WO1994016548A1

WO1994016548A1 - Device for cultivating mushrooms, in particular champignons

Info

Publication number: WO1994016548A1
Application number: PCT/DE1994/000086
Authority: WO
Inventors: Winfried Leibitz
Original assignee: Winfried Leibitz
Priority date: 1993-01-28
Filing date: 1994-01-27
Publication date: 1994-08-04
Also published as: EP0632691A1; DE4302273C1

Abstract

A device is disclosed for cultivating mushrooms (14), in particular champignons, on a substrate (10) for the mycelia (11) from which grow the fruiting bodies (13). A harvesting surface is provided with a surface material (1) which cannot be penetrated by the mycelia (11), which lies on the substrate (10) and has slot-like passages (2) provided at predetermined spots through which the mycelia (11) can grow in order to form the fruiting bodies (13) on the side of the surface material (1) opposite to the substrate (10). An integrated water supply is provided to generate the required humid microclimate on the side where the fruiting bodies grow. In order to ensure an automatic harvest, a scraping rail (15) scrapes away the mushrooms (14) which have reached a desired size, by moving with respect to the harvesting surface, and leaves undamaged the smaller fruiting bodies, so that they can continue to grow.

Description

Apparatus for growing mushrooms, in particular mushrooms

The invention relates to a device for growing mushrooms, in particular mushrooms, on a substrate for the mycelia for growing the fruiting bodies, with a sheet material which is intrinsically impenetrable for the mycelia and which lies against the substrate and has openings at predetermined points for the growing through of the mycelia to form the fruiting bodies on the other side of the sheet material to the substrate.

The particular field of application of the invention is the cultivation and harvesting of champagne. For this reason, champignons are always assumed in the explanations below. In principle, however, it is conceivable that the device according to the invention is suitable and usable not only for growing and harvesting mushrooms, but also for growing and harvesting other mushrooms.

WO 89/05574 discloses an apparatus for growing mushrooms of the type specified at the beginning. In the embodiment in FIG. 5, a compost layer is provided on which a surface material that is intrinsically impenetrable for the mycelia is placed. This surface material has slot-like openings which are filled with peat or the like. Tubes are in the compost material and are used to supply water and / or air. Due to the slit-like openings formed in the sheet material, the mycelia grow through to form the fruiting bodies and thus arise on the other side of the sheet material from the compost layer. A disadvantage of this known device for cultivating mushrooms is the water supply within the compost layer, since this ensures optimal growth of the mushrooms through the openings in the Surface material is not guaranteed. Furthermore, no possibility is provided to be able to harvest the mushrooms mechanically in a simple manner. After all, the plastic cover layers treated with pesticides are harmful to the environment, and the advantage of saving peat is therefore exchanged for a health hazard.

Proceeding from this, the invention is based on the objective of creating an improved culture technique for growing mushrooms and, in particular, mushrooms, in order to make them more machine-friendly with regard to a mechanized harvesting process.

As a technical solution it is proposed with the invention that an integrated water supply for generating the necessary moist microclimate is assigned to the surface material, this integrated water supply being formed by a water-storing device in which water channels run and in the area of which water-storing ones Device for moist fructification niches, in which the perforations of the sheet material also lie, are defined with fixed side walls, and that a mechanical harvesting device is provided on the side of the formation of the fruiting bodies.

In a further development of this, it is proposed that, with regard to the surface material on the side of the fruiting body formation, the integrated water supply for generating the necessary moist microclimate is provided, this integrated water supply being formed by a water-storing layer in the form of layer strips which are spaced apart and in which the water channels run and their intermediate distances between the layer strips, in which the perforations of the surface material also lie, are defined as moist fructification niches with fixed side walls.

A further preferred development proposes that a stripping rail is provided as the mechanical harvesting device, which is arranged at a predetermined fixed distance from the harvesting surface and wherein the stripping rail and the harvesting surface are movable relative to one another and thereby remove the mushrooms exceeding a certain size ¬ strips without cutting off the mushroom foot.

