Characteristics of the media under a self-propelled compost turner in button mushroom cultivation

This study was conducted to investigate the characteristics of the medium used on the composting step, comparing the excavator agitator with the self-propelled turner. The temperature of the outdoor composting medium tended to increase rapidly after flipping in the turner. The late composting medium temperature was maintained at the excavator treatment area (farm practice), and the late composting effect progressed. During the field composting stage, various microorganisms such as Bacillus spp., Actinomycetes, fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., and filamentous fungi were distributed in the medium, and the density of aerobic bacteria involved in the decomposition of the medium was increased. Under high-temperature composting conditions, blue fungi, and mesophilic actinomycetes were inhibited or killed. Thermophilic actinomycetes, which play an important role in decomposing organic matter, showed higher densities than those observed in farm practices in the self-propelled turner process. The length of rice straw was slightly shorter when the self-propelled turner was used, and the water content did not show any significant difference between treatments. The a and b values tended to increase as the inverter was turned over. The CN ratio of the composting broth was lowered from 23.1 to 16.2 for the 5th turnover in the context of farming practices, and from 23.3 to 16.9 in the context of the self-propelled turner. The yield of each treatment was increased by 20% in 1 period, 28% in 2 periods, and 26% in 3 periods; the overall yield was 23%.