Australian
MUSHR MS EDITION 2 - 2021
JOURNAL
JOURNAL
EDITION 2 - 2021
Special liftout edition, as AMGA celebrates 60 years.
CONTENTSONTENTS
C
Editorial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Chairman’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Relationship & General Manager’s Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Communications Manager Report . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
AMGA Best Practice Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
‘Australia’s Best Mushroom Pie’ Announced . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Marketing Australian Mushrooms: An Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Consumers Respond Positively To Campaign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Detergent & Farm Sanitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Rotating Disinfectants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Modern Mushroom Developments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Solutions To Emerging Disease Threats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
The Road To A Centre Of Excellence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
Steering Committee: Meet The Team . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Celebrating 60 Years: The AMGA Timeline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
ISMS E-Congress Update . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Dr Jenny Ekman Wins Bayer Researcher Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Hort Innovation Roundup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Information Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Industry Videos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Front Cover: Vegetarian Mushroom ‘Meatballs’ - https://
australianmushrooms.com.au/recipe/vegetarian-mushroom-
meatballs/
Inside Cover: Chicken, Leek & Mushroom Pies - https://
australianmushrooms.com.au/recipe/chicken-leek-mushroom-pies/
The Australian Mushrooms Journal is produced as part of the Mushroom Industry
Communication program (MU18001). This project has been funded by Hort
Innovation, using the mushroom research and development levy and contributions
from the Australian Government. Hort Innovation is the grower owned, not-for-
profi t research and development corporation for Australian horticulture | Editorial:
Chris Rowley, Editor - 04 1514 0253 | Judy Allan, Editorial Consultant - (02) 6767 1057 |
Publication Dates: March / June / September / December | Copy Deadline: Six weeks prior to
the cover date | Subscriptions: The Journal is available to levy payers and others involved in
the Australian Industry. The Journal is distributed in electronic and print formats. Requests
to be included on the distribution list should be directed to the Editor | Letters to the Editor:
Letters to the Editor from readers on subjects of interest to the mushroom industry
are welcomed and encouraged. All contributions should be emailed to the Editor (chris.
[email protected]) | Editorial Policy: The opinions expressed by contributors and
advertisers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Hort Innovation. No
responsibility will be accepted for any statements made or views expressed in this journal,
or for any advertisements included. Hort Innovation reserves the right to edit, rewrite,
withhold or reject any or all material whether it be editorial, advertising copy or advertorial. If
editorial changes are made, the Editor will contact the author before publication for approval.
Manuscripts, correspondence, change of address requests should be sent to the Editor for
consideration. All material is copyright to Hort Innovation. Articles in their entirety many
not be reproduced in any other publications without written permission of Hort Innovation.
AMGA Contact | Phone: (02) 4577 6877 / Mail: P.O. Box 576 Crows Nest NSW 1585
4 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
EDITORIAL
Chris Rowley customers plenty of
good reasons to add
Editor, Australian Mushrooms Journal more mushrooms into a
regular healthy diet.
0415 140 253 This edition has more
information from
[email protected]
the Hort Innovation
marketing team about
the performance of
Journal number two for the year is here, the "Add the Mighty
and like every edition, there is plenty to Mushie" campaign.
cover, so let's jump right in.
Pleasingly the research
As usual, the AMGA has been very active suggests it is achieving
and working hard to represent members real cut through with
and the broader industry across a consumers. In addition,
range of activities. The columns from there is an article with
the AMGA representatives are a great a general update on
snapshot of the issues and deserve your some of the campaign
attention. activities being delivered on your behalf. ff
in the webinar, this article is an excellent
If you want to know more about In terms of levy-funded projects, the reminder about emerging disease
new projects awarded to the AMGA project team for MU16003 - Pest and threats. It also features coverage of the
to manage, the re-launch of the disease management and research extensive question and answers session
Association website, or catch up with services have again delivered, with that followed the webinar.
some of the new marketing activities – two articles, the fi rst covering farm
such as The Blend or the sponsorship of sanitation and the second on rotating If you have any feedback on the articles
Australia's Best Mushroom Pie – then disinfectants. These articles are a great or would like to make some suggestions
this is the place to start. entrée into another article covering a for future editions, please let me know.
recent webinar by one of the world's
As with every commodity, it is no good most foremost fungal pathologists, Dr Enjoy the read, and happy mushrooming
improving production without giving Helen Grogan. Even if you participated everyone.
This project has been funded by Hort Innovation, using the mushroom research
and development levy and contributions from the Australian Government.
A A A A A A A A A Au Au Au Au Au A A A Au Au A A Au A A A A Au A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A Au A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A A
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021u A Au A A A A A llililililiiliillilililiiiiillilililililillilililillililllililililililiililillililililliliilililililililililililllilillilliillililiilililil
AMGA
CHAIRMAN’S
REPORT
Geoff Martin Why does no one want to
pick produce anymore? This
Chairman, Australian Mushroom Growers’ is not just a phenomenon
Association in Australia but is a trend
throughout Europe too. In
Europe, labour shortages of
0415 542 301 mushroom pickers have led
to the development of the
[email protected]
tilting shelf system and a
real push for cost-eff ective
As I am writing this report, it is a chilly robotic picking arms. The
10°C here in the Hunter Valley with a robotic arm mechanical
bitter wind blowing straight from the issues have been solved, now
Antarctic, so hopefully, that will have the question to be asked,
everyone bringing out the slow cooker is it possible to develop the
and conjuring up some hearty winter decision-making software
stews, packed full of mushrooms of necessary for them to pick as effi ciently
course! as a human? With artifi cial intelligence, thrust. We have put forward some ideas
anything should be possible; as with and proposals to pivot this towards
LABOUR CHALLENGES everything, time will tell! the kind of marketing that the AMGA
ran successfully; those historical
I am reliably informed that the market MARKETING DISCUSSIONS campaigns led to a substantive year-on-
has fi rmed, and mushroom sales are year increase in per capita mushroom
brisk; after the last eighteen months It seems that over the last few months, consumption.
that’s at least some welcome news for much of my time has been taken up by
a change. Of course, growers continue marketing issues, how your statutory There will be further discussions at the
to face challenges, nothing new there, funds are being spent and especially June SIAP meeting, after which I will be
but the latest issue which is facing what can be done to improve the communicating with levy payers directly
mushroom growers and the horticultural eff ectiveness of the marketing thrust as to the outcome and the resulting
sector, in general, revolves around into the future. AMGA’s strategy. Thank you for your
labour shortages. patience; it has been a long haul.
Following my discussions with the
The closure of our international borders Hort Innovation Board in January, the THE BLEND
is having a serious impact upon the AMGA Directors and I have had in-depth
availability of casual workers and discussions with the Chair and CEO of Did you know that gram for gram eating
newly arrived immigrants who have Hort Innovation. Martine Poulain and I mushrooms is the best source of protein
traditionally made up a large proportion have also had face to face discussions at after meat? I believe that with the
of the workforce involved in harvesting the recent Hort Connections Conference trend toward more healthy eating and
fresh produce. Even in our industry, in Brisbane with both individual Hort a reduction in the red meat intake by
where employment for picking staff is Innovation Directors and the recently more and more Australians, especially
more stable, I have had several growers, appointed joint Marketing General young people, if we can get the message
both large and small, advise me that Managers. out into the wider community about
they are having great diffi culty in fi nding the health benefi ts of eating more
anybody who wants to pick mushrooms; I believe that we have been successful mushrooms, then our industry could
even when they take people on, not in bringing to their attention the take off , in a similar fashion to that
many want to stay the course. frustrations felt by levy payers of avocados. “Meat for Flexitarians”,
regarding the mushroom marketing mushrooms on toast, anyone!
2 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
‘The Blend’ is a successful marketing the display still looked good, well-done much-needed Phase 2 & 3 compost
campaign run by the US Mushroom guys! capabilities and state of the art growing
Council, which advocates replacing a rooms. Obviously, the discussions are at
proportion of meat in burger patties Also, great to see Dr Jenny Ekman an early stage, and growers would need
with mushrooms; this campaign has led of AHR being awarded the Beyer to be fully committed to the new
to a signifi cant increase in per capita Researcher of the Year prize on the fi nal proposal and embrace the importance of
mushroom consumption in the United evening. Jenny is across everything fundamental and applied mushroom
States. horticultural but is particularly involved research to our industry. Exciting
in our industry. Along with Claire prospects, watch this space!
WEBINAR SERIES Hamilton-Bate, she is a partner in
the Mushroom Food Safety program AMGA CONFERENCE
I want to thank Gordon Rogers, and his recently awarded to the AMGA.
team at AHR for putting together the Remember that the ISMS Congress, which
very informative webinars streamed It was also a great pleasure to meet up was to have been held in Vancouver,
over the last few months; these have with Martine Poulain, our RGM, who Canada, in June this year, will now be
been funded via the Marsh Lawson I had last met in person in November presented online as an E-Congress from
research project. For me, the stand- 2019, and to thank her for the sterling 14-17 September; this will be well worth
outs have been Dr Helen Grogan’s job she has done for our Association registering for to gain an insight into the
presentation, which discussed solutions under trying conditions during the latest worldwide mushroom research and
for emerging disease threats from pandemic. Zoom is just not the same as developments.
Trichoderma and Virus X; a very being present in person.
informative presentation which was Given the success of Hort Connections in
very well received, especially by our MARSH LAWSON RESEARCH Brisbane, AMGA is investigating the
compost makers. UNIT feasibility of holding our held-over 2020
conference early in 2022 in Adelaide.
The other exceptional webinar was For several years the AMGA, in
given by Dr Flavia Fayet-Moore, conjunction with Gordon Rogers of I suspect that our overseas’ speakers
entitled ‘Mushrooms for Healthy Diets… AHR, has been involved in discussions would have to present remotely,
What’s New? This presentation was with the University of Sydney regarding but I am sure you will agree that
inspirational; if we can get Flavia’s the re-location of the Marsh Lawson most growers can’t wait for a great
messages out into the community, Research Unit from Redfern to a new networking opportunity and being able to
mushroom sales will soar! If you missed site. Unfortunately, the plans have catch up over a few drinks!
the webinars, fi nd them online via AHR’s stalled, and the spotlight is now focused
blog site. on the feasibility of building a facility In the meantime, stay safe; while it has
on the University of Western Sydney’s been a difficult eighteen months, always
HORT CONNECTIONS Richmond campus, where a horticultural bear in mind the adage, “Tough times
educational hub is being set up. never last, but tough people do.” Martine
The highlight in June has been the Hort and I are only a phone call away if you
Connections Conference held at the Thanks to Graham Price, who organized have an issue or need to talk.
Brisbane Convention Centre. After being the day, together with Tim Adlington,
a virtual AMGA Chairman since August MLMRU Chair, I met with Robyn Preston,
2020, it was a delight to meet and greet the New South Wales State Member for
people from the horticultural industry Hawkesbury and toured Kevin Tolson’s
face to face after months of lockdown. Regal Mushroom operation, thanks
Kevin and Karin. Robyn outlined the
Big shout out to Nick and Nat Femia various State and Federal infrastructure
from SA Mushrooms, also present in funds that industry could potentially
Brisbane, who had a magnifi cent display tap into to build, together with the
of mushrooms on the Adelaide Markets University, a brand new mushroom
stand; such was the quality that even at research facility.
the end of the show, with the produce
being subjected to many hours of low The current ageing unit has its
humidity air and ambient temperatures, limitations; a new facility would include
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 3
AMGA
RELATIONSHIP
& GM’S REPORT
Martine Poulain in the last few months,
and we have been
Relationship & General Manager, applying for project
Australian Mushroom Growers’ tenders.
Association
So far, the AMGA has won
the following projects:
0457 440 298
[email protected] • MU20000 -
Mushroom Food
Safety Extension
Hello industry members,
and Adoption.
• MU20006 -
I’ve just returned from Hort Connections Mushroom industry
2021. I can’t stress enough how crisis and reputation
wonderful it was to catch up with risk management.
industry stakeholders in person after 15 • MU20004 - Macon:
months of Zoom meetings!
ie iew w
A scoping study to review
fungi based global
Key takeaways from the event for me innovations to inform
were:
op oppoportrtununititieies.s.
product development opportunities.
• Meeting the new Hort Innovation We are excited by these wins, as they
board members, who I feel will play will allow the AMGA to be involved every Practice Guide, which is also available
on our website. I am also keen to see
an invaluable role in ensuring their step of the way in levy-funded projects how your last year has been and chat
growers are looked after; and and provide you, as an industry, with
• Minister Littleproud’s session - his regular updates. We will also ensure the about what keeps you up at night. Use
outlook for the future of agriculture project’s direction, and the outcomes me as your sounding board – the AMGA
must be here to serve our members. I’m
in Australia was inspiring.
are in the best interests of members. looking forward to meeting you all.
Unfortunately, our Victorian colleagues MUSHROOM BRAND JOHN MILLER
were forced into their 4th lockdown,
which did aff ect the numbers, but it was As the RGM of your Prescribed Industry I want to end my column today by
still a hugely successful event.
Body (PIB), my main job is to manage remembering John Miller OAM. He
the mushroom “brand”. I constantly passed away shortly before the release
NEW AMGA WEBSITE
worry about food safety – in fact, of the last industry journal and was the
this is what keeps me up at night. As former GM here at the AMGA for many
Since my last column, the AMGA has the project manager for MU20000 years. He was instrumental in getting
launched its long-awaited consumer/ - the food safety project I mentioned mushrooms on the shopping lists of
member website. If you haven’t logged earlier - I asked the board to consider Australians for decades. I didn’t know
in to the members-only section, a variation to the project, which would him for long, but he called me often. We
please take some time to do so – it’s allow for subsidising testing for all AMGA talked about the industry mostly and
a treasure-trove of industry content, members and provide a food safety about his family. He always fi nished his
and we trust you will fi nd this to be a program for non-certifi ed growers. I’ve calls with “goodbye love –God bless”. He
worthwhile information portal for you spoken to most of you about this, but will be missed.
as AMGA members. We are constantly I’m excited that this will soon be a vital
adding to it, and if you see anything addition to our industry. My door is always open - so please
missing, please tell us.
contact me anytime to discuss industry
MEMBER VISITS concerns or say hello.
NEW PROJECTS
Over the next month, I’ll be visiting
The AMGA has been working as many members as possible to drop
collaboratively with industry contractors
off your hard copy of the AMGA Best
4 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
AMGA
COMMUNICATIONS
MANAGER REPORT
Leah Brami resource to support
our industry. The site
Communications Manager, Australian contains information
Mushroom Growers’ Association for:
• General Public –
0450 504 675
Recipes, Nutrition
[email protected] and Health
information,
vitamin D, The
As AMGA celebrates its 60th anniversary Blend, research
this year, it is with great pleasure that I links and general
write my fi rst column for the Australian information and
Mushrooms Journal. Over the past year, industry news.
I have been busy learning the industry, • Health
absorbing our history, and working hard Professionals –
to guide the direction of our marketing Recent resources
and communications into the future. and videos as developed
o opeped d
I have connected with most of our by Dr Flavia Fayet-
members. If I have missed you, feel free Moore and her team at
a at t
to pick up the phone anytime for a chat. NRAUS, via the Hort Innovation
In Innonovavatitionon
H H llthth
funded project ‘Educating Health
t tii
AMGA WEBSITE Professionals on the Nutritional There is also:
Benefi ts of Mushrooms’.