Due to this technical harvesting area in connection with a scraper bar for harvesting the mushrooms of a very specific size, this mushroom culture automation can be used to operate a profitable mushroom culture. The basic idea of the invention is to separate the substrate as a breeding ground for the mycelia from the actual establishment of the microclimate, the corresponding device for establishing the microclimate being moist. Te fructification niches defined, which only guarantee a perfect technical harvest of the mushrooms by means of the scraper. A surface material which is intrinsically impenetrable for the mycelia is used for the harvesting area, so that the substrate located behind the area material is not accessible and a smooth and clean harvesting area is thereby created. The surface material is in direct contact with the substrate and lies on it, for example. As will be explained in more detail below, a wide variety of substrate container designs are conceivable in the so-called antipode technique, taking advantage of the fact that the champignons between the spore germination and the tearing of the velum have no tropism and thus the mushrooms can grow in any direction, for example vertically downwards in the sense of an underbody harvest. The mycelia in the substrate grow through the perforations in the sheet material and reach the other side of the sheet material, where they are exposed to the moist microclimate. As soon as the mycelia have oxygen and water available, which is the case in the fructification niches, they grow more intensely and form the fruiting bodies. If necessary, oxygen or carbon dioxide can be supplied via the forced air conditioning in the technical harvesting area in order to create optimal conditions. The mushrooms do not grow densely, as is the case with conventional methods where they grow directly on a peat mixture, but the mushrooms only grow in the area of the break-through points in the sheet material. As a result, a loose mushroom stocking is created and a mushroom lump formation, which is an obstacle to the fully mechanical harvesting, is prevented. By means of the perforations formed in the sheet material, a controlled, loose mushroom individual setting is thus possible on the technical harvesting area according to the invention. If the openings are slits, the mushrooms are strung together like pearls on a string. On the basis of this sequence of mushrooms, those mushrooms which have reached the defined minimum size are selectively broken out laterally by means of the scraper bar. This represents a simple and inexpensive route to automatic mushroom harvesting via a so-called sub-harvest in terms of machine-friendly technology in order to mechanize the harvesting process. This automatic harvesting and care technology is far superior in cost and quality to the techniques still used today. The novel technical harvesting area can be produced industrially without any problems, in that the harvesting area can be produced in the desired dimensions as well as containers or shapes for the most varied applications of harvesting techniques with constant quality. Depending on the respective cultural needs, it can be easily adapted to flat, concave or convex harvested areas. The technical harvested areas according to the invention Chen are hard, tear-resistant, stable, smooth, clean, permeable to air and hydrophilic, but not washable. In contrast to today's harvesting areas, these properties of the technical harvesting area according to the invention are very easy to maintain and mechanize-friendly. They give smooth mushroom bases and the mushrooms a stable base, so that the harvesting machines can clean, selectively and quickly pick them even under the harvested area. The integrated water supply ensures automatic, capillary humidification. The forced air conditioning of the technical harvesting area according to the invention is many times more effective than the forced air conditioning of today's harvesting rooms of comparable harvesting capacities. This is due to the fact that the harvesting area according to the invention ensures that the gas exchange area is larger in comparison to conventional harvesting areas. Furthermore, the ratio of use of the harvesting area to the accommodated harvesting area is more than 6 times narrower than can be achieved with the techniques customary today. Finally, the technical harvesting area according to the invention has a much better and more stable, non-washable water-air pore volume structure due to tear-resistant, renewable cardboard-fabric combinations than today's harvesting areas have. This ability of the technical harvesting area according to the invention achieves an increase in production while at the same time saving energy. According to the invention, the harvesting machine is a scraper rail. In this way, a technically simple possibility for automatic harvesting of the mushrooms is created when they have reached the desired size. This ensures a selective, clean and fully automatic harvesting method with fully automatic storage of the homogeneous crop in harvesting containers, this method being far superior to manual harvesting in terms of costs and quality. If the mushrooms have reached the desired size, which corresponds to the distance between the scraper rail and the technical harvesting area according to the invention, the mushrooms hit the scraper rail and break off and are then placed in a corresponding collecting container in the sense of fully automatic storage and removal by conveyor belt in the Catching up on harvesting. This enables the harvesting device to measure each individual mushroom with millimeter precision before the automatic harvest by means of the scraper bar, ie to check whether it has reached the desired size before it is picked. The scraper rail is adapted to the contour of the harvested area and can be linear, but can also be designed as a bracket.

An alternative to the scraper rail suggests as a mechanical harvesting device that a computer-assisted picking system is provided for this. This picking system by means of a robot provides a detection of the mushrooms in order to then pick them automatically by means of a corresponding device. The technical harvested area before being placed vertically and double, so that simultaneous harvesting is possible on both sides.

In a preferred development of the surface material, it is proposed that the openings thereof are slits. The slot width is such that the mycelia grow through in the manner according to the invention and can form the fruiting bodies on the other side of the surface material. The slots are preferably arranged one behind the other and in rows on the surface material, so that they define the loose mushroom trimmings, which is important for the mechanical harvest.

A further development of the surface material suggests that it is a sheet or a plastic film. This sheet, which is of course rust-free, and the plastic film give the harvesting area the necessary stability to be able to carry out the intended mechanical harvest.

A further development suggests that ventilation is provided on the side of the fruiting body formation. This enables fully automatic air conditioning for internal crop areas with the consequence of optimal mushroom growth in the substrate mass.

In a preferred embodiment of the layer it is proposed that it be formed by cardboard. The cardboard is a renewable raw material which on the one hand enables a disposable substrate container and on the other hand has the desired water-storing properties. The hygiene of the mushroom culture can thus be maintained without chemical intervention. After consumption, that is to say when the culture has been harvested, the layer formed from cardboard can be composted or burned without further ado and thus disposed of.

A further development of the technical harvesting area according to the invention suggests that a fabric is arranged between the sheet material and the layer. The surface material is coated on one side with the fabric and serves as a carrier for the hyJrophise, water-storing layer. The fabric is a clean, organized, tear-resistant and hydrophilic material.

A further development of the layer suggests that it be provided with a ventilation. Technically, this can be achieved in that there are corresponding channels in the layer, which pass through corresponding air passage openings for the loading and ventilation and thus carry out a fully automatic air conditioning of the technical harvesting area.

A further development of the layer strips suggests that they are arranged in U-shaped rails. If the layer consists of cardboard, for example, the cardboard mass can be poured into the U-groove, so that the layer strips are additionally stabilized by the sheathing by means of the U-shaped groove, which can also consist of metal experiences. The side legs of these U-shaped profile rails can have a leg height of 1 to 2 cm.

A further development of the layer finally suggests that it be equipped with a temperature control. This temperature control can be formed by pipes running in the layer, through which appropriately tempered water can flow, so that the layer has the optimum temperature for mushroom growth.

An alternative constructive design of the technical harvesting area according to the invention proposes that tubes which are parallel or spaced from one another and are arranged directly or indirectly on the sheet material, define the ventilation channels with air passage openings formed on the fruit body side, and water channels are additionally provided. This enables fully automatic air conditioning of the technical harvesting area according to the invention, this air conditioning device being integrated into the harvesting area. In this way, fully automatic, controllable mushroom production is possible. The areas between the tubes, corresponding to the slot-like openings in the sheet material, form the fructification niches through which the mushrooms grow. The water channels are connected to the fructification niches in such a way that water is transported to these fructification niches and thus the required moist microclimate is made possible.

