Kekkilä-BVB Reflects on BIOSCHAMP: Developing a Biostimulant Alternative Casing for a Sustainable and Profitable Mushroom Industry
The BIOSCHAMP project, initiated in 2020, set out with the ambitious goal of creating a sustainable, future-ready solution for the mushroom industry. The aim was to develop a peat-free casing soil that could serve as a carrier for selected microbiota, acting as crop biostimulants. Kekkilä-BVB joined BIOSCHAMP to collaborate on finding local and circular raw materials and biostimulants that enhance sustainability while ensuring the safety and effectiveness of mushroom cultivation.
Kekkilä-BVB’s role in BIOSCHAMP involved contributing to the technical development of alternative raw material solutions, optimizing the casing soil to meet industrial requirements, and preparing for potential product commercialization.
The most significant milestone of BIOSCHAMP was the identification of two complementary circular raw materials as promising candidates for future-fit casing soils: (1) Sphagnum Moss and (2) Fermented Grass Fibers from NewFoss (NF). However, these materials were identified in a peat-reduced application mode rather than peat-free. Despite the availability of alternative materials, Kekkilä-BVB maintains that peat remains the most essential ingredient for casing soil, ensuring safe and effective mushroom cultivation. The outcome of BIOSCHAMP, being peat-reduced rather than peat-free, substantiates this belief.
The development of stable and effective microbiota in casing soil proved too challenging within the BIOSCHAMP project timeframe. The biostimulation at the applied dosage and format did not show significant advantages in terms of productivity or crop earliness, despite testing three different microbiota strains.
The two BIOSCHAMP solutions—(1) 50% Sphagnum moss / 50% peat casing soil and (2) 50% fermented NF grass / 50% peat casing soil—were validated in four diverse mushroom farms across Europe. All farms tested the same formulation of casing soil. In Kekkilä-BVB’s daily operations, the formulation of casing soil, including its specific structure and moisture content, is meticulously controlled at the production factory. Each grower receives a bespoke blend of casing soil tailored to their unique requirements. The most relevant follow-up question from BIOSCHAMP’s outcome for Kekkilä-BVB is: Can the BIOSCHAMP solutions be tailored to different types of grower requirements?
Kekkilä-BVB extends its gratitude to all BIOSCHAMP partners for their collaboration. We believe there is potential for introducing new casing soil alternatives.
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