As you will know by now, our • Schools – Free lesson plans for • Hort Hub – Connecting AMGA
new AMGA website www. primary schools, learning resources, members to Hort Innovation
australianmushroomgrowers.com.au mushroom video library and the reports, strategies and projects.
is live. The website is a central hub of opportunity for teachers to apply • Learning Hub – A collection of
information for AMGA members, health for free mushroom kits. mushroom industry webinars
professionals and mushroom lovers and • AMGA Library – A digital library of
will continue to evolve into a valuable AMGA MEMBERS historical documents and completed
reports.
Through a password protected AMGA • AMGA Directory – Directory of all
Members area, the site doubles in size, AMGA members.
revealing hidden pages:
There is a wealth of information on this
Food Safety, which includes: site, which will continue to evolve. If
you have not yet experienced the site,
AMSAFE - Quick access to the AMSAFE I urge you to put 10-minutes aside to
hotline for all industry. Members can explore the information and for AMGA
download further resources for on-farm members to log into the AMGA Members
use. area. Passwords were sent directly to
members last month. If you need some
AMGA Testing - Understand the assistance, please don’t hesitate to call
importance of testing for certifi cation me.
and download an AMGA testing request
form. Your feedback is welcome to ensure this
is a useful resource for members. If you
Best Practice Guide – Digital version have any historical documents, photos
of the guide with active links for quick or articles you would like to preserve in
access to information. the AMGA Library, please get in touch.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 5
NEW AMGA LOGO AVAILABLE
The new, revised version of the AMGA
logo is being released to members this
month, in conjunction with the rollout of THE BLEND
the Best Practice Guide and new grower
requirements for minimum standards. Over the past 12-months, I have focused
a lot of attention on learning about ‘The
What does this mean for you? Blend’ to fi nd ways to achieve similar
success here in Australia. For those
• Members cannot use the new AMGA who are unaware, for the past decade,
logo without permission. our US counterparts, the Mushroom
• A minimum level of certifi cation is Council, have reportedly spent 70% of
required to be a member. their marketing budget focusing on “The
• Members must not use the old Blend”. Martine and I have had lengthy
AMGA logo, in any instance, from chats with Bart Minor (CEO) and Steve
this point forward. Solomon (Culinary Strategist) to learn
• If you use the old AMGA logo on why their strategy was successful in the
your mushroom boxes, bags, American market.
websites or any other marketing “Mushrooms and Vines” at the
material, please know that a The AMGA have requested for Humanities and Social Sciences South
grace period applies for the logo The Blend to be included in future Australian Conference last month.
transition – until 15 December 2021. marketing campaigns, and is currently
investigating ways to fund a campaign With the program being so well
MUSHROOM LOVERS CLUB here in Australia. received by the education sector, we are
currently looking at alternative funding
MUSHROOMS IN SCHOOLS
Our beloved Mushroom Lovers Club has sources by collaborating with farming
been resurrected! (Yahoo!) Over the bodies that have received funding
past 20-or-so years, the AMGA collected The AMGA has been attempting to under the Australian Government
a database of mushroom lovers who secure levy funding for the Mushrooms Department of Agriculture, Water and
opted-in to receive recipes and health in Schools advocacy program, however, the Environment’s Educating Kids about
information from the AMGA via email. with no success to date. The program, Agriculture: Kids to Farms program.
Most of the contacts were obtained which was successfully piloted in
through the Power of Mushrooms December last year, was designed to I’d also like to remind our members
marketing campaigns and competitions. educate primary school students that to follow the AMGA on social media.
In early June, nearly 24,000 active mushrooms are not a vegetable but If you are reading this online just click
mushroom lovers received their fi rst fungi – and grow in a unique way, which on the image to go to the social media
Mushroom Lovers Club email, Winter is why they are a ‘super food’! site. The sites can also be reached by
Mushroom recipes to warm your soul, using the short links under each image.
with links to our new AMGA website. The Due to the lack of levy funding, the And sign up to receive the Mushroom
email featured four mushroom recipes, AMGA has decided to fund the advocacy Lovers Club emails via https://
information on the health benefi ts of program on a small scale this year australianmushroomgrowers.com.au/
mushrooms, and an article “Why Aussies to continue to build momentum and
are making the Blenditarian diet switch.” excitement for the program from the
education sector. https://bit.ly/AMGA-FACEBOOK
If you would like to receive the
Mushroom Lovers Club emails, The Mushrooms in Schools program
please sign up via the form on is now listed as a resource on www. https://bit.ly/AMGA-
our AMGA website: https:// primezone.edu.au and was recently INSTAGRAM
australianmushroomgrowers.com.au/ presented as a recommended classroom
resource by the Primary Industries
Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) https://bit.ly/AMGA-LINKEDIN
CEO, Luciano Mesiti, in his presentation
6 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
AMGA BEST
PRACTICE GUIDE
The AMGA Best Practice Guide is • Ethical sourcing and engagement of The Association will remind members
available for free to all AMGA members labour inputs; and within a fair and reasonable time frame
and is a valuable resource for all • Provision of a safe working to ensure compliance.
mushroom growers to keep and refer to. environment.
It contains important information about The AMGA will provide a grace period
your obligations as a primary producer The Best Practice Guide enhances of 6 months (until 15 December 2021)
and an employer, with direct links to industry eff orts to educate stakeholders for any grower/compost members who
regulatory bodies within each state. and the community about the way the require more time to ensure compliance.
industry operates and, importantly,
This is the fi rst time the AMGA has its commitment to recognising and The new AMGA logo cannot be used
produced such a Guide, with the aim to voluntarily abiding by agreed industry until the 2021/22 membership has been
educate and better protect our industry. standards and practices. approved by the AMGA.
The Guide also contains information APPLICATION OF THE GUIDE
about the new minimum standards MEMBER COMPLIANCE AND
required to be an AMGA member and The Guide has been developed by the USE OF THE NEW AMGA
how this impacts the use of the new AMGA in consultation with AMGA TRADEMARK
AMGA logo - which is now a registered Board members, industry experts and
trademark. representatives from mushroom and The new AMGA logo is a registered
compost manufacturers. trademark and will assist in establishing
The AMGA logo has become a brand equity with safe and quality
brand identifi er for retailers and All mushroom growers and mushroom mushrooms.
consumers, and it is strongly identifi ed compost manufacturers will be required
with the peak industry body. It is a to be signatories to the Guide to It symbolises a commitment to best
symbol of quality and safety for our maintain AMGA membership. practice food safety and quality
Australian mushroom product and our standards, adherence to all required
industry. For this reason, we feel it Signatories to the Guide confi rm they regulatory and legal requirements, and
is worth protecting. meet all mandatory legal and regulatory ethical business practices.
obligations and are operating to at least
The AMGA wish to make the process Good Practice levels in other areas. The new AMGA logo cannot be used
of certifi cation and logo transition on without an approved licence. Licensees
packaging an easy process for growers. Starting on 1 July 2021, all growers will must be:
We are here to support you. If you need be required to submit a completed
more information or assistance, please self-assessment checklist and copies of • A member of the AMGA,
do not hesitate to contact the AMGA relevant certifi cates, if applicable, to • A signatory to the Australian
Relationship and General Manager, obtain or renew AMGA membership. Mushroom Best Practice Guide, and;
Martine Poulain, on 0457 440 298. • Have certifi cation with an approved
The AMGA will review the Guide Global Food Safety Initiative
THE AUSTRALIAN annually to ensure that it continues to (GFSI) scheme, such as Freshcare,
MUSHROOM INDUSTRY BEST be relevant and refl ective of accepted GLOBALG.A.P, SQF or BRC.
PRACTICE GUIDE industry practices and the latest
legislative requirements. If your customer does not require you to
The Guide is intended to promote good have a GFSI scheme, the AMGA expects
practice mushroom operations across COMMENCEMENT OF THE you to have an understanding of food
Australia, with a particular emphasis on GUIDE safety to be a member and to sell
the following: mushrooms. Please contact the AMGA
The Guide comes into eff ect with the for assistance.
• Sustainable farming practices start of the new fi nancial year, which is
as they relate to the use of land also the 2021/22 AMGA membership year. The licensee agrees to use the Trade
and natural resources, including Mark on the terms and conditions set
minimising environmental and Grower/compost AMGA Member out in the Deed of Trade Mark Licence.
amenity impacts on immediate and businesses need to comply with the
surrounding areas; Guide and be signatories to it. If you are a non-grower member and
• Responsible application and would like to use the AMGA logo for
safe use of materials (including Compliance means submitting your self- marketing purposes only, please contact
chemicals) used in the growing and assessment checklist and any relevant the AMGA.
harvesting of mushrooms; certifi cates to the AMGA.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 7
From 1 July 2021, previous versions of the DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR COPY found on the AMGA website in the AMGA
AMGA logo must not be displayed. OF THE GUIDE? Members Area.
Upon approval of AMGA Membership for The Australian Mushroom Industry https://australianmushroomgrowers.com.
2021/22, members will receive a detailed Guide is being distributed in a hard copy au/best-practice-guide/
copy of the AMGA Brand Guidelines, this month.
and the new AMGA logo suite to use in If you require more information, or if you
members own marketing collateral. The parcel is accompanied by a letter wish to discuss your compliance, please
with more information pertaining to the don’t hesitate to contact the AMGA
The AMGA will provide a grace period Trademark use and growers minimum Relationship and General Manager,
of six months (until 15 December 2021) standards and a self-checklist to Martine Poulain, on 0457 440 298.
for any grower/compost members who confi rm your compliance and Trademark
require more time to ensure compliance agreement.
and transition to the new logo on
packaging. The Guide and self-checklists can also be
8 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
The Australian Mushroom Industry Best Practice Guide is FREE for all AMGA
members. Check your letterbox for your hard copy, or view and download from:
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 9
SOCIAL MEDIA ELECTRONIC DIRECT MAIL
To further increase engagement and Consumers have also seen the Australian
continue the robust health messaging, Mushrooms messaging through regular
a series of social media videos were electronic direct mail.
created.
The latest edition of the regular
These videos have been used through e-newsletter highlights the Number
social media, the Australian Mushrooms 1 Winter Dish on the Australian
website and electronic direct mail. The Mushrooms website (Chicken and
messages include: Mushroom Pie), teaming this recipe with
other Winter Warmers.
• Add antioxidants to protect body
cells; The e-newsletter also reinforces the Jam-packed with mushie goodness and perfect for a cosy
night in during those cold winter months. Our
• Add B vitamins to boost energy; and healthy aspect of the Mighty Mushie, chicken and mushroom pie is a certified fan-favourite.
• Add essential minerals to support with information on how mushrooms
immunity. can help support a healthy immune
system, just in time for the fl u season.
Reader Tip: If you have not yet signed up to
receive the regular email, why not do so
now. Better still, why not encourage your
staff , family and friends to sign up as well
and spread the news. Head to the Australian
Mushrooms website - https://
australianmushrooms.com.au/ - and scroll
to the bottom of the front page.
MIGHTY MUSHIE PRIORITIES
Further deep dive analysis is being
The campaign will continue to build on
conducted to look at how the campaign
the strategic priorities of increasing top
has performed and what, if any, changes
of mind awareness, and frequency of
are required to improve the overall
consumption, building health credentials
performance.
and investing in retail.
This will inform the year two roll out of
the Add the Might Mushie campaign in
the new fi n ancial year.
FY21 Campaign Activity
2020 2021
NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN
Free-to-Air TV
Catch up TV / Video / YouTube
Roadside Outdoor
Retail Outdoor
Digital display
Newscorp partnership
Always on Social
Public Relations
Website & eDM
Retail Activations
To continue the robust health messaging,
a series of social media videos were The campaign elements for the integrated approach used to deliver the
created. Add the Mighty Mushie campaign can be seen above.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 13
CONSUMERS
RESPOND POSITIVELY
TO CAMPAIGN
Like any industry investment, evaluation and emphasising clear, distinct, and
of the new marketing activities is crucial resonating health claims.
to ensure the campaign is delivering the
results as planned. BRAND TRACKING
Implementing a process of continual From the viewpoint of branding and
analysis of the Add the Mighty Mushie performance, the tracking shows that by
campaign allows potential areas of March 2021, the Add the Mighty Mushie
improvement to be identifi ed, and campaign was performing above the
modifi cations to be made to deliver advertising industry average.
the most cost-eff ective use of industry
marketing funds. In fact, the results show the new
approach for Australian Mushrooms is
Pleasingly the analysis by research successfully building on the messaging
experts of the activities conducted to of the previous Chop Chop campaign and
date, illustrates the Add the Mighty is creating an emotional connection with
Mushie campaign is performing well the priority target audiences.
above industry standards.
The fi ndings are good news, delivering
As outlined below, consumer feedback is evidence that the approach builds a
suggesting the campaign is successfully solid foundation for future campaign
cutting through and improving activities. The highlight of the midpoint
perceptions of Australian mushrooms. brand tracking are outlined below.
BACKGROUND SALIENCY
The new Add the Mighty Mushie In advertising, saliency is the degree
campaign was designed to drive to which your brand is thought of or
growth in the mushrooms category. noticed.
The campaign targets 25-44-year-olds,
conscientious cooks who are health- The research showed that prompted
conscious and increasingly adopting a awareness is 32%, which is higher than
fl exitarian diet. the Chop Chop campaigns.
The strategic approach is to position This fi nding suggests that the campaign
mushrooms as the “Transformative is cutting through with strong imagery
Mealmaker”, building on the previous that emotionally connects with the
functional message on the Chop Chop target audiences.
campaign – the ease of incorporating
mushrooms into everyday meals. PURCHASE INTENT
While the message from the last Of those consumers who had viewed the
campaign delivered a positive response Add the Mighty Mushie advertisement
from consumers, the new approach and understood its primary message, Source: MU20507 Add the Mighty Mushie
was designed to off er an even stronger 75% stated that they wanted to buy or Campaign Tracking, Mid-test Debrief,
FiftyFive5 March 2021
emotional connection, highlighting use more Australian fresh mushrooms.
the unique umami taste of mushrooms
14 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
MESSAGE TAKEOUT ATTITUDINAL IMPACT average in terms of enjoyment, driving
positive opinion and relevance. A further
The campaign message is landing Pleasingly the tracking suggests a benefi t for the industry is that while the
strongly, with the research suggesting positive increase in associations that creative resonates strongly with the
viewers receive the correct message mushrooms are tasty, nutritious, and identifi ed target audiences, the creative
that “mushrooms off er a unique energising. also has broad appeal across other
combination of fl avour and health demographics, who reported above
benefi ts”. The movement in this area is a real average enjoyment.
positive for Australian Mushrooms, as
this change in attitude can be diffi cult to NEXT STEPS
In fact, eight out of ten respondents
felt that the campaign was easy to move quickly. While the mid-campaign brand tracking
understand, which is well ahead of CREATIVE EVALUATION research is very positive, a deep dive will
typical expectations for this type of now take place to determine the overall
campaign communications.
The new creative evaluated well above impact and how it has performed over
the full duration of the campaign.