The water channels and the fructification niches are preferably formed between the ventilation channels. A wide variety of constellations are conceivable. It is thus possible, for example, for the ventilation channels and the ventilation channels to alternate and for the water channels and the functional niches to be alternately formed in between. Alternatively, however, it is also conceivable that ventilation channel pairs and ventilation channel pairs always alternate, the fructification niches being formed between these pairs, while the water channels are formed between the two channels of each pair. Other constellations are easily conceivable. A further development suggests that the tubes have an essentially rectangular cross section and are divided along the longitudinal center plane, the ventilation channels being formed on both sides and the water channel in between. This has the advantage of a simple technical structure, in that two channels are always combined in one tube. The two channels are separated from one another by a corresponding partition along the longitudinal center plane, without the two channels being connected to one another via this partition. Here, too, there are two alternatives for arranging the channels in the pipe. On the one hand, the two sides can define a ventilation channel on one side on both sides of the longitudinal center plane and the ventilation channel on the other side. On the other hand, it is also conceivable that channels of the same type are arranged on both sides, ie that the tube has either two ventilation channels or two ventilation channels.

A further development suggests that the water channels and the fructification niches are at least partially lined with a tissue in such a way that the water in the water channel reaches the fructification niches via the capillary action of the tissue. This represents a technically simple possibility for an integrated water supply by an automatic, capillary humidification. The tissue in the fructification niches is connected to the tissue in the water channels by the same, one-piece or also by an additional tissue, so that Via the capillary action already mentioned, the water in the water channel can crawl over the tissue into the fructification niches.

A further development of this suggests that the tubes with the ventilation channels in the area of their air passage openings are also equipped with the fabric. Of course, this fabric also has a capillary connection with the fabric in the water channel, so that the water in the water channel can also crawl to the fabric in the area of the air outlet openings. This has the great advantage that the air emerging through the air passage openings of the ventilation channels is humidified and an optimal climate can thus be set.

A further development of this suggests that the ventilation channels can be switched as ventilation channels and vice versa the ventilation channels can be switched as ventilation channels. This enables a further optimization of the air humidity in the fructification area. If the air humidity becomes too high, the ventilation is simply reversed, in that the former ventilation channels now provide for ventilation, ie for the air to escape. This one but are not provided with a fabric, the air is not humidified here. The non-humidified air is then vented through the former ventilation channels.

Another preferred development suggests that additional pipes for temperature control are arranged between the sheet material and the pipes. This allows optimal temperature conditions to be created. These additional tubes also have a preferably rectangular cross section and can be made of a plastic material. Appropriately tempered water is preferably pumped through these additional pipes. Two pipe layers are preferably to be provided, namely a first pipe layer for temperatures from 14 to 18 ° C. and a second pipe layer for 21 to 25 ° C., the latter pipe layer being located in the area of the surface material.

A development of this suggests that the additional tubes are covered with a fabric. As a result, the appropriate capillary action ensures moistening in the spaces between the tubes.

A further development suggests that the tubes and the additional tubes are offset from one another in layers to form a gap. This allows the mycelia to grow optimally in a draft-free microclimate.

A further development of this suggests that a fabric is arranged between the surface material and the tubes. This enables a technically simple possibility for regulating the capillary hypothermia water supply. This tissue can be provided in addition to the previously mentioned tissues in order to achieve optimal moisture penetration.

A further development of the ventilation ducts suggests that pipes for temperature control run in these. This ensures an optimal growth climate with regard to the necessary temperatures.

An alternative embodiment of the technical harvesting area provides that laterally adjacent, preferably reusable profile tubes are provided, between which the water storage devices, which can preferably be used once, are arranged.

A further development of this suggests that the profile tubes are bulged laterally, preferably semicircular. A further development of this variant of the technical harvesting area suggests that the water-storing device is a tube made of cardboard or a comparable material, preferably covered with a fabric, with a central water channel.

Finally, a further development of this variant suggests that the profile tubes have passage openings for ventilation.

This technical harvesting area is a further improvement of the technical harvesting areas described above. With this technical harvesting area, cultivation hygiene is increased by simple assembly before cultivation and simple dismantling after harvesting cultivation, as well as economy, with disposal taking place without environmental pollution. This is achieved on the one hand by the shape of the air conditioning ducts and on the other hand by the provision of suitable one-way water ducts which define the water storage devices. These are always standardized parts which are accessible for easy replacement. The profile tubes, which are also used for ventilation, are given correspondingly concave side walls, so that when they are placed against one another, a preferably cylindrical cavity is created which is filled with a cardboard tube covered with fabric. These round fructification columns serve both as a water channel and as a passage for the mycelium. The latter creeps attracted to the attraction of moisture on both sides between the air duct and the fabric of the cardboard duct to the opposite outlet opening (fructification niches). The mycelium creeps only over the wet cardboard channels and does not grow into them, so that the walls of the bulged profile tubes have a guiding function to the opposite side. There the mycelium comes into contact with oxygen for the first time, so that the fruiting body forms. This ensures an optimal water supply, which can be controlled directly and automatically. After the end of the harvest, the technical harvesting area thus formed is disassembled, on the one hand into the profile tubes, which are preferably made of metal, and on the other hand into the organic parts, that is to say the water-storing devices. While the profile tubes can be washed and reused, the water channels from the fabric casing and the cardboard tube are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner by composting or incineration. Each new harvesting area thus uses the old profile tubes, but new cardboard tubes. Another advantage of this technical harvesting area is that it can be stored vertically during watering. The technical harvesting area, which is made up of standardized prefabricated parts, serves for simple and quick construction and for disassembly into its individual parts. Much more water can be made available in the sub-mushroom casting process than this is the case with the harvested areas described above. In addition, a simple change and more economical use of cardboard and tissue is guaranteed.

