Growth characteristics of the thermophilic fungus Scytalidium thermophilum in relation to production of mushroom compost

Abstract

Scytalidium thermophilum is an important thermophilic fungus in the production of mushroom compost. I investigated the characteristics of this organism and present a simple model with which fungal growth in compost can be described. The model is used to predict better circumstances for rapid indoor production of mushroom compost. I conclude that inoculation of the starting material with prepared compost either before or after the pasteurization phase has only a minor effect on the shortening of the composting process. This is because the initial growth rate of the fungus is much higher than its growth rate later. A lower temperature (53.5°C instead of the usual 56 to 58°C) during the pasteurization phase may be most profitable for rapid compost production; such a temperature may reduce the time that is needed for the last phase of the production process by at least 1 day.