AFTER SEEING THE CREATIVE, THE MAJORITY OF RESPONDENTS ARE MORE
LIKELY TO USE MUSHROOMS, INSPIRED BY THE VERSATILITY DEMONSTRATED
81%
77% 77% 75%
72%
It makes Australian mushrooms It makes me MORE LIKELY to USE It INSPIRES me to use Australian It makes me MORE LIKELY to It makes me MORE LIKELY to seek
look more DELICIOUS Australian mushrooms mushrooms in DIFFERENT WAYS PURCHASE Australian mushrooms out RECIPES featuring Australian
mushrooms
Source: MU20507 Add the Mighty Mushie Campaign Tracking, Mid-test Debrief, FiftyFive5 March 2021
DID THE TARGET SEE THE IS THE MESSAGE DID THE CREATIVE DID IT CHANGE DID IT CHANGE
CAMPAIGN? UNDERSTOOD? RESONATE? ATTITUDES? BEHAVIOUR?
Campaign recall (prompted) The two biggest takeouts from The creative did extremely well We typically do not see Claimed purchase behaviour is
was particularly high amongst the campaign – whether for enjoyment, positive significant shifts in attitudes at consistent with the pre-test in
our target age group (42% with unprompted or prompted – sentiment, and relevance, this stage of a campaign, terms of penetration,
25-34 year olds) but also high were that mushrooms are tasty particularly amongst families. however we’ve seen positive frequency, and volume.
with younger consumers and and healthy. increases in perceptions that
families. A simple message around mushrooms are tasty and Despite this, 8 out of 10
8 out of 10 respondents felt flavour and health may be nutritious. respondents said they would be
Digital channels were a that the campaign was easy to behind strong scores for more likely to purchase or use
prevalent source of awareness, understand – well ahead of our credibility. Talking to ‘umami’ The campaign also helped to Australian mushrooms, and
thereby allowing greater comms norms. and specific health claims may reduce key purchase barriers many would seek out more
engagement and links to be creating ‘new news’. such as salience and knowing recipes after being inspired by
recipes. how to use them in cooking. the campaign.
Source: MU20507 Add the Mighty Mushie Campaign Tracking, Mid-test Debrief, FiftyFive5 March 2021
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 15
DETERGENT &
FARM SANITATION
Warwick Gill in compost. An eff ective clean is the best disinfectants and may insulate them
from the eff ects of the cookout,
way to remove these pathogens from the
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture grow room environment and break the particularly when compacted into fl oor
University of Tasmania, Hobart disease cycle. cracks and joins.
INTRODUCTION Organic material neutralises
0417 766 588 disinfectants of all chemical groups
Starting a new crop in a room free of reducing their killing power. This results
[email protected]
pests and pathogens is the most potent in poor disinfection and a new crop
and cost-eff ective tool for disease starting in a contaminated room.
management on the mushroom farm,
GROWERS’ SUMMARY but it doesn’t come easily. Grow room Cleaning is defi ned as the removal
sanitation has two distinct stages – of unwanted material or soil from
Eff ective cleaning removes up to 85% cleaning and disinfection. Too often, we environmental surfaces which, in the
of microorganisms, including mushroom expect our disinfectants to do the heavy mushroom grow room include fl oors,
pathogens from the grow room lifting and presume they will eradicate walls, ceilings, shelves, light covers,
environment, so ensure your cleaning the majority of the pathogens. After doors or any horizontal surface such
process is optimised. all, their job is to kill pathogens. But the as exposed roof trusses that may
truth is, it is the cleaning process before accumulate soil directly or where
Failure to remove all the organic material disinfection that removes the majority condensation can form and trap soil.
during cleaning will reduce the effi cacy of of the microbes and pathogens from a
subsequent disinfectant. heavily soiled environment and not the Eff ective cleaning is a multi-step
disinfectant. procedure (Table 1). It is the most crucial
Hygiene programmes fail most commonly process in the whole farm’s hygiene
because of insuffi cient cleaning. Eff ective A signifi cant contributor to an eff ective programme and is the foundation upon
cleaning relies on the application of an clean is the correct application of which successful disease management
appropriate detergent. an appropriate detergent. Because is built. Simply put, failure to adequately
detergents are complex compounds remove soil is the most common cause
Detergents are complex chemical formulated for specifi c applications, of breakdown in grow room hygiene, and
cocktails carefully formulated for specifi c selecting the detergent most suited the best way of obtaining effi cient soil
situations and soil types. Detergents work to the task at hand will give the best removal is by the correct application of
by wetting and modifying the soil and sanitary outcome possible. an appropriate detergent.
suspending it in solution so that it can be
washed away with potable water. This article will look at some properties WHY IS CLEANING
of detergents and their application and IMPORTANT?
An alkaline detergent, including an anionic help ensure you are making an informed
surfactant, is the best fi t for mushroom decision to achieve an eff ective clean, Simply by physically removing the
farm cleaning. and ultimately eff ective grow room organic material, good cleaning
sanitation. eradicates up to 85% of the microbes
Be wary of detergents that contain – including mushroom pathogens that
cleaning boosters such as chlorine WHAT IS MEANT BY are both living inside and adhering to
compounds. Such additives are corrosive ‘CLEANING’? the outside of soil particles – from the
to soft metals and require comprehensive grow room environment. The removal
rinsing if used. The presence of ‘soil’ in the grow room is of organic material allows disinfectants
problematic for several reasons: Soil or to work at full killing power and also to
Be wary of products that claim to be both a organic material provides nutrients and attack pathogens directly rather than
detergent and sanitiser in one. habitat for mushroom pathogens and through a protective barrier of organic
pests if they are present. Under such material.
Use potable water to reduce residues favourable environmental conditions
and to optimise both detergent and and with abundant water, pathogens Eff ective cleaning also removes
disinfectant activities. are able to colonise organic material pathogen reservoirs present as
remaining in the grow room following established biofi lms, prevents the
Mushroom diseases such as MVX sub-standard cleaning and disinfection establishment of new ones and
mushroom virus complex and Trichoderma and establish a disease reservoir. eradicates macromolecules which may
aggressivum compost green mould cannot Organic material provides a physical serve as a nutrient source for mushroom
be killed by disinfectants when growing barrier between pathogens and pathogens.
16 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
Table 1: Grow room multi-step cleaning procedure
Cleaning step Description Example
1. Gross cleaning This is the removal of soil, mushroom debris and other
visible organic material using a squeegee and shovel
Any residual organic material will reduce the efficacy of
disinfectants used in later steps and provide a growing
niche for contaminating microorganisms including
mushroom pathogens
Failure to remove organic material adequately is the
most common cause of breakdown in farm hygiene
2. Wet wash Wash loose soil from the walls and other surfaces and
clean compacted soil from floor cracks and joins. If a
high-pressure cleaner is used, allow sufficient time for
aerosols to settle before the next step
Clean out the drains and ensure to remove soil from the
wall/floor interface if the floor is not coved
Wash shelving and other horizontal surfaces
inaccessible by shovel and broom
3. Pre-rinse Pre-rinsing removes any remaining visible organic
material using high-volume low-pressure water and
squeegee
Working from high to low, wash remaining organic
material to the floor and sluice it into the drain, making
sure the drain is free of soiling
Keep standing water to a minimum to reduce dilution of
the detergent
4. Detergent Apply detergents manually by brush, broom or cloth or
mechanically as a spray or foam. Physical effort such as
scrubbing is often required to dislodge persistent soil
and biofilm
When applying detergent, dipping the brush, broom or
cloth into the detergent will reduce the effectiveness of
the detergent by increasing the organic load in the
bucket. Make fresh solutions regularly or rinse the
brush, broom or cloth before returning to the bucket
5. Post-rinse Post-rinsing with high-volume low-pressure potable
water removes detergent residue which will reduce the
efficacy of the following disinfectants
Finally, standing water must be squeegeed from the
floor as much as possible to shorten the drying time and
to prevent dilution of the disinfectant
6. Drying Drying is important to allow the remaining water to
evaporate as standing water will dilute the disinfectant
and reduce its killing capacity
Disinfectants will also penetrate cracks and holes better
when they are dry as the water surface tension creates
a barrier to the disinfectant
Drying is the step most often neglected, reducing the
efficacy of the disinfectant
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 17
The proven inability of disinfectants
to eradicate Trichoderma aggressivum
when associated with compost
(O’Neill et al. 2015) demonstrates the
importance of physical removal of
the pathogen from the grow room
environment by eff ective cleaning.
WHAT IS A DETERGENT?
A detergent is a compound that modifi es
soil, lifts it from a surface and holds it
in suspension so that it can be washed
away with potable water. Depending
on the type of soil and formulation, Figure 1: Action of surfactants a) surfactant molecules consist of a hydrophilic head and
detergents alter the physical and a hydrophobic tail. b) surfactant molecules orient themselves so the hydrophobic tail
chemical properties of the soil in a interacts with the dirt while the hydrophilic head remains in the water. c) the soil particle
number of ways (Table 2). becomes encased in surfactant molecules, forming a micelle. The micelle holds the soil in
suspension allowing it to be rinsed away. Image: Warwick Gill.
The most signifi cant active ingredient
of a detergent is the surfactant (surface
acting agent) which provides most of the ‘micelle’ which has the hydrophobic tails preservatives, colouring agents
cleaning activity and is usually a highly protected from water within the centre. and enzymes. While each of these
foaming compound. Surfactants are Soil and microbes are also hydrophobic, ingredients has its own specifi c role
responsible for the initial wetting of the so they are attracted to the tails of the to play within a formulation, their
soil, are able to emulsify small amounts surfactant. The surfactant lifts them collective function is to enhance and
of fats and oils and are responsible from the surface, and they become optimise the activity of the surfactant.
for the suspension of modifi ed soil in encased within the hydrophobic centre
solution. They are long-chain molecules of the micelle (Fig. 1c). Once formed DETERGENT SELECTION
that have a hydrophilic (attracted to into a micelle, the soil cannot settle
water, repelled by oil/grease) portion back onto the surface. Because the Modern synthetic detergents are
and a hydrophobic (repelled by water, outer layer of the micelle consists of complex chemical cocktails formulated
attracted to oil/grease) portion (Fig. 1a). hydrophilic surfactant heads, micelles to remove a specifi c soil type from
remain suspended in the wash water a particular environment or surface.
When a surfactant is added to water, until they are removed with the potable The careful selection of the correct
the surface tension separating the rinse water, carrying the soil and formulation for the soil type present
water from the soil and the surface is microbes within them to the drain. is very important. The failure of a
broken. The surface and soil become detergent to perform is not necessarily
wet, allowing the active ingredients In addition to a surfactant, detergents due to a poor quality product. It is much
to penetrate and modify the soil. The may also contain chemical groups more likely that the product has been
modifi ed soil is then surrounded by such as builders, oxidising agents, applied incorrectly or the wrong product
surfactant molecules (Fig. 1b). Because solvents, inorganic alkalis, sequestrants has been applied.
the hydrophobic tails of the surfactant (chelators), inhibitors, defoamers,
molecules must stay away from water, stabilisers, fragrances, corrosion The range of detergents available
the molecules arrange themselves inhibitors, oxidising cleaning boosters, to the grower is wide. Detergents
in a 3-dimensional sphere called a organic acids, inorganic acids, neither kill nor control the growth of
Table 2: Examples of the reactions between detergent and soil
Reaction Reaction Description
type
Wetting decreases surface tension and allows detergent components access to the soil
detergent accesses the soil to modify its chemical and physical properties
Penetration
PHYSICAL Dispersion splits up dirt particles
splits and suspends oils and fats
Emulsification
Solubilization dissolves soluble soils such as sugars and some salts in water
Suspension floats and carries away soil particles
Hydrolysis splits large proteins and carbohydrates into smaller water-soluble units
CHEMICAL Saponification splits oil, fat and grease molecules resulting in water-soluble glycerol and soap
sequestrants form water-soluble complexes with insoluble ions found in hard water
Chelation
Oxidation bleaches coloured deposits, breaks down some proteins and fats
Compiled from Safefood 360 (2012) and Voysey (2020)
18 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
pathogens, and they are not regulated other carbohydrates originating from Investigate the inclusion of corrosion
by the APVMA (Fig. 2). The selection the breakdown of straw and poultry inhibitors within the detergent
of an appropriate detergent is not manure during the composting process. formulation, such as silicates, which
therefore restricted to a fi nite number These molecules are deposited on reduce the corrosion of soft metals.
of registered products. the fl oor, shelving and walls through
routine cultivation practices. Some of There are three major surfactant types
To select an appropriate detergent these large molecules are also major to consider:
formulation, there are three major structural components of biofi lms which
factors to consider. Ideally, the can form signifi cant pathogen reservoirs Anionic surfactants, which:
detergent must: in the grow room. For detergents to • Are good detergents;
• Remove the type of soiling present. be eff ective in the mushroom grow • Have good wetting properties;
• Be compatible with the surface room, the formulation must be capable • Are high foaming;
being cleaned. of modifying all mineral soil/dirt and • Are negatively charged in solution;
• Be compatible with the water organic material so that it can be and
supply. suspended by the surfactant. • Have some emulsifying ability.
It must also be: The majority of soil in the mushroom Non-ionic surfactants, which:
• Safe for farm personnel to use. grow room is organic, which is best • Do not ionise in solution;
• Compatible with the disinfectants managed with an alkaline detergent. • Have good wetting properties;
being used in the facility. Although proteins and carbohydrates • Are low foaming; and
• Environmentally friendly. are more susceptible to acid detergents, • Are compatible with both anionic
they are only a small component of and cationic surfactants.
The type of soiling present is the the grow room soil compared to, for
biggest consideration when selecting example, a meat processing facility. Cationic surfactants, which:
a detergent. Soiling can be generally Similarly, fats are a minor contributor • Are positively charged in solution;
classifi ed as being either inorganic or to the overall soil, but their presence • Have poor wetting characteristics;
organic. Inorganic soiling leaves mineral is signifi cant with regard to biofi lm • Are high foaming;
deposits on surfaces such as rust, development and pathogen nutrition. • Are commonly quaternary
limescale, milk stone and beer stone. Given the character of grow room ammonium compounds, so have
Inorganic soiling is unsightly and may soil, an alkaline detergent such as one antimicrobial properties; and
aff ect the effi cacy of disinfectants, based on sodium hydroxide is most • Are commonly used as sanitisers
but in terms of mushroom disease appropriate. when mixed with non-ionic
management, inorganic soiling is surfactants.
insignifi cant. Organic soiling is the major Alkaline detergents are generally
issue. non-reactive with their environment. An anionic surfactant is the better
However, some formulations may fi t for the mushroom farm as it has
There are two levels of organic soiling in include boosters such as chlorine multiple activities and can be rinsed
the mushroom grow room environment compounds to enhance cleaning ability. without leaving a residue. They are also
– visible and non-visible. Visible soil is Such formulations are corrosive to compatible with non-ionic surfactants,
the gross material such as dust and dirt, surfaces made of aluminium, brass, so detergents can benefi t by having
compost, casing and mushroom debris. copper, galvanised coatings, nylon and both anionic and non-ionic surfactants in
The non-visible element can include some painted fi nishes. One grower the formulation.
invertebrate carcasses, mushroom recently commented anecdotally that
spores, fungal pathogen spores, using detergent with a booster in it Examples of common anionic
bacterial cells, mushroom mycelium and aged his facility by 20 years! Extra care surfactants which you will fi nd around
fungal pathogen mycelium. will need to be taken with a careful and the home include sodium lauryl sulfate,
On an even fi ner level, non-visible soil thorough rinsing to ensure no detergent sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium
also comprises large organic molecules residues remain on these susceptible lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth
such as fatty acids, polysaccharides and fi nishes if they exist in the grow room. sulfate, sodium stearate and potassium
cocoate.