A further development of the technical harvesting area according to the invention suggests that tubes for temperature control run in the substrate. An appropriately tempered liquid, in particular water, enables automatic temperature control of the harvesting area in order to force the harvesting waves through an optimal temperature setting. The tubes for the temperature control can either be welded onto the back of the surface material or they can also run directly inside the substrate.

A further development of the technical harvesting area according to the invention proposes that these be arranged on the areas of a cuboid, the substrate being located within this cuboid. This represents a first possibility for the technical realization of the harvesting area according to the invention, whereby flat harvesting areas are created by using a cuboid within which the substrate is located. A flat cuboid will be provided, the two flat sides of which are equipped with the technical harvesting area according to the invention.

In a development of this embodiment it is proposed that the cuboid can be rotated about the longitudinal central axis. This makes it possible to use appropriate harvesting techniques.

An alternative embodiment proposes that the technical harvesting surface according to the invention is formed into a tube, the surface material being on the outside and, accordingly, the substrate outside the tube, or the surface material on the inside and correspondingly the substrate being inside the tube. The advantages thus achieved are described in more detail below with reference to the drawings. The tube can be, for example, a cylinder, a square tube or the like. Mixed forms are also conceivable from the different variants, for example concave below and the harvesting surface even. A two-part or multi-part construction is also conceivable, which is advantageous for the cleaning work, since disassembly is possible and all parts are therefore accessible.

The scraper rail is preferably movable transversely to the longitudinal extent of the fructification niches. This has the advantage that the mushrooms break off over the boundary edges of the fructification niches and thus a clean break occurs. The scraper rail is preferably adjustable in accordance with the desired mushroom size.

In the event that the sheet material is on the outside, the stripped mushrooms are preferably discharged via a water stream present in the tube. In this case, the wiper rail consists of a bracket that can be moved longitudinally within the tube. The broken mushrooms then fall into the water and are carried away by the current.

In summary, the technical harvesting area for mushroom cultivation described above has the following advantages over the cultivation techniques that have been used up to now:

The design of the harvested area according to the invention enables a tearproof and mechanisier¬ friendly mushroom base due to the inexpensive double use (substrate container equal to the harvested area). Furthermore, the use of the harvested area of the entire container surface achieves a multiple increase in the harvested area and thus the space required for the loose mushroom stocking for a fully mechanical mushroom harvest, and the openings, preferably in the form of slits in the surface material of the harvested area, enable the necessary controllable individual mushroom position for the mechanical mushroom harvest. The position of the harvested area as an underbody harvested area enables for the first time an inexpensive, uncomplicated mushroom placement in harvesting vessels after the picking. With the stable, clean and hydrophilic technical harvesting area, a fully automatic cultivation is possible for the first time, namely through the fully automatic humidification on a capillary, homogeneous basis via water channels integrated in the technical harvesting area without the usual pouring errors. In addition, the automatic crop surface temperature control accelerates the harvest via integrated liquid lines. The technical harvesting area in the form of a tube with integrated climate control and with an internal harvesting area enables for the first time the automatic mushroom harvest from the shapeless substrate mass for the profitable, highly qualified production of fresh market or industrial goods. The clean, fully mechanical harvesting method saves approx. 25% cutting waste and only requires 1/6 of the converted space compared to today's cultivation techniques. The tear-resistant technical harvesting area made from renewable raw materials also serves as a disposable substrate container for maintaining culture hygiene without chemical treatments, and after cultivation, combustion is possible. A constant quality can be achieved by the industrial production of the harvesting area / raw material combination, wherein, if desired, all cultural wishes and cultural advantages can be reconciled with the tearproof, clean, mouldable technical harvesting area according to the invention with the most varied shapes can be. Overall, when using the culture technology according to the invention, nursing and harvesting personnel, service aisles and finally culture rooms can be reduced to a minimum. The fully automatic mushroom harvest is carried out using softly padded, simple scraper rails, which far exceeds all previous harvesting methods in terms of quality, quantity and injury-free handling. This high harvesting performance is achieved according to the invention by the combination of a technical harvesting area and inexpensive, maintenance-free scraper rail and serves primarily to shorten the harvesting time. By permanently harvesting the mushrooms ready for harvest, the ripe fruiting bodies are immediately picked from the mycelium several times a day in order to induce new fruiting bodies to grow out due to excess nutrient pressure in the mushroom mycelium. Harvesting takes place quickly, often, simply and very precisely (up to 3 times a day), machines being more suitable than humans, who are not up to the constant stress of today's uncomfortable harvesting room conditions. As a result, the fully automatic, precise and frequent harvesting on the technical harvesting area results in a shortening of the harvesting time compared to conventional comparable substrate yields, which ultimately leads to an increase in turnover per year. As a result, the capital-intensive harvesting areas are used more economically and the spread of pests is very decimated.

Various exemplary embodiments of the technical harvesting area according to the invention are described below with reference to the drawings. In these shows:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the technical harvesting area.

FIG. 2 shows an application form of the technical harvesting area in FIG. 1 using a cylinder in a perspective illustration; FIG.

3 shows an end view of the embodiment in FIG. 2 on an enlarged scale;

4 shows another possible application of the harvesting area in FIG. 1, in which a large box is used for a flat harvesting area;

FIG. 5 shows a further embodiment in which the harvesting area in FIG. 1 is shaped into hollow cylinders; 6 shows a perspective illustration of an alternative embodiment of the technical harvesting area;

7 is a schematic view of a further alternative embodiment of the technical harvesting area,

8 shows a schematic view of a further alternative embodiment with the technical harvesting area.

