Ottimizzazione della filiera produttiva del fungo coltivato

The increase in food requirements has led to the adoption of an intensive agriculture, causing organic matter pauperization in soil and a decrease of its fertility. Organic fertilization is among the solutions able to contain the loss of soil organic matter. As organic fertilizer, animal manure is the most utilized, but, in recent years, there is an increasing availability of other sources, such as the spent mushroom substrate. The spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a waste resulting from the fungiculture, activity that produce cultivated mushrooms. The present experimentation provided the characterization of SMS and the use of SMS as organic matrix in horticulture, an activity characterized by intense cultivations and frequent processing. The strip plot experimental design compared 4 fertilization treatments and 3 SMS types in a cultivation of 8 horticultural species, some of which are sensitive to the accumulation of nitrates. Moreover, this experimentation provided the characterization of A. bisporus and then the use of different compound to manage the browning effect and to maintain the qualitative characteristics of the champignons in the post-harvest. From the analyses performed on the type of SMS, no significant differences emerged regarding the main parameters taken into consideration. SMS is endowed with good nutritional contents, especially regarding the contents of organic matter and nitrogen, whose values remain unchanged even after 12 months of uncovered heap. SMS is also well equipped with phosphorus and potassium content, which, however, are subject to losses due to the washout of the rains. The salt content is high when compared to a common manure. This problem can be easily managed if the quantity used in the field does not exceed the cultivation needs. Moreover, it is safe from the point of view of toxicity caused by the presence of heavy metals, respecting the limits established by Italian D.lgs. 75/2010. If compared with mineral fertilization, yields obtained from SMS fertilization often did not report statistical differences, suggesting that the use of these two N sources can be comparable. Also, the use of SMS fertilization matrix offers the advantages of organic fertilization. Short cycle crops preferred mixed fertilization, because organic substrate usually require long time for mineralization. From the results of our experimentation, organic fertilization is more effective for long cycle crops. Moreover, assessing the quality of the obtained products, SMS has proved to be a safe matrix, in fact, the concentration of nitrates is below the limits imposed by the Italian legislation. From the results emerged during the characterization test of A. bisporus, it is possible to assert that the maintenance of the cold chain contributes to the senescence retardation. Sliced A. bisporus was the reference that was most affected, about senescence, by the period of conservation and was thus considered for the subsequent tests. the test of the browning effect on sliced mushrooms was carried out testing three different compound. Color, which is the most important parameter for the consumer, results less deteriorate with EDTA treatment that seems to have a good effect to maintain the brightness and low titratable acidity levels.