Figure 2: Screen shot from the APVMA website stating their position on the regulation of non-agricultural chemicals including cleaning
products
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 19
instructions. Water used for cleaning
Table 3: Appropriate detergent bases for soil types present in the mushroom grow must be potable; water containing
room
g mineral ions (hard water) will prevent
detergent from performing to
Soil
type Soil Detergent base Description expectations and will result in unsightly
inorganic residues remaining, such
Organic soils Alkaline alkaline detergents soften as scale, which will also aff ect the
organic and particulate soils performance of subsequent disinfection.
making them easier to
suspend Some alkaline detergents will be
formulated with a sequestrant such as
Carbohydrates Alkaline or acid variable group of EDTA, which will negate the eff ects of
and starches compounds ranging from hard water but using potable water to
soft and powdery to hard both make up the detergent solution
and they are more insoluble and for terminal rinsing will give better
if exposed to heat. Acid results.
detergents hydrolyse
starches, but they lose their The ‘energy’ input to detergent cleaning
‘power’ and must be is a signifi cant consideration. The
monitored required energy for eff ective cleaning
is the sum of four inputs (Table 4), and a
Polysaccharides Water or alkaline simple sugars such as
(sugars) glucose are soluble in water. reduction in one input can be off set by
Complexed polysaccharides an increase in another.
ORGANIC are more difficult to remove In the practical farm situation, time
and require an alkaline
is often a limiting factor, despite its
detergent importance in cleaning. But the reduced
Fats, oils and Alkaline insoluble in water, may input can be made up by, for example,
greases oxidise and polymerise increasing the mechanical input. If little
making them very difficult to eff ort is put into applying the detergent
shift. Alkaline detergents solution and time is reduced while
will saponify and emulsify the other inputs remain static, then
fats, making them easy to the eff ectiveness of cleaning will be
remove reduced. By increasing the physicality
of the application method, a much
Protein Alkaline or acid removal is difficult if better clean will result over a shorter
denatured by heat which time. Application methods in order of
makes them harder and increasing physical agitation include
more insoluble. Acid wiping, mopping, scrubbing, spray/jet
detergents hydrolyse washing and foaming.
proteins, but they lose
‘power’, and their Foaming is a good way of applying a
effectiveness must be detergent. Foam on walls should be
monitored
applied from low to high to build a
Compiled from Safefood 360 (2012) and Voysey (2020) support base of foam, preventing the
higher foam layers from collapsing
to the fl oor. Foam persists without
Because these chemicals are not While it may be tempting to try drying out, and it is easy to see where
hazardous, they may not be listed on a and perform two procedures with the detergent has been applied. This
product’s SDS and are often not included one product, the result will be a ensures that detergent isn’t wasted by
on the label ingredients for commercial compromised clean and/or ineff ective applying it to a surface already treated
reasons. You may need to consult with disinfection. This is well-illustrated while also ensuring no areas are missed.
your chemical supplier to check which in the assessment of disinfectants
type of surfactant(s) your detergent has. carried out during the European MushTV As the foam breaks down, the popping
project. bubbles provide kinetic energy and
Some detergents are formulated with increase the agitation within the foam,
antimicrobial cationic surfactants such For those farms with a signifi cant issue making the detergent more eff ective.
as quaternary ammonium compounds. of inorganic soiling severe enough And, by working around the room
These detergents are sometimes to lead to a reduction in disinfectant foaming the walls, by the time the
marketed as ‘sanitisers’ or as detergents effi cacy, targeted cleaning with an acidic room has been foamed, the detergent
with microbiocidal ability but be aware detergent is appropriate. will have had a good contact time
that if you decide to use a cationic to work before being rinsed off with
detergent, it must be applied either as a DETERGENT APPLICATION potable water. Biofi lms need special
detergent or as a disinfectant. Cationic attention. They are often impervious to
surfactants often leave a residue which When making up detergent solutions, detergents, so they require scraping and
may reduce the impact of disinfectants. the correct amount of detergent scrubbing with a stiff brush and warm
Also, be aware that only APVMA- concentrate must be added to the detergent solution (<50°C) to ensure
registered sanitisers are allowed to be correct amount of potable water they are removed.
used on-farm. according to manufacturers’ label
20 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
Table 4: Inputs determining the eff ectiveness of detergent
Input Description On the farm
Chemical energy the action of the detergent formulation this is fixed – do not deviate from the detergent
determined by the concentration of the final manufacturer’s label rates
working solution
Mechanical energy the physical input which is determined by the this is where the most improvement can be made
application method and includes wiping with a on the mushroom farm. The application method
cloth, mopping, scrubbing, jet washing and can mean the difference between effective
foaming cleaning and insufficient soil removal
Thermal energy increased water temperature improves detergent this is restricted as it is impractical to wash an
performance by speeding reactions and by entire grow room with warm water. However, it
softening fats and oils is recommended that problem areas such as
biofilms or excessive build-up of hard to remove
soil can be treated with detergent in warm water
up to 50°C
Time the contact time or time for the detergent to this is a critical factor, but it is often reduced to
work fit farm production schedules. Detergent must
be left on the surface for as long as possible to
allow the chemicals to react with and lift the soil
and it must not be allowed to dry out in that time
Compiled from Safefood 360 (2012)
CONCLUSION in achieving the high level of sanitation website/publications/2015/Use-of-
required to break disease cycles on the chemical-disinfectants.pdf
Cleaning is the most important farm.
component of a mushroom farm’s Ray B, Bhunia A (2008) Control of access
sanitation programme and is perhaps REFERENCES (cleaning and sanitation). Chapter 31 in:
the most potent and cost-eff ective tool Fundamental Food Microbiology, 4th
available to the grower for successful Adams MR, Moss MO (2010) Controlling edition. CRC Press, Boca Raton, Florida
mushroom disease management. the microbiological quality of foods.
Chapter 11 in: Food Microbiology, 3rd Safefood 360 (2012) Whitepaper:
Yet the failure to clean adequately is the edition. The Royal Society of Chemistry, Cleaning and disinfection in food
most common cause of breakdown in UK processing operations.
hygiene and the perpetual on-farm cycle
of re-infection and cross-contamination. Cramer MM (2007) Sanitation best Voysey P (2020) Guideline 55: Cleaning
practices. Food Safety Magazine and disinfection of food factories – a
Eff ective cleaning removes up to 85% of February/March practical guide. Campden BRI, UK
the microbes in a soiled environment. It
leaves no chemical residues and ensures Ledoux L (2004) The importance of
that subsequent disinfectants are able hygiene and disinfection. International
to work at their maximum killing power Hatchery Practice 19:11-15
unimpeded by organic material.
O’Neill T, Lole M, Drakes D (2015)
Detergents are a critical component Use of chemical disinfectants in
of eff ective cleaning, but we give mushroom production. Factsheet 01/15,
them little thought. The selection MushTV, Agriculture and Horticulture
of an appropriate detergent and its Development Board, UK. Available online
correct application will greatly assist at: https://www.teagasc.ie/media/
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 21
22 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
SALAI INTERNATIONAL
JAPAN CO., Ltd.
Total consultant company of exotic mushroom cultivation technology.
Our bags and machines are all made in Japan.
https://www.salai-international-japan.co.jp/
[email protected]
World’s biggest SAKATO mushroom bag supplier
44 4J[F 4 4J[F . 4J[F - 4J[F 9- -- 4J[F
NN NN NN NN NN
NN NN
NN
NN NN
NN NN
NN NN NN
NN NN
NN NN NN
PP, PE and biodegradable are available
EUROPEAN AGENT USA AGENT
[email protected] [email protected]
adv_Salai_A4.indd 1 21-04-20 12:05
MB10020_Adv.indd 15 18-05-20 11:30
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 23
ROTATING
DISINFECTANTS
Warwick Gill 2. FACILITY DESIGN AND diffi cult to achieve, particularly if the
INFRASTRUCTURE
disinfectant solution is colourless.
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture INTEGRITY Foaming (Fig. 3) makes the disinfectant
University of Tasmania, Hobart easily visible, so the operator knows
On older farms where the fl oor and wall which areas have not been treated
meet is a prime location for overlooked and also prevents wastage by over
0417 766 588 organic build-up, particularly if this area application. The energy input of popping
[email protected] is covered. Standing water also collects bubbles within the foam aids disruption
in this area, and the combination of of biofi lm, and foaming also reduces the
remaining organic soil and water will chances of the disinfectant drying out,
We might think we need to rotate both promote the growth of mushroom ensuring contact times are achieved.
disinfectants because the product used pathogens and impact the effi cacy of
seems to be less eff ective than it used to disinfectant. On modern farms with a 4. BIOFILMS
be, or it doesn’t perform to expectations coved fl oor partially extending up the
according to the claims of the label and/ wall, this problem area is eliminated. The structure and composition of
or salesperson. In reality, an apparent biofi lms prevent the disinfectant from
reduction in the eff ectiveness of Farms with cracking fl oors and badly contacting the resident pathogens,
disinfectants can be attributed to a abutted slab joints (Fig. 2) will need to reducing effi cacy. In this case, microbes
number of causes. consider the compacted organic material within a biofi lm are considered to be
in the cracks. Organic material insulates ‘tolerant’. In food manufacturing and
1. INEFFECTIVE CLEANING the mushroom pathogens from the heat ready-to-eat facilities, routine trace
of cookout and acts as a physical barrier tests are performed with techniques
Organic material remaining on the against disinfectants, as well as reducing designed to detect molecules produced
grow room fl oor, and other surfaces the activity of the disinfectant’s active by surviving microbes on a surface
after an inadequate clean will interfere component. following cleaning. The persistence
with disinfectant effi cacy (Fig. 1). So of these microbes is usually due to
too will residues left behind after using 3. POOR APPLICATION the formation of a very small but
an inappropriate detergent and scale very eff ective biofi lm which is usually
caused by using hard water. Failure Like detergents, there are four inputs resolved by focussed scrubbing and
to allow surfaces to dry following the that infl uence the eff ectiveness disinfection.
terminal rinse after cleaning reduces the of disinfectant – chemical energy,
penetration power of the disinfectant, mechanical energy, thermal energy and On the mushroom farm though, trace
so it cannot fully act on the target time. A reduction in one of these inputs testing is not practical. Established
microbes. Standing rinse water will must be off set by an increase in another, biofi lms become much larger and
also signifi cantly dilute the disinfectant and failure to do so will result in reduced become detectable by sight, smell and/
below the level recommended by the effi cacy. or touch (Fig. 4). Because they are larger
manufacturer resulting in a less than and more established, they are very
eff ective dose of the active ingredient. If the disinfectant is applied so that it much harder to remove. A diff erent
Furthermore, exposing mushroom doesn’t cover the entire surface, or it disinfectant such as chlorine dioxide
pathogens to a less than lethal dose may dries out before the contact time has and physical scrubbing is often required
promote the development of tolerance elapsed will reduce the eff ectiveness for a targeted clean. Biofi lms are a
in the population. of the kill. Good even coverage is often signifi cant threat to the quality and yield
Figure 1: Any organic material left on the fl oor will reduce the Figure 2: Cracks in the fl oor and gaps between ill-fi tting fl oor
eff ectiveness of the disinfectant. Image: Warwick Gill. slabs will harbour pathogens. Image: Warwick Gill.
24 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
(Left) Figure 3: Foaming is a good option for applying disinfectant.
Image: Judy Allan.
(Above) Figure 4: Biofi lm on the bottom of dustpans soaking in
disinfectant. Image: Judy Allan.
of mushroom crops as they encapsulate is an unreasonable and unnecessary targeted treatment may be necessary.
and protect mushroom pathogens. But expectation. Above all, to avoid apparent reduced
recent evidence has demonstrated that disinfectant effi cacy, make sure your
most mushroom farm surfaces, such Even in the fi eld of human health, cleaning process is eff ective by removing
as concrete fl oors, can harbour serious experts disagree whether rotation of all organic soiling.
human pathogens within biofi lms disinfectants is necessary. However,
(Dygico et al. 2020). this question is rather moot with regard REFERENCES
to the mushroom industry as there are
IS THERE ANY EVIDENCE OF so few registered products to choose Booth CM (2018) Should you rotate
DISINFECTANT RESISTANCE? from. disinfectants? Industry experts weigh in.
Pharmaceutical Online September
Records of disinfectant/sanitiser Generally speaking, a grower will have
resistance, where microbes have selected the most appropriate product, Brouillette R, Haley T (2021) Sanitisers:
acquired a gene to metabolise the active whether that be based on cost, activity from eff ectiveness to tolerance. Food
ingredient, are rare. But instances of spectrum or safety. The sad truth is that Safety Magazine April/May 2021
acquired resistance in human pathogens alternative registered products have
have been documented against issues such as staining or environmental Cooper AL, Carrillo CD, Deschênes M,
quaternary ammonium compounds. In and operator safety concerns, precluding Blais BW (2021) Genomic markers for
one food manufacturing environment, them from being used on the mushroom quaternary ammonium compound
41.5% of Listeria monocytogenes farm even as a temporary cycle breaker. resistance as a persistence indicator for
isolates were found to be resistant to Listeria monocytogenes contamination
the common quaternary compound SO, DO I NEED TO ROTATE MY in food manufacturing environments.
benzalkonium chloride (Cooper et al. DISINFECTANTS OR NOT? Journal of Food Protection 84:389-398
2021).
The simple answer is no. For routine Dygico LK, Gahan CGM, Grogan H,
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR sanitation to achieve the level of Burgess CM (2020) The ability of Listeria
THE MUSHROOM FARM? hygiene required on the mushroom monocytogenes to form biofi lm on
farm, disinfectant rotation is not surfaces relevant to the mushroom
Clean rooms in medical and research necessary. However, in special instances production environment. International
facilities and food contact surfaces in such as biofi lm eradication, a stronger Journal of Food Microbiology 317: art.
food manufacturing plants, particularly disinfectant with scrubbing applied as a 108385
ready-to-eat facilities, must maintain
extremely high levels of sanitation
for the sake of human health –
there is no tolerance for microbial
contamination on surfaces following
cleaning and disinfection. However, on
the mushroom farm, disease control
is all about keeping populations of
mushroom pathogens below the farm’s
threshold level. Achieving complete
microbial-free surfaces, given the
environment, structures, traffi c and
materials used in mushroom cultivation,
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 25
Helping Growers Maximise
the Value of Their Crops
Better Colonised
Better Results
Better
SPRINT ™
A Combination of High Yields,
Excellent Quality, Piece Weight & Shelf Life
TUSCAN 820
™
Patent Pending
sylvaninc.com
26 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
your blend “The possibilities are endless in our brand
new, state-of-the-art production location in
Cuijk. Here, we work with passion to produce
for life the perfect Topterra casing soil every day.
We store our raw materials directly inside,
which ensures a qualitative and consistent
product. This makes us ready for the future.’’