1 to 5 show the use of a first embodiment of a technical harvesting area for external harvesting and FIG. 6 shows an alternative, second embodiment of a technical harvesting area for the underbody harvest in mushroom cultivation. FIG. 7 shows a third embodiment of a technical harvesting area. The technical harvesting areas, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, are examples of internal harvesting areas. Finally, FIG. 8 shows a fourth embodiment of a technical harvesting area.

In the external embodiment of the technical harvesting area, as can be seen in FIG. 1, a sheet material 1 in the form of a rustproof sheet or a plastic film is provided. This surface material 1 is provided with slot-like openings 2, which are arranged in rows parallel to one another. The surface material 1 is provided with welded-on tubes 3 parallel to the rows of slits, through which water which has been tempered for automatic temperature control flows. Underside, the surface material 1 is provided with a clean, organic, tear-resistant and hydrophilic fabric 4. On this fabric 4 there is also a hydrophilic, water-storing layer 5 made of cardboard. This layer 5 is formed by layer strips 5 ', which likewise run parallel to the rows of slots. To stabilize the layer strips are each in a U-shaped profile rail 6, for example made of metal, the cardboard mass is poured into these profile rails 6. Embedded water channels 7 extend along these layer strips 5 '. The layer strips 5' also have an intermediate distance between them, in which the rows of slots are also located and define the moist fructification niches 8. As can be seen in FIG. 1, the technical harvesting area formed in this way is deformable and can be rolled up, for example.

2 and 3 show a first application of this technical harvesting area in the form of a harvesting area tube for a fully mechanical mushroom harvest in the form of a sub-soil harvest. The harvesting area is shaped into a cylindrical tube, the sheet material 1 being on the inside and the layer 5 on the outside, as can be seen in particular in FIG. 3 is. Along the longitudinal center axis there is a tube 9, which on the one hand serves for stability. The interior of the cylinder is provided around the tube 9 with a spiked or grown substrate 10 in which mycelia 11 for the mushrooms are located. Furthermore, the tubes 3 for substrate temperature control are located in the substrate 10. These tubes 3 are not directly attached to the sheet material 1 as in the harvesting area in FIG. 1, but extend fully within the substrate 10. The substrate thickness is defined by the distance between the tube 9 and the sheet material 1.

3 further shows the U-shaped profile rails 6, in which the cardboard mass forming the layer strips 5 'for the hydrophilic water reservoir is located. The water channels 7 are embedded therein, as are pipes 12 through which likewise tempered water for automatic temperature control flows in the cardboard mass of the layer 5. The thickness of the cardboard mass is 1 to 2 cm. Furthermore, the friction niches with fabric coating can be seen in FIG. 3.

The harvesting surface tube designed in this way, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, functions as follows:

The mycelia 11 are located within the substrate 10. The substrate 10 has an optimal temperature due to a corresponding flooding of the tubes 3. The mycelia initially grow through the slot-like openings 2 in the sheet material 1 and reach the moist and column-like fructification niches 8 which are flush with these openings 2. As soon as the mycelia 11 have oxygen and water nearby, they grow more intensely and form fruiting bodies 13 and thus the mushrooms 14 in the form of mushrooms. The water-storing layer 5 forms the required moist microclimate, which is necessary for the growth of the fruiting bodies 13. The optimal temperature control is carried out by the appropriately tempered water flowing through the tubes 12.

The following fact is used: mushrooms are heterotrophic and chlorophyll-free and do not require any light. The mycelia 11 only grow vegetatively in the C0 ₂ substrate without oxygen. This vegetative growth lasts until the mycelia detect 1 1 oxygen. Then suddenly there is a generative growth phase, namely the fructification. These two phases are used specifically for single mushroom control in the fructification niche 8. The mycelia 11 only grow vegetatively through the moist tissue and reach the openings 2 or fructification niches 8. As a result they come into contact with oxygen for the first time. With optimal water supply and sufficient oxygen supply, the change from the vegetative growth phase to the generative phase (primordium formation) is carried out within 36 hours. The mushroom growth begins and depends only on temperature and water. The mycelia 11 have already stored all the nutrients for the generative phase in the vegetative phase and can thus carry out this change and develop fruiting bodies. This growth rhythm of the mushrooms is not subject to tropism until the spores are thrown, so that the fruiting bodies are influenced exclusively by the microclimate and not by the light or gravity. This enables the fruiting bodies to grow on a sphere in a radial and even manner, in the manner of antipodes, if the climatic conditions are suitable for this. This phenomenon is used economically in the present invention with the technical harvesting area for automatic mushroom harvesting.

Furthermore, a fixed, straight scraper rail 15 is assigned to this harvesting surface tube, which is provided on the top side with a shock absorber 16, in particular made of rubber. Below the scraper rail 15 is a schematically indicated harvesting container 17.

The crop surface tube is rotated with the tube 9 as an axis. Those mushrooms 14 which, owing to their size, abut the scraper rail 15 are picked from the harvested area by the slow rotation of the cylinder until they break and with the clean mushroom foot (corresponds to approximately 20% increase in harvest) into the harvesting container underneath ge ¬ without the mushroom foot has an injury or has been cut off. A prerequisite for this mechanical harvest is the loose mushroom stocking on the harvested area, which is ensured by the fact that the mycelia 11 can only grow through the slit-like openings 2 in the sheet material 1 and grow in loose rows of mushroom pearls, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 is shown.

