist of water onto the casing for a preset time at preset intervals in a final wetting stage; drawing some of the compost up through the casing in a ruffling stage; then smoothing the surface of the casing and compost subsequent to ruffling in a settling stage, the settling stage taking place not necessarily subsequent to the wetting and absorption stages; allowing the mushrooms to grow; £0 50 3 8 4 -3harvesting the mushrooms as a first flush of mushrooms; carrying out further initial wetting, absorption and final wetting stages before harvesting a further crop of mushrooms; and then repeating this further initial wetting absorption and final wetting stages at least once more to produce a still further crop of mushrooms.

The advantage of this method is that the fine mist of water ensures an efficient and comprehensive wetting of the casing. Further, the area is wetted very efficiently and the relative humidity of the growing house is maintained as high as possible.

In one method according to the invention, an additional sheet of plastics material is positioned below the sheet of netting and drawn with it onto the shelf. This is sometimes done to retain moisture on the shelving, when such moisture might have permeated down to the casing, compost and netting.

In one method according to the invention, the method comprises carrying out the settling stage contemporaneously with the absorption stage. In this way, the throughput through the growing house is increased.

In another embodiment of the invention, the fine mist of water is delivered onto the casing during the wetting stage for between 1 and 5 minutes every hour during production of the first crop of mushrooms, which fine mist of water may be delivered for between 2 and 3 minutes during production of the first crop of mushrooms.

In one way of carrying out the invention, each wetting stage lasts between 4 and 12 hours during the production of the first crop of mushrooms and in general, each wetting stage lasts between 4 and 5 hours.

In one embodiment of the invention, the water absorption stage is carried out over 20 to 28 hours and generally of the order of 24 hours for production of the first crop of mushrooms. <0 50 3 8 4 -4ln another embodiment of the invention, the absorption stage is carried out for of the order of 8 hours for the first crop of mushrooms.

In a further embodiment of the invention, the initial wetting, absorption, and final wetting stages for each further crop may be carried out for of the order of between 40 to 60% of the time and with 40 to 60% of the volume of fine mist applied for the previous crop.

In another, embodiment of the invention, the time of operation and quantity of water is of the order of 50%.

In one embodiment of the invention, the mist is delivered at a rate of between 55 and 65 litres per hour to cover an area 2 to 3 metres in diameter and preferably at the rate of the order of 61 litres per hour over an area of the order of 2.4 metres in diameter.

In another embodiment of the invention, the water is delivered at a pressure of the order of 60 psi.

In another embodiment of the invention, the amount of water delivered is such as to maintain the humidity in excess of 96% during the wetting and absorption stages and preferably in excess of 98%.

According to a further aspect of the invention, there is provided a growing house for carrying out the method of any preceding claim, comprising: an enclosure; a plurality of longitudinally arranged shelves; a main water delivery pipe longitudinally arranged above and spacedapart from each shelf; a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on a distal end of a spray pipe with -5its proximal end projecting into the interior of the delivery pipe, the spray nozzles projecting below the pipe; and a pressurised water pump feeding the main water delivery pipe.

In another embodiment of the invention, each main water delivery pipe inclines downwardly from a water inlet to outlet.

Detailed Description of the Invention The invention will be more clearly understood from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a side view of the interior of a growing house according to the invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of portion of the drawing of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 is a view of a spray nozzle used with the invention, and Figs. 4 to 6 are diagrammatic views showing the loading of shelves with compost and casing.

Referring to the drawings and initially to Figs. 1 to 3 thereof, there is illustrated portion of a mushroom growing house 1 having a support structure 2, a plurality of shelves 3 on the underneath of which are mounted spray nozzles 4 connected by piping 5 to pumps 6 to a water storage tank 7, connected to a main supply pipe 8.

Referring to Fig. 3, the spray nozzle 4 has a delivery outlet 10 on a delivery pipe 11 which projects about halfway into the feed pipe 5. The delivery pipe 11 thus has an inlet 12, essentially close to the centre of the pipe 5. <0 50 3 8 4 -6Referring to Fig. 4, there is illustrated portion of the shelving 3 at one end of which is mounted a reel 20 for netting 21, together with a reel 22 for a plastics sheet 23. There is also provided a driven winch 25 adjacent the distal end of the shelf 3, which driven winch 25 mounts a draw rope 26 having a hook 27. Delivery hoppers 28 are mounted at the proximal end of the shelving 3, only one hopper 28 being shown. One hopper is for compost and the other for casing. A third reel 30 is illustrated mounting a conveyor belt 31.

Referring now to Fig. 5, there is illustrated a carriage 35 mounted by wheels 36 on the shelf 3. The carriage 35 is connected to the conveyor belt 31 which is fast on the support structure 2 at 39. The carriage 35 mounts conveyor rollers 37 for the conveyor belt 31.

In operation, and referring initially to Fig. 4, the sheet of netting 21 and plastics sheet are connected to the hook 27 and drawn by the rope 26 along the shelf 3, as compost, identified by the reference numeral 40, is delivered out of the hopper 28. Then the hook 27 is disconnected and the carriage 35 (see Fig. 5) is connected to the conveyor belt 31 and mounted on the shelving 3. Then the carriage 35 is connected to the hook 27 and again is drawn along the shelving 3 as casing, identified by the reference numeral 45, is delivered out of the hopper 28 onto the conveyor belt 3, as illustrated in Fig. 5. As the casing 45 is delivered onto the conveyor belt 31, some of it is being discharged onto the compost 40. Then, when the carriage 30 has travelled approximately halfway down the shelf 3, no more casing 45 is delivered onto the conveyor belt 29. The carriage is then continued to be drawn down the shelf 3 and the casing 45 is delivered on top of the compost 40, see Fig. 6.

