Plant husbandry – Mushroom culture
Reexamination Certificate
1999-08-17
2001-10-09
Poon, Peter M. (Department: 3643)
Plant husbandry
Mushroom culture
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298598
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to improved culture of mushrooms. In particular, the present invention provides materials for use in mushroom culture which can be applied with improved uniformity of coverage.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In commercial mushroom culture, a bed of growth medium is prepared from any or a combination of organic materials such as horse manure, bagasse, crop residue, animal bedding, chicken feathers and any of a host of other substances such as hay, gypsum, sawdust, straw, soybean products, urea and the like. The growth medium is then inoculated with mushroom spawn. Mushroom spawn is comprised of an organic carrier, such as partially cooked grain, optional and well-known adjuvants, such as pH controlling agents, and mushroom mycelium. The mycelium is conventionally grown in situ and derives from an inoculum produced from the species or variety of mushroom to be grown. The inoculated grain or other substrate is then allowed to incubate under conditions of time, temperature and humidity applicable to the particular species being grown. The inoculum invades the substrate with networks of mycelium to form the spawn.
The spawn, that is the substrate with attendant mycelium, is then applied to the growth medium. The mushroom mycelium invades the growth medium, deriving nutrition therefrom. The resulting myceliar network provides the basis for subsequent fruiting of mushrooms from the mushroom bed. In accordance with certain preferred aspects of mycoculture, a casing material is applied to the bed some time after application of the spawn to it. Casing material, which is known per se, is a further organic material. It is believed to spur the rapid and profound development of mushroom fruit from the bed.
After an initial development or “break” of mushrooms from a bed and their harvest, a further period of time will typically find the emergence of one or more further breaks for harvest. In some practices, additional nutrients are applied to the bed to provoke or nourish such further development. All of the foregoing are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art and science of mycoculture. Such persons will further appreciate that a very wide range of organic materials may be used in such culture, however the large majority of materials commonly used are monotonic in color. That is, all of the materials typically used, the growth medium, the spawn, casing material and nutrient layers are generally a shade of light brown or tan to dark brown in color. It can be difficult to achieve uniform application of spawn to growth medium in a bed, to apply casing material in a uniform layer and to nourish beds uniformly following an initial break of mushrooms such that maximum re-fruiting occurs.
It is clearly desired to achieve improved uniformity of application of all such materials, denominated “mushroom culture materials” so as to minimize the amount used, thus minimizing materials, storage, transportation and labor costs. The present invention is directed to this long-felt need.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention achieves the foregoing goals by providing mushroom culture material comprising organic substrate or substrates. Dispersed within the organic substrate is an indicator in particulate form. The particulate indicator has a color which may be perceived in any convenient way, such as by viewing under ambient light, e.g. incandescent or fluorescent light or sunlight, or under ultraviolet light. In accordance with other embodiments of the invention, perception of the indicator may occur through means other than visualization. Thus, magnetic, electromagnetic or other means of discernment of the particles may be employed. The color of the particulate indicator particles or other means of discernment is selected to permit the particles to be discerned from the organic substrate materials.
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Hawley's Condensed Chemical Dictionary, 13th ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1997, p. 417.
Kerrigan Richard W.
MacDonald Lori Ann
McAuley Barbara Jean
Wach Mark Peter
Gellner Jeffrey L.
Poon Peter M.
Sylvan America, Inc.
Woodcock Washburn Kurtz Mackiewicz & Norris LLP
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