This fully automatic rotary harvest on the convex harvesting surface tube is particularly suitable for the fresh market. A disposable substrate container with a convex tube harvesting surface is used. Compared to comparable substrate volumes, this enables a harvest area that is more than 3 times larger. By designing the harvesting area as a tube, a very machine-friendly harvesting area design with a fully automatic, selective rotation harvest is made possible. The prefabricated, round harvesting surface tubes of approximately 40 cm in diameter are filled tightly with streaky substrate 10, the tube 9 leading through the tube center, the end of which can be used for the rotatable mounting in a magazine. The core temperature in the harvesting tube is automatically regulated by the tempered water in the tubes 3. The harvest pipe can be approx. 5 m long. The pipes are stored horizontally in 5 m width and 10 to 20 m long magazines in double room halves with intermediate harvesting aisles. The harvesting rotation machine with the corresponding scraper rails 15 is located in them. For harvesting, a magazine with 120 to 240 m ^{2 is} pulled out like a drawer and placed on the rotation machine and all mushrooms 14 ready for harvesting are disposed of with 360 ° rotation. The harvest takes place fully automatically in about 20 seconds, the harvested mushrooms 14 being deposited cleanly, undamaged and homogeneously in the harvesting containers 17.

After the rotation harvest, the drawer magazine is pushed into the opposite empty space. When all the magazines have finished harvesting and the mushrooms 14 are in the cold store, the magazines have changed the halves of the double room so that the empty rooms can be cleaned. During the 12 hours of rest, the drawer magazines are connected to the care fluids via quick-release couplings and automatically maintained. The rotation is harvested twice a day at 12-hour intervals. Due to this fully mechanical cultivation method, no care and harvesting personnel are required in the harvesting rooms anymore, therefore no service courses etc. are required in the harvesting area. With this fully mechanical cultivation technique, 6 times less space is required per m ^{2 of} technical harvesting area.

In FIG. 5 the harvesting area shown in FIG. 1 is also shaped into a cylinder, however the cylinders are embedded in the substrate 10, ie the mushrooms 14 grow inwards. Here the technical harvesting area enables a fully automatic champion culture from the substrate mass. The substrate layers are approx. 5 to 50 m wide and 20 to 40 cm thick with any length. Depending on the substrate activity, pipelines are embedded between the layers at necessary intervals for possible temperature controls. The liquid can preferably consist of pretreated groundwater. At the same time, plastic pipe or sheet metal reinforced harvesting area pipes of approximately 40 cm in diameter are formed from the technical harvesting area according to the invention. These harvesting area tubes are layered close to each other onto the smoothly distributed substrate 10 in the length of the substrate layer, and a 20 to 40 cm substrate layer is again spread out over them and pipes are again provided for the purpose of temperature control. This layer can be extended over a height of 5 m. Containers can be used for mobile mushroom culture substrate masses and can be rented to the grower for 3 to 4 weeks of harvest shortly before the harvest. The harvested area pipes are forced-ventilated to ensure the necessary gas exchange and are connected to the automatic cultivation culture of the technical harvested areas. The harvest tubes are about two thirds; designed as a concave, internal underbody surface over the entire length of the tube, while the lower third serves as a transport route for a mobile crop stripper with a bow-shaped scraper rail and the subsequent mushroom transport and remains free. The harvested mushrooms 14 are washed out of the harvested surface tubes by a water stream 18.

This extensive, but very profitable culture is designed exclusively for the production of qualitatively good and inexpensive canned goods. It is therefore possible to rinse the buoyant mushroom harvest directly for processing from the harvesting area pipes at low cost and in a quality-friendly manner.

Instead of the mushrooms being discharged via a water stream, it is alternatively also possible to discharge them by means of a harvesting carriage which can be moved by a push rod in each of the harvesting area tubes, the movement of the harvesting vehicles being able to be coupled in the various tubes.

The application form in FIG. 4 relates to a flat technical harvesting area for the underbody culture. A large box without floor boards of any size receives the floor and the opposite box opening with the inventive, planar technical harvesting area and is then tightly filled with peppered substrate 10. The harvest area can have an area of 5x3 m, for example. These large boxes are, for example, inserted into 5 m wide halls in a drawer-like manner without intermediate timber and stored one above the other and pushed out again for harvesting via adjustable scraper rails 15 for harvesting. Under the stripping rails 15 there are also harvesting containers 17 into which the selectively picked, clean mushrooms 14 are automatically deposited. The double harvesting area crate is then rotated through 180 ° and again pushed over the scraper rail 15. The unharvested harvested area now passes the scraper rail and is picked over in the manner described above and at the same time pushed into the clean, empty, opposite double room. When all the large boxes have been harvested, they have changed rooms at the same time, so that the rooms that have now become empty can be cleaned. Harvesting takes place every 12 hours with this selective harvesting method, which is always associated with a change of space for cultural hygiene. The retracted large boxes are connected to an automatic liquid care device via a quick coupling.

An embodiment for the internal technical harvesting area is shown in FIG. 6. Here tubes 19 are provided in the form of square tubes, which alternately Define channels 20 and ventilation channels 20 ', each of which has air passage openings 21 toward the fruiting body formation side. These ventilation channels 20, 20 'using the square tubes 19 are used for ventilation of this embodiment of the technical harvesting area and thus for fully automatic air conditioning. Furthermore, the tubes 19 have water channels 22 which are open at the top. These water channels 22 are defined by indentations directed downwards and extending in the longitudinal direction of the tubes 19, these water channels 22 separating the ventilation channels 20, 20 'from one another so that a cross connection is not possible. The tubes 19 are also covered with a fabric 23 '. This is to be understood in such a way that the fabric 23 'first covers the base of the water channel 22, then the side walls of the water channel 22 are pulled up in order to then run over the top of the tube 19. Finally, the fabric 23 'is guided over the side surfaces in the area of the fructification niches 8. Water is passed through the water channels 22, the water wetting the fabric 23 '. Due to the capillary action of the fabric 23 ', the water creeps into the area of the fructification niches 8 and causes the moist microclimate there.

