A new Hungarian development utilizes mushroom production waste

The consortium’s project, which began in 2022 and cost more than 812 million forints, received a non-refundable grant of 452 million forints in the call for proposals of the Széchenyi Plan Plusz program. The participants researched how to make mushroom compost and other mushroom production waste usable with insect larvae. This biomass is rich in nutrients, but due to its large volume, it cannot be transported economically over long distances, and only a few insect larvae can utilize it effectively, they justified the development.

According to the announcement, mushroom production waste can be used in larval rearing, which can produce not only valuable insect protein, but also insect pellets that can replace poultry manure. During the research, they found that the recycled material can be used as a soil conditioner and mulch, and they also determined the dose in which it can replace fertilizer in the cultivation of horticultural plants, and how much of it should be used in mushroom cultivation as a yield enhancer. By reducing the use of fertilizer, the research contributes to reducing production costs and makes the supply of an important raw material for mushroom cultivation independent of fluctuations caused by poultry epidemics, they added.