Ronald Vermunt
Location Manager
Legro Mushroom Casing Solutions
+31 (0)88 1717600
[email protected]
www.legrogroup.com
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 27
MODERN
MUSHROOM
DEVELOPMENTS:
MECHANISATION &
COMPUTERISATION
Geoff Martin today’s scenario where many growers repurposed ex-army Nissen huts.
struggle to fi nd people prepared to
Dr Mush Advisory pick mushrooms, and growers’ dreams Once again, Dr Jim Sinden was a
turn to tilt shelving and robotic picking signifi cant player in the revolutionary
systems. technological change in growing
0415 542 301
systems that swept through the
[email protected] GREAT TECHNOLOGICAL mushroom industry in the 1950s.
CHANGES Sinden’s wooden tray system of
mushroom growing, fi rst developed in
MUSHROOM GROWING PAST: Of course, historically, mushrooms have 1934, with its tray fi lling line equipment,
BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS! been grown in caves and old tunnels. was widely adopted throughout Europe.
Raymon Mas is purported to be one of It saw the more successful cohort of UK
Step back in time and spare a thought the fi rst commercial Australian growers ex-military growers abandoning their
for the early pioneers in the industry, cultivating mushrooms in an old railway army surplus munition boxes for 6 x 4
growers whose working days were taken tunnel adjacent to Circular Quay in foot wooden trays, which forklifts could
up by endless monotonous hard labour, Sydney in the 1930s. handle in a factory-style process.
turning compost, fi lling mushroom beds
with pitchforks and primitive machinery. Cave growing was also common It is strange that in Sinden’s native
Then contrast that with all the modern throughout Europe. Cave and tunnel Pennsylvania, the tray system never
equipment, which is available today, growing were problematic in terms really caught on to the same extent as
gear which has made our existence as of disease and environmental control; in Europe. The Pennsylvania growers
modern mushroom growers much easier essentially, mushrooms just did their chose to remain with their one zone
than our forebears. own thing. American double system with wooden
shelves fi lled by hand, which with
There are still a few growers alive today Ridge beds were not uncommon in the some mechanisation, persists today. In
who can remember how labour-intensive Netherlands but always indoors; outdoor Australia, the American double system
things were in the formative days of mushroom ridge beds were peculiar of growing was also taken up by many
the mushroom industry. The late John to Australia, but there was a move to Hawkesbury growers with gusto in
Miller’s book, ‘Reminiscences of a Fun’gi’, indoors in the 1960s to protect crops the 1960s with the hard work of fi lling
is well worth a read as he recounts from the elements. shelves, largely by hand, continuing
the tales of the hardworking men and apace.
women tending their mushroom ridge In the UK and Pennsylvania, mushrooms
beds in fi elds in the Hawkesbury, New were grown in glasshouses in the Extensive mechanisation during the
South Wales during the 1950s and 60s. off season. 1950s and 60s was the key to signifi cant
increases in productivity, which
Many of these young pioneers were In the late 1940s, there was a fl urry transformed the fi nancial future of many
hardworking immigrants who had left of mushroom startups in the United mushroom growers during this period.
the ravages of a war-torn Europe for Kingdom. Seeing a potential market
a new life in Australia following the for mushrooms, well to do ex-Army Compost turning machinery developed
Second World War. These were men and Navy offi cers set up small farms during the 1950s could do the work of
and women who were not afraid of hard growing in old army surplus wooden 15 men. In the UK, glasshouse roofs and
work and having a go. Contrast this with munition boxes left over from the war in walls used for mushroom production
28 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
were insulated, and extra staging
installed to increase the growing area.
Interestingly the black pipes along the
walls used for heating the glasshouses
when growing tomatoes or fl owers
were retained to heat the converted
mushroom houses. This technique was
subsequently retained in purpose-built
mushroom houses later.
Worldwide, specially built growing
rooms became the norm as the industry
expanded into new facilities in the 1960s
and 70s, rapidly replacing the ad-hoc
collection of agricultural sheds, assorted
caves, tunnels, glasshouses, and ex
wartime buildings used for mushroom
growing up until then. Indoor composting facility under construction - China 2017.
SPECIALISED
MUSHROOM MACHINERY
MANUFACTURERS
Over the years, the mushroom industry
has spawned a plethora of specialised
material handling equipment suppliers,
especially those dedicated to compost
handling. The 1970s was a notable
period for the rapid rise of companies
making gear for the mushroom industry;
names such as Cook and Traymaster
from the UK, Claron in France, Pannell in
Pennsylvania, Thilot in the Netherlands
were and are still renowned for their
compost turners.
In several countries worldwide, local
manufacturers have been active Maintaining a wooden tray operation comes at a cost, with the need to repair and
in this sphere. Recently, a couple replace worn-out trays on a regular basis.
of compost turners made by that
former Hawkesbury based mushroom know that maintaining a tray operation
machinery specialist, Bob Rumery, were comes at a cost. This cost revolves
spotted on a SA mushroom operation around the constant requirement to
still perfectly performing turning renew broken timbers and fastenings,
compost each week, many years after not to mention the need to replace life-
they were built! expired, worn-out trays with new ones
on a regular basis.
Of course, today, the big names of the
mushroom machinery industry world are Old trays also present a disease risk.
the Dutch operators, Christiaens, GTL Ineff ective penetration of heat into the
and Hoving. These companies supply heart of worn timbers during a post-crop
compost handling machinery and build cookout allows viruses, mould spores
turn-key compost and growing facilities and other pathogens to lurk deep within,
across the globe. Not to be outdone, ready to infect the next crop. This
there is also a veritable smorgasbord becomes an increased risk when wooden
of Chinese companies involved in the trays are only ever fi lled with Phase 3
manufacture of mushroom compost and compost.
associated growing equipment.
The trays being no longer fi lled
WOODEN TRAYS: A DATED with Phase 1 compost ready for
TECHNOLOGY the traditional wooden tray peak
heating process miss out on the all-
Any grower who has had experience important pasteurisation stage of
working with wooden trays (and many high temperatures in the presence of
operations still grow mushrooms ammonia. Without careful management,
successfully using this technology disease levels can build up in the Rumery & Co Compost Turner - still going
worldwide, even here in Australia) will timbers. strong.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 29
Bulk tunnel fi lling equipment deliver further effi ciencies.
Additionally, some nasty chemicals, such constructed of insulated sandwich Dutch shelving, which can potentially
as sodium pentachlorophenate, a known panels, with the racking being used to produce mushroom yields of top quality
carcinogen, are no longer registered support the roof structurally, or free fruitbodies in the high 30 Kg/m2 range
for use in the mushroom industry. It standing in insulated plastic igloo shed- and in some instances, more than 40 Kg/
was these chemicals that were used as like structures. m2 on a consistent basis. Head-fi lling
a wood preservative and disinfectant, machines that can exude fully grown
controlling disease build-ups when The Dutch shelf system lends itself compost and apply casing at the same
used as a dip for empty trays after the to the relatively easy adoption of time are now the norm on modern Dutch
cookout and emptying. It is a reasonable mechanised fi lling and emptying of shelf bed system farms worldwide, with
assertion that no grower would compost, with the material being rooms now on a six-week cycle.
contemplate building a new operation winched in on nylon nets using
using wooden trays for growing today. specialised head fi lling machinery. In Dutch shelf farms being constructed
Having said that, metal trays, which the early systems, Phase 1 material today invariably have a larger bed
don’t pose a disease risk compared was winched into the shelves with the growing area, 750 m2 being the norm,
with their wooden counterparts, are a pasteurisation and conditioning being six shelves high, with as many as
popular alternative. Also, there have conducted in situ, the so-called one-zone eight shelves high where mushrooms
been attempts to make recycled plastic system. Specialised machinery that ran are being mechanically harvested
growing trays but with limited success, along the bed rails was then used to for processing. Innovation continues
being costly to produce, liable to twist incorporate spawn and supplement into apace, the drawer shelf system and
under load and distort when subject to a the compost after Phase 2. Following tilting shelves being the most recent
steam cookout. spawn run, beds were cased using innovations aimed at increasing picking
a winch hauled folding net fed from rates in an era of labour shortages.
DUTCH SHELVING AND purpose-built casing fi lling hoppers.
PLASTIC In the mid-1980s, the Irish satellite
The one zone system on Dutch shelves growing system came to the fore.
It’s fair to say that, from the 1970s was not particularly effi cient, as Custom compost makers supplied
onwards, most new mushrooms farms after Phase 2 the weight of compost growers with Phase 2 compost in plastic
adopted the Dutch shelf bed system remaining on the shelves was in the bags to small family operations; in turn,
of growing, which everyone is familiar order of 85 Kg/m2. Then followed a mushrooms from these small farms
with today. The fi rst Dutch shelf system period whereby growers started to fi ll were marketed through the compost
in Australia was installed by Joe van shelves with Phase 2 compost from bulk suppliers, the ultimate mushroom
Dorresteyn on his Oakville farm in the Phase 2 tunnels and, latterly, Phase 3 franchising system.
Hawkesbury region in 1984. compost. More operations were supplied
from custom compost makers; these Bags, however, were diffi cult to
Using aluminium or galvanised steel operators provided supplemented transport effi ciently and required
racking with 140 mm. wide beds, this fully spawn-run compost, while larger much manhandling at every stage in
system was based on the standard of growers supplied rooms from their own the process; latterly, the bag system
two sets of racks with four beds per Phase 3 bulk tunnels. was ditched for the more effi cient
rack, giving a growing area of between plastic shrink-wrapped 45x55x15 cm.
200 and 350 m2 per room. The rooms Growers are now fi lling Phase 3 blocks, containing 20kg of compost.
containing the racking were either compost at rates up to 115 Kg/m2 into Phase 2 blocks were supplied initially,
30 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
and latterly Phase 3 spawn-run blocks. GROWING ROOM CLIMATE
Today the remaining Irish growers CONTROL
invariably have Dutch shelf farms and
are supplied in bulk or use Phase 3 No crop responds as quickly to changes
blocks winched into shelves on nets. Of in environmental conditions as the
course, here in Australia, the remaining cultivated mushroom. Our early forbears
smaller operators are supplied almost growing in caves and tunnels had little
exclusively with ready to case Phase 3 to no control over the temperature,
spawn-runned compost in blocks. relative humidity, airspeed or carbon
dioxide concentration above their crops;
WATERING SYSTEMS other than to say that no matter the
season, the environment was constant
The early growers invariably used a and given the constraints at the time
hand lance to water mushroom beds, gave a reasonable economic result.
a pain-staking exercise at the best of
times, which became even more diffi cult With the move from caves and tunnels
with time as more growing levels were to agricultural buildings, manipulating
added. the growing room climate became
much more important. In the cooler
On Roger Giles’ Meadow Mushrooms’ climes of the UK, the early glasshouse
Christchurch New Zealand operation, growers just used the same system as
he used the tick-tock sound from a for tomatoes. The hot water pipes along
metronome relayed to speakers in every the inner wall of the structure provided
growing room; this set the side-to-side heat, and strategically placed slides in
rhythm to be used by the waterers using the walls and roof gave the required
a hand lance, thereby giving an even airfl ow across the mushroom beds.
distribution of water!
As the growing area was increased
Increasing labour costs, more and more from a single bed to multiple beds, the
growing levels and the development natural ventilation, induced using slides
of strains which required more water was insuffi cient to maintain the crop
saw the demise of the hand lance in and fans and ducts were installed. Of
favour of the watering tree, which course, there was no provision made for
could be pushed by hand around the any mechanical cooling in the UK as the Modern Phase 2-3 control systems were
growing room and permitted many bed introduction of outside ambient air was pioneered by a range of Dutch companies.
levels to be watered simultaneously via suffi cient. Maintaining the necessary
strategically arranged spray bars. humidity was accomplished by wetting companies founded in the 1970s were
the fl oor. at the forefront AEM and Hoogendorn;
The 1990s increasingly saw newly built Fancom, today an infl uential player,
Dutch shelf farms being equipped with Early temperature controls were came on the scene just a little later.
automatically operated watering trees, based on simple room bi-metal strip
which ran along the shelving, allowing thermostats, which in turn opened and Climate control systems have moved on
water to be applied at a time applicable closed valves to the hot water system, apace since the simple, early DOS-based
to the developing mushroom crop, very basic indeed compared with the computers and the latest technology
rather than just during working hours. modern-day control systems. is extremely sophisticated, making
full use of high-powered algorithms
Now we see growing rooms being Dr Hans Tschierpe’s work on based on psychometric information,
equipped with fi xed nozzles above environmental factors and mushroom which was unheard of in the 1980s.
the beds; water from a centralised growing in the early 1970s fi rst brought Jan Gielen, a Dutch climate engineer,
chlorination system can be sprinkled growers attention to the infl uence has had a signifi cant infl uence on the
onto the beds at rates and times of carbon dioxide on mushroom pin development of control systems for
controlled by a Programmable Logic setting and fruit body development. mushroom growing, incorporating
Controller (PLC). The downside of this These aspects became increasingly many factors such as absolute humidity,
latter system is the maintenance eff ort important after the introduction of carbon dioxide and oxygen vapour
required to ensure nozzles are sprinkling hybrid strains, which also coincided in pressures, as well as the infl uence of
properly and the diffi culties inherent the early 1980s with the use of simple external atmospheric pressure upon
in applying chemical treatments to the computer systems to control growing crop development.
beds if required during the cropping room environments, air temperature,
cycle. and humidity initially and latterly carbon Thanks to Jan, many growers worldwide
dioxide levels. now have a basic understanding of the
Buried pipes supplying water directly to psychrometric chart, graphs that depict
the compost have been trialled and by all The Dutch were the pioneers in using the thermodynamic properties of moist
accounts give good results; logistically, this technology for mushroom growing air and its importance to mushroom
the system is diffi cult to set up at fi lling which had morphed from the early growing. The training courses which he
and manage at the end of the crop, and eff orts of controlling the climate in delivered to Australian growers in the
consequently, it has not been taken up glasshouses, piggeries and poultry early 2010s were very well received.
by industry. houses in the Netherlands. Two
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 31
CLIMATE CONTROL AND with a fan and duct; heating in some recirculated air. The required diff erential
COMPUTERISATION rooms was by means of hot water between the bottom and top compost
pipes along the sides, others had a hot temperatures were achieved by
Let’s take a step back to 1982, when water coil beyond the fan controlled by adjusting an iris type damper on the
I started my mushroom career at a rudimentary thermostat; one or two supply side of the centrifugal fan.