If necessary, 19 tubes can be accommodated in the tubes and flooded with tempered water. In the illustrated embodiment, a square tube 19 is provided for a ventilation channel 20 and a ventilation channel 20 ', the water channel 22 being located between these two channels 20, 20'. The width of these square tubes 19 is approximately 4 to 6 cm. The intermediate distance between the tubes in the area of the fructification niches 8 is approximately 2 to 3 mm.

The square tubes 19 designed and lined up in this way are covered with a further, flat fabric 23. This is followed by the sheet material 1 provided with the openings 2. Finally, the coating with the substrate 10 takes place.

FIG. 7 shows a further embodiment of the technical harvesting area according to the invention. This embodiment of the technical harvesting area according to the invention has an automatic temperature control for areas of application in seasons which do not have a natural mushroom climate. In this case, tubes 19 are initially arranged parallel to one another in a plane, as shown in FIG. 6 on the basic principle and previously described. However, the tubes 19 do not have the ventilation channel 20 on both sides of the central water channel 22 on the one side and the ventilation channel 20 'on the other side, but each tube 19 is equipped with either two ventilation channels 20 or with two ventilation channels 20'. However, the two types of pipe alternate, ie a pipe 19 with its two ventilation channels 20 is followed by a pipe 19 with two ventilation channels 20 'and vice versa.

Another special feature is that the tubes 19 with the ventilation channels 20 'have a coating with a fabric 23', as was already the case with the embodiment in FIG. 6. The tubes 19 with the ventilation channels 20 additionally have the fabric 23 'on the underside in the area of the air passage openings 21, while this is not the case with the tubes 19 with the ventilation channels 20'.

Above the tubes 19 there is a first row of tubes 24, to be precise with a gap to the tubes 19. Cold water at a temperature of 14 to 18 ° C. is pumped through these tubes 24. Above it is another row of pipes 25 (also with a gap) through which water is also pumped, but at a temperature of 21 to 25 ° C. The sheet material 1 with the openings 2 and finally the substrate 10 are located above it.

This embodiment works as follows:

The basic principle of this embodiment works according to that of the harvested area in FIG. 6. However, the embodiment in FIG. 7 brings further advantages. The fact that the tubes 19 with the ventilation channels 20 are covered on the underside in the region of the air passage openings 21 with the fabric 23 results in a humidification of the emerging air. As soon as it is determined that the air humidity is too high, the ventilation channels 20 are switched as ventilation channels and the ventilation channels 20 'as ventilation channels, i.e. the air now exits through tubes 19 which are not provided with a fabric 23 'on the underside, so that air humidification also no longer takes place.

The tubes 24 and 25 in the two rows above allow the optimum temperature to be set in accordance with the growth requirements, the tubes 24 defining a cold zone and the tubes 25 defining a warm zone. Overall, this embodiment thus creates a fully automatic control of the operating conditions for optimal growth conditions.

Finally, FIG. 8 shows a further variant of a technical harvesting area, which consists of standardized prefabricated parts. For example, this technical harvesting surface has professional tubes 26, which - as can be seen in FIG. 8 - are joined laterally. The upper and lower sides of the profile tubes 26 form flat surfaces and define continuous slots in the collision area. The top of the profile tubes 26 is separated by a tes surface material 1 covered, which has slot-shaped openings 2 which extend above the continuous slots between the profile tubes 26. The two side walls 27 of each profile tube 26 are each semicircular, that is, concave indented. The opposite side walls 27 of two adjacent profile tubes 26 thus each define a cylindrical cavity. This is filled by a tube 28 made of cardboard or a comparable material. This tube 28 made of cardboard is covered by a fabric 29 and has a water channel 30 inside.

This technical harvesting area works as follows:

As previously mentioned, this technical harvesting area consists of standardized prefabricated parts. This means that the profile tubes 26 consist for example of metal and are reusable in any case. In contrast, the cardboard tubes 28 with the fabric covering can only be used once. In order to create a new technical harvesting area, the profiled tubes 26 and the tubes 28 are joined together in the manner shown. As a result, round spaces are formed, the cardboard tube 28 with the water channel 30 therein being used for generating the necessary moist microclimate and also for the passage of the mycelium 11. The latter creeps on both sides, attracted by the attraction of moisture between the profile tubes 26 and the fabric 29 of the tube 28 to the opposite fructification niches 8. The mycelium 11 crawls only over the wet cardboard channels and does not grow into them, so that the side walls 27 of the profile tubes 26 have a guiding function is coming. On the side opposite the substrate 10, the mycelium 11 comes into contact with oxygen for the first time so that the fruiting body 13 can be formed. This ensures an optimal water supply, which can be controlled directly and automatically. Air passage openings 31, which serve for ventilation, are also provided in the profile tubes 26.

At the end of the harvest, the technical harvesting area is broken down into the profile tubes 26 and the tubes 28, that is to say into inorganic and organic parts. While the profile tubes 26 can be cleaned and reused, the tubes 28 are disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner by composting or incineration.

This technical harvesting area can be stored and transported vertically during harvesting and at the same time for fully automatic harvesting by harvesting robots. The essential advantage is that watering and harvesting can take place at the same time. This also applies to all the technical harvesting areas described. The special advantage lies in optimal cultivation hygiene by simply assembling it before cultivation and simply dismantling it after harvesting. This precast technology significantly increases the economic efficiency compared to previous technologies, and the disposal takes place without environmental pollution.

