New terms & ideas.

As you will note in articles this month, terms to describe the growing medium that results from the mushroom growing process have changed. Descriptive language applied through the years includes spent mushroom substrate, mushroom soil and used mushroom compost. The SMS Research Committee decided to use the term Mushroom Compost to describe this beneficial material since there is nothing spent or used about it.

Beneficial Uses Grant Progress by Joe Poppiti describes the various projects undertaken by the SMS Research Committee that explain and promote the many uses of mushroom compost. Funded through a grant from the PA Department of Agriculture (PDA), research projects include crop production trials, artillery fungus research and possible mine reclamation uses. As a result of the grant, promotional brochures and a Web site were created. An investigation is underway to learn if nutrient credit trading could help mushroom farmers with transportation costs.

Mike Fidanza, Associate Professor of Horticulture, Penn State, worked with the SMS Research Committee to establish the essential plant nutrients in mushroom compost. His article, Mushroom Compost Improves Plant Growth, answers questions often asked about the organic material. Fidanza describes how mushroom compost improves the soil, the available plant properties including average nitrogen, phosphate and iron, and the amount of compost needed for a vegetation site. Fidanza's research shows that good quality mushroom compost does not have significant salt concentrations, and if properly pasteurized, processed and stored, no significant weed seed problem.

Chester County Conservation District Sponsors Odor Reduction Tour describes a summer bus trip to Hy-Tech Mushroom Compost and Laurel Valley Farms to show progress with new technologies to prevent odors in Chester County. PA Rep. Art Hershey was instrumental in obtaining a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to finance the odor reduction research. The Conservation District under the direction of Dan Greig was selected to guide the project. With help from Ken Lomax, University of Delaware, and David Beyer, Paul Heinemann, John Pecchia and Tom Richard, Penn State, the tour group learned about successful odor reduction methods at both sites.

Learn about a market-based approach to comply with governmental regulations in Environmental Credit Trading: Can Farming Benefit? Authors Marc Ribaudo, Robert Johansson and Carol Jones give an overview of trading programs that have been created for air quality, water quality, wetlands protection and gas emissions. Farmers may be able to supply credits by reducing pollutants on the farm, but their needs to be a demand as well as a supply of credits. A U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) assessment program will help quantify the impact of conservation practices.

Also this month, the AMI Update highlights contract obligations when a food safety recall is initiated. Highlights of the annual Fresh Festival in Washington DC are also covered. The Mushroom Council Update shares news on meetings held on the east and west coasts to discuss an assessment increase and the proposed program for 2008. A key element of the new marketing effort is a partnership with Weight Watchers. Finally, Industry News spotlights events and activities held in Pennsylvania.

--Sara Manning, Mushroom News Editor