Middlebrook Mushrooms in the UK. rooms used live steam injected into the
The operation had three sites in Selby duct for re-humidifi cation controlled The Phase 2 pasteurisation stage
in North Yorkshire, and there was one by a humidistat consisting of cotton required a fair bit of attention, and you
experimental unit, equipped with Dutch fi bres, which expanded and contracted had to be physically present at the start,
shelves, the original rack farm which laid according to the room air moisture. during, and end, then hope that the
down 1,500m2 of bed area on a three- cooldown rate was gauged correctly for
zone system. For all the other rooms, the only means conditioning. In hindsight, it was a very
of re-humidifi cation was by wetting hit and miss operation all around both
Finally, a large Dutch shelf farm in the fl oors. As for CO2 control, that was with the Phase 2 composting and the
Gateforth, boasting 80 growing rooms something of a guessing game. While growing. You always had to be mindful
with an area of 375m2 each, two sets of there was a portable Fuji CO2 meter on of the weather and check the forecast,
racking four beds high. This farm was on a hand trolley, we had to take a punt especially overnight.
a ten-week cycle fi lled with bulk Phase and set the proportion of recirculated
2 compost, spawned with a Thilot head to fresh air by adjusting fi xed louvres Because of the size of the operation
fi lling machine. The spawn run was by the fan and open exhaust slides at and having three farms, the company
completed on the shelves and cased 13 the end of the shed according to the employed a night grower, who worked
days later. So that meant that the farm stage of the crop. Fahrenheit mercury on his own on a twelve-hour shift
laid down 3,000m2 per week. in glass thermometers was used to read visiting each of the farms several times
compost and air temperatures, with the a night. They were responsible for
The Gateforth farm was on the site of football rattle style hygrometer always ensuring the boiler on each operation
Camp 53 Sandbeds, a Second World War at the ready to check humidity! was working, keeping an eye on the
POW camp; some of the older growing Phase 2 bulk tunnels, and taking
rooms were the original Nissan huts Every shed had a steam pipe for cooking temperatures of the critical spawn, case
from that time. The older rooms had out; if the compost temperature in run and fi rst fl ush rooms. Two workers
been made up of the original racking the lowermost rack at the end of the fulfi lling the role working alternate
fi rst used on the site, just joined shed reached the magic number of nights.
together, with wooden sides; these 150oF (65oC), as recorded by a remote
were a nightmare to work with, the clock thermometer outside, and was In the main, they were pretty good at
machinery which rode along the original maintained for 12 hours all was well. I keeping the operations ticking over;
wooden bed sides used to derail and fall lost count of the number of times I had however, I lost count of the number of
into the beds with regular monotony. to wrap a water-soaked hessian sack times I was called up in the middle of
over my head and face while risking the night and had to go in to assist as
The remainder of the rooms were a life and limb to climb up and replace a required, plus we had a roster so that a
hodge-podge of hot-dipped galvanised plastic duct that had slipped off the fan grower visited the farms for an evening
shelving, some with wooden bases, spigot, which meant that steam was not round.
others with metal mesh and the later reaching the end of the growing room!
rooms had aluminium racking. Without wanting to sound too much
Needless to say, the bulk pasteurisation like a ‘Monty Python’ sketch, mushroom
What should be stressed is that the tunnels were also equipped with growing has never been an easy
climate control systems were extremely simple temperature controllers, which occupation; what with being on your
basic. All the rooms were equipped regulated the proportion of fresh to feet all day walking many kilometres,
A series of six Commodore 64 computers, running a DOS-based system was used to control the growing rooms.
32 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
working a twelve-day fortnight and AEM had a distributive control system, into the underground aquifer via six
expected to be on call to go in to sort so in the event of a computer failure, recharge wells. The well water was used
out problems in the middle of the night. the growing rooms could be controlled to pre-warm incoming air during the
It was not an easy existence back in the manually on a panel at the shed door. winter and for cooling in the summer.
day. What a diff erence this system made to
The alternative system available at the our growing, at a time when we had just
Added to which, there was always the time didn’t have this facility, and in the introduced the modern hybrid strains.
danger in winter that something had event of a centralised computer failure,
really gone wrong overnight, and, in the only means of control involved Our operation was the fi rst to use the
the morning, you were faced with sheds climbing up to each unit and physically AEM system to control Phase 2 bulk
which had cooled down to too low a adjusting valves and air dampers. This tunnels, and Wim Kaiser, the AEM
temperature with the resulting over was a monumental task given the software engineer and I spent several
pinning or bacterial blotch that this had number of growing rooms and phase 2 weeks fi ne-tuning the computer
caused. tunnels being controlled. program to meet our requirements. An
exciting time, but it would be sometime
Who could have imagined then that In the end, it was more cost-eff ective in the future before growers would
many years on, growers would be to have one air handling unit per pair of be able to check their rooms from a
able to check operations from home growing rooms, which was something of computer in the comfort of their living
on smartphones, be warned by a logistical nightmare as both sheds had room and only in recent times from a
text message when the boiler or a to be treated as one, but which worked smartphone or tablet.
pasteurisation tunnel fan had failed, well in the end.
be able to re-set a fan, adjust growing I could regale you further with my
rooms all from the comfort of your living What was more amazing about this experiences at Denny Mushrooms in
room and not have to drag yourself out system was that six Commodore 64 South Africa and our move from ten
of bed and drive into work? computers controlled it, running a or so life expired tray farms scattered
DOS-based system using the BASIC throughout the country to three state
However, I do believe that growing programming language. The six of the art Dutch shelf operations based
under primitive conditions, you develop computers were linked together, and in Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban
a fi nely honed intuitive sense of the from my offi ce, I was able to see what and the trials and tribulations of building
climatic condition, air temperature, was happening in real-time, but at that them during the period of international
humidity, CO2 level when walking into a stage, any adjustments to setpoints sanctions. Still, that tale will have to
growing room and the ability to read a had to be made at the Commodore 64 wait for another occasion.
mushroom crop and instinctively know computers located in each arcade.
what to do. All I would say in closing is that as
The Commodore 64 was a popular growers, we must remember that
As to the Middlebrook Mushroom story, early computer used for educational despite all the modern equipment at our
in 1983, the availability of Government and gaming purposes. To be used to disposal and the ability to control our
subsidies to improve horticultural control the environment on a large growing room environment precisely;
productivity meant the company mushroom unit was genuinely amazing. that in essence, mushroom biological
was able to install state of the art However, the system worked, the parameters have not changed and that
air-handling computer-controlled units were equipped with both heating computerised control systems are just
equipment on the Gateforth farm. and cooling coils, CO2 control, re and an adjunct to and not a replacement for
dehumidifi cation. observation and attention to detail in
A quick visit to the Netherlands ensued, managing your mushroom crop.
and together with Peter and Paul Cooling was by means of underground
Middlebrook, the farm engineer and me, water pumped up at a year-round
we visited several farms and eventually temperature of 7oC, and this was
plumped for an AEM system. This circulated around the farm, through
decision was made primarily because the air-handling units and then back
BEING TREATED AS A NUMBER
NUMBER
Machinery
Climate
Nijverheidsstraat 2a
5961 PJ Horst
The Netherlands
T + 31 77 398 39 29 Supplies
[email protected]
www.mushcomb.com
PROUD PARTNER OF
MUSHROOM VALLEY Engineering
Mushrooms Exotics Compost
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 33
SOLUTIONS TO
EMERGING
Disease Threats
A recent webinar hosted through Applied other countries around the world. two regions).
Horticultural Research examined the
issue of Trichoderma aggressivum. The "One of the reasons we think "Then in 2000 reports emerged of
guest speaker was one of the world's Trichoderma green mould emerged big Trichoderma problems in the bulk
most foremost fungal pathologists, relates to the pressure on compost phase 3 system, with larger quantities
Dr Helen Grogan, who detailed her production during a time of industry of compost aff ected, and with a
experience gathered through the Mush expansion. Phase 2 tunnels were being correspondingly more severe impact on
TV project. The following information, run at full capacity to meet increased growers and composters."
including images and a detailed question demand for compost, which may have
and answer section, has been taken compromised good hygiene practices.” "The puzzling aspect was that, while
from the webinar. the green mould was occurring on
"As a result, this green mould appeared, phase 3 growing systems at the grower
MUSH TV a new organism, capable of aggressively level, there were no obvious symptoms
colonising compost. While other in that compost at tunnel emptying
The Mush TV project drew together a Trichodermas occur on mushroom farms, at compost facilities. There was also
consortium of scientists, composters, they never attack and compete very variability among farms using compost
growers, working collaboratively to fi nd successfully with Agaricus bisporus, but from the same source, with some having
solutions to particular problems such as this green mould did, causing massive Trichoderma and others not having the
Trichoderma aggressivum and Mushroom losses in productivity." same issues."
Virus X.
It then was found in England, America, The big questions were:
Dr Grogan said the project, which and Canada, although in the early • Was this a composter or grower
lasted over three years, consisted of 16 days it never seemed to occur in the problem?
partners from around Europe, including Dutch industry, where the Dutch shelf • Where was it coming from? and
Ireland, United Kingdom, Belgium, system was used. (Interestingly, genetic • How was it getting into the phase 3
Netherlands and Poland. analysis indicated that the Trichoderma compost?
aggressivum strains found in North
"From my viewpoint, it was a great America were distinctly diff erent to INDUSTRY SURVEY
consortium and allowed scientists to those in Europe, meaning that the
work closely with the composters and pathogen emerged independently in the The fi rst step in the Mush TV project
growers to get to the heart of the
problems being faced by the industry.
Dr Grogan explained that the projects
consisted of three distinct elements,
an initial industry survey to determine
the status of Trichoderma aggressivum
and Mushroom Virus X, phase 3 compost
trials with Trichoderma aggressivum
and fi nally, the effi cacy of various
disinfectants used for on-farm disease
control.
TRICHODERMA
AGGRESSIVUM
Dr Grogan said in the 1990s, Trichoderma
aggressivum was primarily associated
with phase 2 compost spawn run in situ,
in bags, blocks or trays – a situation While the green mould occurred under Phase 3 systems at a grower level, there were no
common not just in Ireland but also in
obvious symptoms in that compost at tunnel emptying.
34 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
was an industry survey. The research the legs of racks, the plastic around the of the project was inoculation trials
team visited compost facilities and blocks, debris from the yard outside, with bulk phase 3 to determine
gathered samples of compost debris the offi ce, the desk, the phone, canteen how Trichoderma aggressivum was
from fl oors and conveyors, taking fresh areas, the forklift, picking trolleys, the manifesting itself.
phase 3 compost samples out of tunnels casing mixer, the mixing trolley, the
and testing for the presence or absence emptying conveyor and growers hands. "The composters were saying that they
of Trichoderma. could not see it in the compost coming
Dr Grogan said the research fi ndings out of the tunnel on the conveyor, so
A similar survey was also undertaken highlight the need for good hygiene the question was to look at what was
on several growing units, with swabs right across the whole farm. occurring and how it was occurring."
and samples taken from areas such as
the doors, the fl oors, picking trolleys, "If the farm is clean, you are not going to Dr Grogan detailed a range of work
control units and canteen areas. fi nd Trichoderma aggressivum. But once undertaken with researcher Mairead
you fi nd it, even if it is not particularly Kilpatrick at the Agri-Food and
The samples were taken back to the visible, you need to pay particular Biosciences Institute (AFBI) at Loughgall,
lab and examined for Trichoderma. attention to farm hygiene and eliminate Northern Ireland to examine the issue.
Any Trichodermas that were present all potential sources of contamination."
were then further tested to determine AFBI has four experimental mini tunnels
whether they were Trichoderma "My advice is that if you have any measuring about 1m wide by 2m tall and
aggressivum or some other mould. concerns that you may have some 2.5 m deep.
Trichoderma, take samples to check the
No Trichoderma aggressivum was found identifi cation and then refocus on areas The fi rst experiment involved burying a
in the samples taken from the compost that require improved hygiene. If you little pocket of Trichoderma-colonised
facilities. are not picking up positive samples, spawn grains at the back of the tunnel.
you can be fairly confi dent of your The tunnel was then fi lled right to the
Throughout the project, 142 samples hygiene, and you are not going to have front.
were also taken of fresh phase 3 as a Trichoderma aggressivum issue," she
tunnels were emptied, and again no said. Dr Grogan said the big question was
Trichoderma aggressivum was found. whether the tunnel would have green
This tallied with the fact that no green INOCULATION TRIALS mould right up to the front door once it
mould issues were being reported by the was opened.
growers during this time. Dr Grogan said the next component
The researchers then focused on
growing units with a history of
Trichoderma, often older farms growing
on phase 2 or phase 3 blocks.
Up to 36 samples were taken from each
of the four sites, with quite a number of
Trichodermas present (see data shown
in Image 1). The samples were then
further tested to see whether they were
Trichoderma aggressivum.
Three of the four farms recorded
Trichoderma aggressivum, with positive
results coming back on swabs taken
from door handles, growing room fl oors,
Swabs and samples were taken from a range of diff erent areas on several growing units.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 35
"When we opened the tunnel door, we uninfected tunnel was around 30 kg/m². there would have been the same amount
were very disappointed to see a very of good compost as there was in the fi rst
nicely spawn run tunnel, with what For the infected tunnel, the front section trial. Even though the compost looked
looked like a normal fully colonised yielded a similar amount, the front perfectly healthy, the mixing of that
compost. middle a little less, the mid-back a little small amount of Trichoderma infection
less and the average for the three back from the back of the tunnel signifi cantly
"We proceeded to empty it in a sections recorded a drop of about one- impacted yield.
methodical fashion, separating out the third. The average for the whole tunnel
contents in sections. The tunnel was was around 23 kg/m². Dr Grogan said the data highlighted to
subdivided into four sections - front composters that they could not take for
to back - and three sections - top to "This approach, separating out individual granted that the compost tunnels were
bottom - to give 12 separate batches sections from the tunnel, shows us free of Trichoderma.
of compost that made up the tunnel. where Trichoderma could be located
It all looked good, and we did not see following a single ‘point’ infection, but "It was a big wake-up call to see the
any Trichoderma at all until we got to what we wanted to see next was what diff erence in productivity between
the very back, where there was a small happens when the compost is bulk cropping separate sections or mixing
amount of green mould associated with handled," she said. thoroughly."
where we had put the infected spawn
grains. But this tunnel of compost To do this, the researchers conducted Dr Grogan said the research team then
looked perfect from our perspective at some trials where the compost was went on to look at the potential for
the time." vertically mixed coming out of the cross-contamination.
tunnel while emptying onto a conveyor
"The twelve batches of compost were and then dropping into a trailer and "In our research, we wanted to see
taken out and cropped separately to see progressively layering the compost back what would happen if the equipment
what happened." and forth, before transporting the trailer used to empty a tunnel deliberately
and emptying it in a vertical fashion to contaminated with Trichoderma
The approach delivered some interesting fi ll the growing room shelves. aggressivum was then used to empty
results. From the front slice, there was another clean Trichoderma-free tunnel,
no Trichoderma in either the top, middle Dr Grogan said this is the normal to explore the possibility of cross-
or bottom, and the yield was reasonably approach handling phase 3 compost at contaminating from one tunnel to
standard at 30 kg/m². On the next layer, tunnel emptying as it eff ectively mixes another."
a small amount of Trichoderma was the compost as homogeneously as
found in the top and the bottom, with a possible to average out the yields in a "To do this, we put our inoculum at the
15% yield loss at the bottom. reasonably consistent manner over the front of the fi rst tunnel, and after spawn
tunnel. run, we then proceeded to empty that
In the middle back section, the tunnel slice by slice, mixing each slice
top yielded very nicely, the middle "And while at one level this mixing is a separately, as if we were bulk handling."
experienced a slight drop in yield, and good thing, but at another level, if there
there was a heavy 48% loss on the is any disease present, you are mixing "We had two other tunnels that were
bottom of that section. the whole contents of that tunnel." not infected, and we proceeded to
"Not surprisingly, the yield from this empty each tunnel starting with the
The back section revealed a 14% yield tunnel using bulk handling, delivered fi rst infected tunnel."
loss at the top, 34% in the middle and a a more signifi cant reduction in
100% loss at the bottom. productivity than from the tunnel which "In tunnel one, the yield is very low for
had been emptied slice by slice, although the slice of compost where the inoculum
Dr Grogan said the inoculum in the back
corner did move forward a little but not
to the front of the tunnel, tending to
remain and radiate out from the initial
location at the back of the tunnel.