Reference list

1 sheet material

2 breakthrough

3 pipe

4 tissues

5 layer

5 'layer strips

6 profile rail

7 water channel

8 fructification niche

9 pipe

10 substrate

11 mycelia

12 pipe

13 fruiting bodies

14 mushroom

15 scraper rail

16 shock absorbers

17 harvest containers

18 water flow

19 pipe

20 ventilation duct

20 'vent channel

21 air passage opening

22 water channel

23 tissues

23 'tissue

24 tube

25 pipe

26 profile tube

27 side wall

28 tube

29 tissue

30 water channel

31 air passage opening

Claims

Expectations

1 . Device for growing mushrooms (14), in particular mushrooms on a substrate (10) for the mycelia (11) for growing the fruiting bodies (13), with a sheet material (1) which is intrinsically impenetrable for the mycelia (11) and which bears on the substrate (10) and has openings (2) at predetermined points for the mycelia (11) to grow through to form the fruiting bodies (13) on the other side of the surface material (1) from the substrate (10), characterized in that that an integrated water supply for generating the necessary moist microclimate is assigned to the surface material (1), this integrated water supply being formed by a water-storing device in which water channels (7) run, and wherein in the area of this water-storing device moist frictional niches (8), in which the openings (2) of the sheet material (1) also lie, are defined with fixed side walls, and that a mechanical harvesting device is provided on the side of the formation of the fruiting bodies (13).

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the integrated water supply for generating the necessary moist microclimate is provided with respect to the surface material (1) on the side of the fruiting body formation, this integrated water supply through a water-storing layer (5) in Form of parallel spaced layer strips (5 ') is formed, in which the water channels (7) run and their intermediate distances between the layer strips (5'), in which the openings (2) of the sheet material (1) are also located , are defined as moist fructification niches (8) with fixed side walls.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a stripping rail (15) is provided as the mechanical harvesting device, which is arranged at a predetermined fixed distance from the harvesting surface and wherein the stripping rail (15) and the harvesting surface are movable relative to each other and thereby the mushrooms (14) exceeding a certain size are stripped off without the mushroom foot being cut off.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that as a mechanical Harvesting device a computer-assisted picking system is provided.

5. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the openings (2) are slots.

6. Device according to one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the surface material (1) is a sheet or a plastic film.

7. Device according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that a ventilation is provided on the side of the fruiting body formation.

8. Device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the layer (5) is formed by cardboard.

9. Device according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that a fabric (4) is arranged between the surface material (1) and the layer (5).

10. Device according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the layer (5) is provided with a ventilation.

1 1. Device according to one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the layer strips (5 ') are arranged in U-shaped rails (6).

12. The device according to one of claims 1 to 11, characterized in that the layer (5) is equipped with a temperature control.

13. Device according to one of claims 1 to 12, characterized in that on the surface material (1) directly or indirectly, mutually parallel and spaced tubes (19) are arranged, the ventilation channels (20, 20 ') with the fruiting ¬ Define air passage openings (21) which are designed on the person side and water channels (22) are additionally provided.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13, characterized in that between the ventilation channels (20, 20 '), the water channels (22) and the fructification niches (8) are formed.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 or 14, characterized in that the tubes (19) egg have an essentially rectangular cross section and are divided along the longitudinal center plane, the ventilation channels (20, 20 ') being formed on both sides and the water channel (22) in between.

16. The device according to one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that the water channels (22) and the fructification niches (8) are at least partially formed with a fabric (23 ') such that the water in the water channel (23) via the Capillary action of the tissue (23 ') reaches the fructification niches (8).

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that the tubes (19) with the ventilation channels (20) in the region of their air passage openings (21) are also equipped with the fabric (23 ').

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, characterized in that the ventilation channels (20) as ventilation channels and vice versa, the ventilation channels (20 ') as ventilation channels (20) are switchable.

19. Device according to one of claims 13 to 18, characterized in that between the sheet material (1) and the tubes (19) additional tubes (24, 25) are arranged for temperature control.

20. The apparatus according to claim 19, characterized in that the additional tubes (24, 25) are covered with a fabric (23 ').

21. The apparatus according to claim 19 or 20, characterized in that the tubes (19) and the additional tubes (24, 25) are offset from one another in layers to a gap.

22. Device according to one of claims 13 to 21, characterized in that between the surface material (1) and the tubes (19) a fabric (23) is arranged.

23. Device according to one of claims 13 to 22, characterized in that pipes for temperature control run in the ventilation channels (20, 20 ').

24. Device according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that laterally adjacent, preferably reusable profile tubes (26) are provided, between each of which the preferably once usable, water-storing devices are arranged.

25. The device according to claim 24, characterized in that the profile tubes (26) each bulged laterally, preferably are semicircular.

26. The apparatus according to claim 24 or 25, characterized in that the water-storing device is a tube (28) made of cardboard or a comparable material, preferably with a fabric (29), with a central water channel (30).

27. The device according to any one of claims 24 to 26, characterized in that the profile tubes (26) have passage openings (31) for ventilation.

28. Device according to one of claims 1 to 27, characterized in that in the substrate (10) tubes (3) for temperature control.

29. Device according to one of claims 1 to 28, characterized in that the device is arranged on the surfaces of a cuboid, the substrate (10) being located within this cuboid.

30. The device according to claim 29, characterized in that the cuboid is rotatable about the longitudinal central axis.

31. Device according to one of claims 1 to 28, characterized in that the device is formed into a tube, the sheet material (1) being outside and accordingly the substrate (1) outside the tube or else the sheet material ( 1) inside and, accordingly, the substrate (10) is located inside the tube.

32. Device according to one of claims 1 to 31, characterized in that the stripping rail (15) is movable transversely to the longitudinal extension of the fructification niches (8).

33. Device according to one of claims 1 to 32, characterized in that the scraper rail is adjustable according to the desired mushroom size.

34. Device according to one of claims 1 to 33, characterized in that in the event that the sheet material (1) is on the outside, the stripped mushrooms (14) are discharged via a water stream (18) present in the tube.