SmartMushroom pilot plant is operating to improve biogas production by upgrading the biodigestion cycle of SMS through the demostration of the methanogenic bacterial consortium, targeting to increase SMARTmushroom’s biogas obtained yields (122 m3/t fresh SMS) by 25% obtaining 150 m3 of biogas per tonne of fresh SMS treated (56 to 80% more than with competing anaerobic digestion technologies: 30 – 65 m3/t). Also drying tests are been carried out in order to optimized drying times and temperatures to reach the highest efficiency in the process.
SMS based pellets have been tested in different mixtures, by adding other nutrients (NPK), micronutrients and materials like zeolite and a large variety of crops (lettuce, tomato, cucumber, peeper, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, broccoli, wheat, wine grapes) in greenhouses and open field, these trials have shown very promising results, obtaining as principal benefits in comparison to traditional inorganic fertilizers, a better initial rooting and vegetative growth, earlier flowering, which has led to cecrease in vegetative growth and equalization of vegetative growth with crontrol plants and fruiting period has begun earlier.
Main impacts:
SMARTmushroom revolutionizes mushroom production via its SMS-ADryer plant which converts mushroom production waste (SMS), currently generating cost, to an agriculture organic fertilizer. As a result, mushroom producers will increase their economic benefit. SMARTmushroom redefines the current mushroom production “take, make, dispose” extractive model to circular economy model, and thus decouples it from the consumption of finite resources, and designing waste out of the system.
The new commercial organic fertilizer obtained from SMS will be a revolution for mushroom sector and could help tackle waste management problem. Each SMARTmushroom plant treating an average of 36,000 tonnes will save between € 216,000 – 360,000 due to SMS management costs, while generates an additional turnover of C.A. €850,000 due to the sales of pellets for organic farming. Using SMARTmushroom solution, mushroom growers will increase their profits by 25%.