"And even though the compost, from the
infected section at the bottom rear of
the tunnel looked good when the tunnel
was being emptied, it produced no
mushrooms."
"The fact that it was not obvious that
Trichoderma was present, and that
there was both good and poor quality
compost coming from the tunnel,
helped to explain reports from growers
where diff erent batches from the one
tunnel delivered very diff erent yields of
mushrooms."
Dr Grogan said the yield from a control, Inoculation trial – AFBI Loughgall. No Bulk Handling and no mixing of compost.
36 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
was present and emptying the second
slice of compost from the same tunnel
with the same equipment, the yield
remains low. The third slice from that
tunnel revealed similarly low yield,
and the fourth slice at the back of the
tunnel, where there was no Trichoderma,
still delivered a signifi cant reduction in
yield."
Dr Grogan said the same equipment
was used to empty each section of the
tunnel, and even though the infected
compost was from the front of the
tunnel, the use of this equipment
contaminated each batch of compost
that followed and impacted its yield.
Tunnel 2, which was Trichoderma-free,
was emptied slice by slice, using the
same conveyor that emptied Tunnel 1, Inoculation trial – AFBI Loughgall. No Bulk Handling and no mixing of compost. Results
which had contained the Trichoderma. from back of tunnel.
The results show that the tunnel
provided better yields at 20 kg/m²; Trichoderma was picked up in the fi rst It also highlights that when this compost
however, this is still a reduction in slice of the third tunnel emptied by hand goes to a farm, diff erent farms will have
terms of the potential of the compost at using clean equipment, the subsequent diff erent levels of impact depending on
around 30 kg/m². slices taken out using the dirty which tunnel the material came from."
equipment from the day before were "From the view of composters, the
She explained that for the third tunnel, again impacted by Trichoderma. fi ndings highlight there is a major job to
the conveyor and trailer were covered do to clean equipment in between tunnel
overnight (not cleaned), and the Dr Grogan said the fi ndings highlight emptying, particularly when there might
emptying hall where the tunnels were, that when the materials are bulk be some Trichoderma around."
was thoroughly cleaned and disinfected. handled, there are small amounts of
carryover that can dramatically aff ect "The work shows that bulk phase 3
"The following morning, the third tunnel the yield and productivity from tunnels handling exacerbates the impact of
was emptied. The fi rst slice was emptied that appear to be perfectly healthy Trichoderma aggressivum, in a far
by hand, not using the conveyor, but compost. greater manner than the amount of
clean equipment. We then proceeded to Trichoderma-colonised compost that
use the conveyor that had been covered "It is a massive wake-up call for may be present in a particular tunnel."
- and not cleaned or disinfected - from composters that such small amounts of
the day before." carryover from one tunnel to another "Contaminated compost handling
can lead to dramatic impacts on equipment can very easily infect an
The approach found signifi cant levels productivity. otherwise clean phase 3 compost, and all
of Trichoderma infection. While no it requires is a fragment of compost on
a conveyor that is hiding debris from a
previous crop to transmit a Trichoderma
aggressivum infection."
Dr Grogan said a similar approach
to cleaning and decontaminating
equipment is needed to address all
compost-borne problems, such as
Mushroom Virus X and Le France.
DISINFECTANTS
Dr Grogan said that as part of the
project, the team also tested a range
of disinfectants, using formalin as a
control. (Note – formalin was approved
for use at the time, but has since been
removed for use.). This work was done
by Dr. Johan Baars and Jo Rutjens at
Wageningen University and Research in
the Netherlands.
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 37
The disinfectants tested included particularly as the organic matter HAND CLEANING
quaternary ammoniums, peracetic acid levels tend to reduce the effi cacy of
and hydrogen peroxide, hypochlorite, disinfectants anyway. The fi nding of Trichoderma on doors
phenolics, gaseous ozone, benzoic acid, and door handles and canteen areas,
and electrochemically activated water. "What we found was that, while it highlights the overall need for hygiene
The effi cacy was evaluated on two types might have taken a little bit of time, in dealing with the issue.
of material - the spores of Trichoderma Trichoderma grew out of all the compost
aggressivum and Trichoderma-infected fragments treated with disinfectants." While Trichoderma spores are not
compost fragments. as sticky as dry bubble spores, the
"The result was not quite what researchers found the use of alcohol
Dr Grogan said practically all of the we expected, but again it is a very gel or alcohol hand wash sanitisers to
products tested gave good disinfection important piece of information for be very eff ective at eliminating fungal
of spores, with 100% eradication of composters. The real message is a need spores on hands.
spores after 15 minutes or 60 minutes to make sure there is no compost left in
contact time. tunnels or on conveyors, or on shelves and Dr Grogan said the use of alcohol hand
equipment. When you are talking about gel stations on farms, at the entrances
However, the test highlighted 0% a compost facility, that is a challenge to mushroom tunnels and various other
eradication on the Trichoderma-infected because there is compost everywhere." locations is an excellent strategy to
compost fragments. reduce cross-contamination by staff
"When you have a Trichoderma and assist in controlling the spread of
Dr Grogan said that compost is a outbreak, you need to ensure you could diseases on-farm.
complex, organic substrate that is hard eat off the concrete and surfaces on your
to penetrate and is therefore more facility. The risk is that any compost
diffi cult to disinfect completely. fragments can get incorporated into
the fresh, healthy compost coming out
If the spores and mycelium are of the tunnels, or going into growing
embedded within that compost, it is rooms, increasing the risk of a signifi cant
so much harder for the disinfectant to Trichoderma outbreak as a result."
get in there and have some activity,
Demonstration of how dry bubble spores (Lecanicillium fungicola) are transmitted on contaminated fi ngertips, and how alcohol gel is
more eff ective at decontamination than handwashing with tap water or liquid soap.
38 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
Q&A One of the issues with wood is that it
degrades over time, and it becomes a
bit more porous, and that is often where
I've seen problems in the past. When
I worked in Britain, we had many tray
farms, and Trichoderma was an issue
particularly associated with older trays
that were more porous. You are getting
a temperature in the compost, but it is
not necessarily getting into the tray's
wood. One approach is to keep a rolling
replacement of your trays to ensure
How many metres did the Trichoderma if you have a Trichoderma infection in they are in good condition. Lining trays
generally spread through that fi rst tunnel? the compost and growing room, you with plastic is another approach because
need to make sure the compost gets that stops that growth into the wood
Each slice was about 0.6 m thick, and up to 65° and hold it there for eight itself.
a little bit was going into the second to twelve hours. That will eliminate
slice from the point of inoculation at the the Trichoderma in the compost. Many What is the best chemical to use on timber
back – say about 1 m; so that you might growers in Ireland in older facilities trays to treat Trichoderma?
expect to get a ball of infected compost might not be able to do that for that
of perhaps 2 m diameter from a point length of time. Still, we will always say The results with sanitisers suggest it is
infection. to do it as hot as you can for as long as pretty hard to treat timber trays. One of
possible because there is a temperature- our growers found that lining the trays
Can we say that Trichoderma moves time relationship. The hotter the with plastic and replacing old trays was
vertically, faster than it moves temperature, the quicker you kill. The the best way forward for him.
horizontally? longer the time, the more you kill. So if
you can't get to 65°, then go to 60° for Are red pepper mites a good indication of
That movement is probably facilitated 12 hours at least, and you still get a fairly Trichoderma aggressivum, even though
in our tunnels, which are quite small signifi cant reduction in the Trichoderma visible signs of green mould are not visible?
when you think about it. We had our in that compost in that time. Even at
Trichoderma infection in the corner of 55°, you still get a reasonable reduction. Yes. Red pepper mites feed on
the back lower section, and so it would You may not get a 100% reduction, but Trichoderma, and usually, if you see
have quickly contacted the walls in that it is better to get an 80 or 90% decrease lots of pepper mites, that would
case, and so there would have been with that temperature than not doing it indicate Trichoderma in your compost.
probably more rapid growth up the walls at all. A couple of pepper mites feed on other
of the tunnel. Whether or not within the moulds, but usually, a big problem of
middle of a big tunnel, you would get Do you know if there is much eff ect of the pepper mites points to Trichoderma.
that growth in one direction or not, I ramping up time, so how long it takes They can feed quite selectively, some
don't know. you to get to 65°, and does that make any pepper mites are selectively eating
diff erence? Trichoderma, some will selectively eat
How did you get that one little bit of something else so that it might be a
Trichoderma that was at the front top of In our mushroom units in Ireland, I know slightly diff erent pepper mite, but by
the tunnel? it usually takes around 12 hours to get and large, most that you see in any
the compost temperature up and then numbers are feeding on Trichoderma.
We had experiments with many, many you start to time when the compost
tunnels. While infection at the back temperature is up at 65°. And you count Would you recommend spraying phenolic
was always consistent, there were your eight hours from then. And then straight on to compost before cookout at
occasionally minor infections in other it is probably another 12 hours cool the end of the cropping cycle?
locations. I think that's because there down. So, it is a day or two days to do
is a possibility that it can grow up the the cookout. And it is costly in terms You would spray off compost with the
walls. You get condensation on the top, of energy, and sometimes growers disinfectant in places where you don't
and you get air movement, so there will take a risk, and if they don't have have a cookout because you want to
could be movement of spores being a problem, they may decide not to kill anything on the surface before you
blown up through the compost that can cookout. That is okay as long as you empty. What is inside is still going to
condense down on the top. So, there don't have a problem. But if you do, or be alive, but if you can kill off what is
may be a bit of transmission within the you are not aware you have a problem, on the surface, that is a help. In Ireland,
tunnel, but most of it stayed reasonably you are allowing that problem to build we used to spray phenolics onto the
local to where it was. up by not cooking out. So if you're trying surface of compost at the end of a crop,
to save energy by not cooking out all but phenolics cannot be used anymore
It was shocking how ineff ective those the time, we would recommend that to disinfect surfaces and equipment
sanitisers were, particularly when you cookout at least every three weeks that come in contact with a food/crop.
the Trichoderma was in the compost so that at least every tunnel is getting There have been issues with mushrooms
particles. So what is an eff ective time a cookout and you are not allowing picking up phenolic residues, which
and temperature required to pasteurise a something to build up. comes up as a ‘contaminant’. As a result,
tunnel? the industry has decided not to use
What do you recommend on a wooden tray phenolics anymore on-farm because of
What we recommend is 65° in the cookout to ensure the wood itself is not the potential risk that mushrooms may
compost for eight to twelve hours. So, contaminated? pick up some residues. The decision
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 39
by many in the industry is to use what Agaricus likes and what Trichoderma being transported and moved around,
quaternary ammoniums instead. likes? and lifted and handled, and placed in
position, you have more opportunities to
Is any aspect of phase 1 composting Most moulds prefer slightly acidic, contaminate the outer surface of those
more likely to encourage the presence of whereas Agaricus does like relatively bags and blocks. And that can lead to
Trichoderma in phase 2 and phase 3 parts? neutral, so in that regard, Agaricus your crop becoming contaminated.
should have the upper hand because
One of the best things a composter it is growing in an environment that How eff ective is non-grain spawn as a
can do is to ensure homogeneity, good suits it more. But the growth rate of control strategy?
mixing and uniformity, no clumping, no Agaricus is slower than the growth rate
big wet clumps of compost, and no big of Trichoderma, and if there are free I don't have experience of it, but in the
lumps of chicken manure. The same goes carbohydrates available like in spawn United States, they use it because it is
when you're emptying and working with grains, the Trichoderma can grow very eff ective. It may not be 100% eff ective,
your phase 1 because you need to get as fast compared to the Agaricus. So there but if you have got a severe problem,
much uniformity as possible. is a bit of a battle going on there, and you might still get some Trichoderma,
Trichoderma is looking for the spawn but you would probably have far less
Regarding phase 2 compost, what is the grains or the more readily available with non-grain spawn.
maximum temperature and number of nutrients in the compost. It will quickly
hours required to ensure that compost is grow through the compost to fi nd those Does supplement in phase 3 increase
clean and properly pasteurised? grains and use those in preference to Trichoderma, given that it is providing a
the compost itself. ready source of nutrients?
I am not an expert on composting, but
I think it is 58° to 60° again for at least Will adding more spawn help to fi ght off These days, many of the supplements
eight hours to achieve pasteurisation. Trichoderma or make it worse? are quite complex in terms of what they
That will kill most of the nasty stuff , are providing, and I don't know that
58 to 60° for eight to ten hours. And Adding more spawn should get Agaricus there would be much free carbohydrate,
then it is about making sure that all the to colonise more quickly. And once which is what the Trichoderma would
ammonia is gone at the end, as residual the Agaricus colonises the compost be looking for. I understand that they
ammonia can cause other issues. - particularly in an in situ spawn- are more complex sources of nutrition
run situation where you are not bulk and are not necessarily going to fuel
Can casing soil contain Trichoderma? handling – there will be lots of healthy Trichoderma growth. But I don't have
compost. But as the trials show, when any data on that from research.
We found in the past that you certainly healthy Phase 3 compost was mixed
will get Trichoderma viride in casing soils with contaminated compost the whole If you think Trichoderma may be present,
and depending on the casing source, batch succumbed to Trichoderma. We how risky is CAC-ing and should it be done?
there may be some other Trichodermas know that higher spawn rates can help.
present. By and large, we do not tend to Also, in the United States, they have It would be best if you were not CAC’ing
see signifi cant problems associated with used non- grain spawn, so Agaricus with compost. If you want to use this
those other Trichoderma's. I don't think spawn that is not made with grain is technique, you should buy proprietary
we have ever picked up Trichoderma one way of dealing with Trichoderma. So material. If you have an ongoing or
aggressivum in the casing as a source if you haven't got that carbohydrates rumbling issue of Trichoderma or virus
of Trichoderma. It does tend to come source, it is a diff erent source of and you are using your compost in this
from the composting side of the house. nutrition and therefore, it doesn't feed way, you might contaminate the crop,
I think that is its niche. Contaminated the Trichoderma as much as the spawn in which case you would see a lot of
compost getting into your casing could grain will. damage.
be a risk potential. And, if you are CAC-
ing, for example, and you are adding in What is the risk of using plastic liners
what you think is healthy compost into in the trays, as information suggests
your casing material, now suddenly, Trichoderma spores are electrostatic and
you are spreading Trichoderma through can stick to the plastic?
the casing, which will have devestating In making her presentation, Dr Grogan
consequences, but it has come from the The plastic issues have arisen mainly acknowledged the work of her colleagues
compost. with the plastic bags and the plastic- Caoimhe Fleming-Archibald and Angela
wrapped blocks, where they are being Ruggiero from Teagasc, Ireland, Mairead
Does the pH in the compost aff ect the handled and moved around and become Kilpatrick, David Burns, Stephen Sturgeon
growth of Trichoderma? charged. If there is dust and spores and Paula McPoland from AFBI-Northern
in the environment, the dust can be Ireland and Johan Baars and Jo Rutyens
I haven't done any work on pH. I know attracted to the blocks and the bags. So from Wageningen UR in the Netherlands.