A fine mist of water is then delivered by the nozzles 4 onto the casing 45 for a preset time and at present time intervals in an initial wetting stage. This initial wetting stage takes place for between one and five minutes approximately every hour. This initial wetting stage usually lasts about four to twelve hours, depending upon the condition of the casing 45. Usually, this wetting stage lasts between 4 and 5 hours. Then a water absorption stage is carried out over between twenty and twenty-eight and -7usually twenty-four hours, again depending upon the condition of the casing 45.

Water is applied to the casing based upon the condition of the casing, at all times ensuring that the casing remains reasonably saturated with water. After or during the wetting or absorption stages, the casing 26 is smoothed and ruffled in a conventional way.

When the first crop or flush of mushrooms has been harvested, the initial wetting, absorption and final wetting stages are repeated, usually for about between 40-60% of the time of the previous initial wetting, absorption and final wetting stages and with between 40-60% of the volume of water. When the second flush of mushrooms has been harvested, preparations are made for a third flush, again wetting the casing 45 in an initial wetting stage, having an absorption stage and a final wetting stage, usually with a quantity of water and time of the order of between 30-40% of that of the previous stages. Usually, only three flushes of mushrooms are harvested, although indeed additional flushes could be harvested. However, the yield is usually insufficient to warrant the time and the labour involved.

It has been found that each wetting stage can be as little as between four and five hours during the production of the first crop of mushrooms and that the absorption stage is carried out for the order of twenty four hours. These are relatively short times. It has been found, however, that by using the correct amount of water, it is possible to increase the humidity in the growing house to approximately 98% and that further, very efficient wetting of the casing 45 and compost 25 is achieved.

The spray nozzles 4 are arranged so as to cover an area of between 2 to 3 metres in diameter and to deliver between 44 and 65 litres per hour. In one embodiment, the area was approximately 2.4 metres in diameter, while delivering approximately 61 litres per hour.

The great advantage of having the pipe 11 of the nozzle 4 projecting into the feed pipe 5 is that when the fine mist is cut off, the pipe 11 empties very quickly under the pressure and any residual water in the pipe 5 cannot flow into the inlet 12. In this way, the water is shut off immediately and there are no residual drops or at least «0 50 3 8 4 -8there are minimal residual droplets left on the nozzle 4 which eventually fall onto the casing 26. Further, the fine mist prevents the adherence of large droplets to the underside of the shelving or to the structure itself. Thus, the growing mushrooms are not subject to splashing. Further, the fine mist ensures that the humidity of the house very quickly reaches the optimum. It will further be noticed that the fine mist also improves the wetting of the casing 45 and prevents it being disturbed to such an extent that the smoothing and ruffling of the casing 45 can be carried out during the absorption stage which further reduces the time to prepare the crop of mushrooms for growing.

Further, it has been noticed that because of the relative lack of disturbance of the and casing 45, more even growth was achieved. This was a surprising result as there did not seem to be any particular reason as to why this should happen. However, it is postulated that the possible reason is that a more even and cohesive growing medium with more even distribution of water achieves this, the point being that the casing 45 is evenly wetted throughout the shelf.

In the specification the terms “comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising” or any variation thereof and the terms “include, includes, included and including or any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.

The invention is not limited to the embodiment hereinbefore described, but may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (5)

1. QLAIMS

1. A method of growing mushrooms on an elongate shelf comprising: drawing a sheet of plastics netting longitudinally onto the shelf to cover the shelf; delivering seeded compost onto the netting as it is being drawn onto the shelf; delivering casing on top of the compost, delivering a fine mist of water onto the casing for a preset time at preset time intervals in an initial wetting stage for between 2 and 5 minutes every hour; then allowing the casing to rest for a preset time in a water absorption stage; delivering a further fine mist of water onto the casing for a preset time at preset intervals in a final wetting stage; drawing some of the compost up through the casing in a ruffling stage; then smoothing the surface of the casing and compost subsequent to ruffling in a settling stage, the settling stage taking place contemporaneously with the wetting and absorption stages; allowing the mushrooms to grow; harvesting the mushrooms as a first flush of mushrooms; carrying out further initial wetting, absorption and final wetting stages before harvesting a further crop of mushrooms; and -10then repeating this further initial wetting absorption and final wetting stages at least once more to produce a still further crop of mushrooms.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, in which an additional sheet of plastics material is positioned below the sheet of netting and drawn with it onto the shelf.

3. A method of growing mushrooms on an elongate shelf substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.

4. A growing house for carrying out the method of any preceding claim, comprising: an enclosure; a plurality of longitudinally arranged shelves; a main water delivery pipe longitudinally arranged above and spacedapart from each shelf and inclined downwardly from a water inlet to outlet; a plurality of spray nozzles mounted on a distal end of a spray pipe with its proximal end projecting into the interior of the delivery pipe, the spray nozzles projecting below the pipe; and a pressurised water pump feeding the main water delivery pipe.

5. A growing house tor carrying out the method of any of claims 1 to 3, substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.