Biomass and Biological Activity during the Production of Compost Used as a Substrate in Mushroom Cultivation.

The production of a suitable substrate for the cultivation of the common white button mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, is referred to as composting. High microbiological activity causes temperatures of the composting material to rise as high as 80 degrees C. At stacking, an optimal oxygen consumption rate of 140 mumol of O(2) h g (dry weight) was found in the compost at 50 degrees C, whereas the oxygen consumption rate of the end product was lower at all temperatures tested. No significant differences were observed between biomass content and mineralization rate of C-labeled glutamate of the two composts. Biomass content was shown to be a major function of both temperature and the sampling site position in the stack. On the basis of the results reported here, a minimal composting time of 3.3 days for the phase I process was calculated. Further suggestions are made to reduce the time necessary for the production of a substrate for A. bisporus considerably.