Trichoderma likes it to be slightly acidic we know that that can happen. On the
as many moulds do. So if you are tending wooden trays, there is a possible chance, All images are provided courtesy of Dr
towards more acid than alkaline, you will and you are trying to weigh up the two Helen Grogan and Ms Mairead Kilpatrick.
probably favour Trichoderma growth. things. If you're lining your clean trays,
It would help if you were aiming to get in a clean environment, and then fi lling (The research leading to these results was
your optimum pH in the area above it with clean, fresh compost, hopefully, funded under the European Union Seventh
seven. you are eliminating the risk of unwanted Framework Programme (FP7-SME-2011;
contamination getting onto that plastic. grant agreement No. 286836 - MushTV).
How signifi cant is the overlap in terms of When the bags and the blocks are The document refl ects the authors' views.)
40 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
THE ROAD TO A
CENTRE OF
EXCELLENCE
Tim Adlington with supporting laboratory facilities
and expertise. The new facilities are
Chair, Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research currently in the planning stage.
Centre Steering Committee encouraging new industry expertise.
INTERNATIONAL LINKS
Developing a database of bio-markers
0408 543 505 The Marsh Lawson Research Committee for compost quality control to maximise
(see contact details next page); have mushroom production yield (MU17006)
[email protected]
focussed on strengthening international Led by Prof. Michael Kertesz (University
collaboration, starting with the new of Sydney), the project explores how
webinar series, providing a global microbial populations within compost
This new quarterly column will introduce
you to a project aimed at building a perspective with new and latest ideas. can be used to understand, measure and
Mushroom R & R&D Centre of Excellence, enhance compost quality.
also known as the Marsh Lawson Those of you participating in the
Mushroom Research Centre. webinars will be exposed to the best Optimising nitrogen transformations in
thinking from around the world. mushroom production (MU17004) Led
by Prof Michael Kertesz (University of
The mushroom industry supports CURRENT PROJECTS
and invests in research through our Sydney), the project is exploring the
levy system to continually improve fate of nitrogen used in mushroom
success factors that support successful These are the current projects currently production and composting and
mushroom businesses. undertaken at the Marsh Lawson developing a better understanding of
Mushroom Research Centre. Click on the microorganisms that are involved
the name of each project for more in transforming the nitrogen added as
Meet the researchers involved and learn
about the current projects at the centre, information. compost ingredients for mushroom
including projects undertaken outside production.
the facility that help the industry reach Extension and adoption for food safety,
its strategic objectives. quality and risk management (MU20000) Pest and disease management and
Led by Martine Poulaine (AMGA), the research services (MU16003) Led by Judy
NEW FACILITIES NEEDED project delivers targeted information Allan and Dr Warwick Gill (University
on food safety, quality and risk of Tasmania) the project is assisting
management to the mushroom industry. growers in understanding and managing
Our current research facility, located at
the University of Sydney and managed key pests and diseases of mushrooms.
by Applied Horticultural Research (AHR), Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research Centre
is funded by our levy dollars. (MU16004) Led by Gordon Rogers (AHR, Summary: Please forward questions or
University of Sydney), this project suggestions for future columns on the
supports the running and development above subject matter to those whose
We have come to a time where the
Marsh Lawson mushroom research of the Marsh Lawson Mushroom emails are shown above. We aim to
facility must transition into a Research Centre (MLMRC). The MLMRC keep our members fully informed as to
mushroom centre of excellence. This is a world-class facility dedicated to R&D activities, with the hope that in
transition will involve building a new mushrooms. The research that takes return, new thinking and ideas will be
mushroom growing facility and a place there will help the mushroom considered as we move our industry
dedicated compost research facility industry drive innovation, adopt forward into the future.
best practice, and tackle issues while
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 41
STEERING
LE
LETT'S MEETS MEET
These are the members of the Marsh Lawson Mushroom Research Centre Steering Committee. Many of you will already know
Tim Adlington Adrian Hunt Geoff Martin
Parwan Mushrooms Hort Innovation AMGA Chair
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
Martine Poulain Joseph Zdrojewski Judy Allan
Relationship & GM, AMGA Costa Group Mushroom Consultant
[email protected] [email protected] [email protected]
42 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
COMMITTEE
THE TEAME TEAM
TH
these people – they are all passionate about improving the mushroom industry, both here in Australia and internationally.
Ann Bleads Mi ael Kertesz Graham Price
Science Support, Elf Farms As. Prof., Sydney University Mushroom Grower
consultant@elff arm.com.au [email protected] [email protected]
Gordon Ro rs Mohammad Mirzadeh
Applied Horticultural Research Head Grower, Bulla Park
[email protected] [email protected]
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 43
CELEBRATING
60 YEARS: THE
AMGA TIMELINE
The history of the Australian mushroom • Undertaking numerous marketing campaigns ranging from Meat for
industry and the formation of the and promotional activities, initially Vegetarians, to the Great All-
AMGA is one of business and places, through women's magazines and rounder and Don’t be in the Dark
chance and circumstance, of farmers newspaper sections, evolving to about the Power of Mushrooms; and
and innovators. It is also a story of television and radio campaigns and • Managing the delivery of world-
people well highlighted in the book then more recently social media; class research and development
"Reminiscences of a Fun'gi" by the late • Collaborating with international projects.
John Miller. And while the industry organisations;
owes its success to those people who • Developing a Pest and Disease Risk Over the sixty years, the AMGA
have put in the hard work, it also owes Management Plan; has forged an envious reputation
a debt to those who had the foresight • Representing industry in the internationally, continually striving
to pool together and form a growers industrial relations area; to deliver benefi ts for members by
association, knowing addressing issues across
the power of a united the production and supply
industry. chain that impact long-
term profi tability.
The exciting thing is
that there has been From the early outdoor
plenty of ground covered ridge beds to the
over the sixty years, application of the latest
with the Association modern technology, the
undertaking work in a Association has been
wide range of activities with its members every
for the betterment of its step of the way over the
members and the wider past 60 years, using its
industry. collective knowledge to
guide the way and assist
From the start, the members. As a result, the
AMGA has been about legacy for the industry is
the collective will of a an Association run by its
united industry, with members and with the
the founding members broader interests of the
showing foresight in industry as its strong and
raising funds through unwavering focus.
a contribution from
growers of sixpence per A history of the formation
quarter of mushroom of the Australian
spawn purchased. Mushroom Growers
This approach laid a Association and the
solid industry-based Association's role in a
foundation for signifi cant research and • Working with Government and wide range of activities is presented
promotional programs that have helped industry to ensure the highest in a separate liftout. The information
build a strong and vibrant modern standards of food safety are was taken initially from John Miller's
industry. maintained; materials (introduced in 2011 in
The work has not been without its • Building relationships with retailers the AMGA Journal), which provided
challenges, with the Association working and foodservice outlets to promote a rounded summary of industry
across a range of key issues over many mushrooms; development. More recent information
years, including: • Implementing research into on industry activities has been taken
the health benefi ts of mushrooms; from industry records, including the
• Fighting against cheap imports in • Delivering industry workshops on a Australian Mushrooms Journal.
the 1960s; range of topics;
• Establishing research into pest and • Creating and implementing a Read the Special Liftout - https://bit.ly/
diseases impacting production; range of high impact marketing AMGA-60
44 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 45
ISMS E-CONGRESS
UPDATE
The International Society for Mushroom event on the ISMS website for registered SPONSORSHIP
Science (ISMS) e-Congress will be held delegates.
online from Tuesday 14 September to While a physical trade show will not
Friday 17 September 2021. The event THE PRESENTATIONS occur, the sponsor gallery enables
will run from 12:00 – 14:30 UTC (GMT) company videos of products and services
each day to take account of the time The Scientifi c Committee has invited to be posted, and sales staff interact
diff erences and allow the broadest over 60 oral presentations and over with potential customers during the live
potential participation 60 posters. In addition, e-Congress gallery sessions each day.
sponsors will provide additional
To further encourage participation, technical information about their As delegate e-communications begin
registration fees have been kept to a products and services for delegates. to increase in the next few months,
minimum and have been set at AUD 50 the inclusion of sponsor branding will
for members (30 euro) and AUD 100 (60 Of the oral and poster presentations, provide global awareness in a highly
euro) for non-members. Delegates can 31 cover substrate and casing, with credible environment.
register online at www.isms.biz. 17 on pest and disease, highlighting
the importance of applied production The sponsorship prospectus will
research. be released shortly, and further
PROGRAM FORMAT information can be obtained from
Work in the areas of nutrition, bioactive [email protected]
The innovative format for the event compounds, and medicinal mushroom
combines the human elements of remains strong, with 21 abstracts
live events with the convenience accepted for the event. CONGRESS UPDATES
of on-demand viewing of research
presentations and sponsor There are 14 presentations on It is anticipated that the program will be
communications. molecular biology/ biochemistry, and fi nalised shortly, with the information
11 in the genetics and breeding area, made available through the ISMS
Registered delegates will hear engaging four mycorrhizal and seven training/ website and publicised via e-notices and
live keynote presentations and be outreach presentations round out the industry publications.
allowed to ask questions and make technical program.
comments. Live oral presentations Anyone wishing to stay informed about
selected from over 100 abstracts will There are many new names on the the program can email the secretariat
support these presentations, covering author list for the 2021 e-Congress, - [email protected] – to receive
topics ranging from cutting edge science with a record of 33 countries invited to regular updates.
to practical production orientated present their work at the event.
research.
The oral, poster and sponsor galleries
will showcase the recorded video oral
presentations, posters, and recorded
sponsor information. The galleries will
operate on-demand 24/7 throughout
the e-Congress period, so registered
delegates can view the material of
interest to them at a time that is
convenient for them.
These galleries will become “live’ venues
each day when authors and sponsors
will be online to discuss their work
(products and services for sponsors) and
answer delegate questions, creating an
interactive experience for authors and
delegates alike. The presentations and
materials will also be available after the
46 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
Dr Jenny Ekman
WINS BAYER
RESEARCHER
AWARD
Dr Jenny Ekman, Senior Research
Scientist from Applied Horticultural
Research and Adjunct Associate
Professor with the University of Sydney,
has been recognised for her career in
horticulture research by receiving the
Bayer Researcher of the Year Award at
the Hort Connections 2021 conference in
Brisbane.
The Award recognises a researcher
who has a track record of research or
extension work that has advanced the
industry, who actively communicates
research outcomes and encourages
uptake of outcomes on-farm, and who
contributes research or extension
work that advances the reputation of
Australian science internationally.
The award is supported by Bayer, an
international life science company
off ering innovative products that
serve the health of humans, plants and
animals.
Dr Ekman has been a leading
postharvest physiologist, food safety
expert and science communicator for
more than 20 years. Her research aims
to help vegetable growers, packers and
processors deliver high quality fresh
produce to consumers while keeping
losses to a minimum. More recently she
has added the important area of food
safety to her research portfolio.
“Research and development is critical to
the ongoing growth of the horticulture
industry, and we are fortunate to have
world-leading researchers and scientists “Not only is Dr Ekman a well-known “Dr Ekman is a regular presenter at
willing to engage with growers to and highly regarded researcher in the Australian and international conferences
understand their needs and issues. The horticulture sector, she is an astute and goes above and beyond to ensure
Bayer Researcher of the Year Award communicator who can deliver complex the outcomes of her research reach
recognises researchers who make research outcomes to growers and the growers and businesses throughout
a real impact on growers and their supply chain that are compelling and the supply chain. She is a truly worthy
businesses,” said AUSVEG CEO James easy to understand.” recipient of the Researcher of the Year
Whiteside. Award.”
Au li Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021 47
HORT INNOVATION
ROUNDUP
NEW MUSHROOM R&D The overall objective is to engage growers and industry stakeholders
PROJECTS through a long-term strategic to develop a refreshed fi ve-year
program to educate food professionals Strategic Investment Plans (SIPs) for the
Hort Innovation is currently fi nalising through a program of activities that mushroom industry.
the selection of contractors for two new are informed by credible science. The
research and development programs approach is intended to increase the The SIP has been developed as a
on behalf of the Australian mushroom overall knowledge of the food industry foundation for decision-making in levy
industry. about the role of mushrooms in investments, representing a balanced
disease prevention and management, view of stakeholders from within the
The fi rst of these projects is Educating positioning mushrooms as an essential industry. The SIP serves as a guide
the food industry about Australian component of a healthy diet. to Hort Innovation in prioritising
mushrooms. and implementing relevant R&D and
The second project is Mushrooms as a marketing programs that impact the
The project refl ects that only 4% of the cholesterol-lowering food. industry.
Australian population currently includes
the recommended levels of fruit and This is another health-related project, The fi nal mushroom Strategic
vegetables in their daily diet, leading building on the solid framework Investment Plan 2022-2026 will be
to health problems such as obesity, established through previous project available on the Hort Innovation website
heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. The activities. from July 2021.
critical industry driver is to use existing
knowledge about health benefi ts to The strategy with the project is STRATEGIC INVESTMENT
promote the increased consumption of to promote the consumption of ADVISORY PANEL
mushrooms. mushrooms by aligning them with
the specifi c health property of being a To gain insights for strategic levy
While the mushrooms industry cholesterol-lowering food. investments in R&D, marketing and
is engaging strongly with health trade, Hort Innovation consults with
professionals, this project targets The work considers a recent fi nding that growers through the mushroom
chefs, foodservice managers and new identifi ed mushrooms as containing up industry Strategic Investment Advisory
product developers working in the to four times more beta-glucans than Panel.
manufacturing industry. The project oats in dry weight. The project will
aims to educate foodservice, food work to rectify the situation whereby The SIAP includes AMGA representatives
industry professionals and infl uential mushrooms are currently unable to and industry supply-chain stakeholders,
product developers on the nutritional make a claim about beta-glucans as per most of whom are levy-paying growers.
benefi ts, as well as increasing demand the FSANZ Food Standards Code.
by promoting the versatility of The SIAP provides a vital link between
mushrooms. The project aims to assess the beta- meeting industry priorities and helping
glucan content of fresh mushrooms. Hort Innovation make investment
Initial project work will include a market If levels are measured as greater than decisions in line with the industry SIP.
research component to develop a 1g/100g, a clinical trial will be considered
profi le of health perceptions to identify to develop a high-level health claim Hort Innovation uses recommendations
education strategies and appropriate to be presented for validation with made through the SIAP to develop
ways to reach the target audience. FSANZ. Based on the results achieved, project proposals, which are submitted
The project will also seek to engage with a strategy will also be developed to tender, assessed and implemented on
other organisations internationally to and implemented to disseminate the behalf of the industry.
capture and share new information on mushroom and heart health claim with
the health benefi ts of mushrooms. health professional infl uencers and key Information on all investments,
opinion leaders. including any resources produced, is
Direct contact with food industry detailed in the Mushroom Fund section
professionals will be expanded through It is anticipated that both projects of Hort Innovation’s website. Regular
conference exhibitions, presentations, will commence shortly, with a further information on levy-funded activities is
workshops and one-on-one meetings. In update provided through the next also provided through this publication
addition, it is proposed that a series of edition of the Journal. and the regular Industry Update
mushroom farm tours will be regularly e-newsletter.
conducted to showcase how mushrooms UPDATING THE STRATEGIC
are grown and deliver the mushroom INVESTMENT PLAN If you have any questions related to the
story from farm to fork. operations of the SIAP, please contact
In 2021, Hort Innovation engaged with Hort Innovation Mushroom Industry
48 Australian Mushrooms Journal | Issue 2 -2021
The words you are searching are inside this book. To get more targeted content, please make full-text search by clicking here.
Discover the best professional documents and content resources in AnyFlip Document Base.
Search