A soil-less biodegradable and porous rigid foam substrate for cultivating plants that has been formed of a heterogeneous matrix of organic fibers pasteurized with organic matter and natural minerals, and then contacted with a fungus, resulting in a biocomposite foam with excellent capillary dynamics, the whole of which does not compact and whose organic bio-composition favors the proper micro-biological activity upon a plants' rhizosphere. The preferred embodiment is to grow said substrate inside a waxed hexagonal prism shaped box, and around an externally accessible means of internal aeration, for approximately 3-5 days, and then to deactivate the live fungus in said biocomposite foam by exposure to microwave radiation.

The composite material is comprised of a substrate of discrete particles and a network of interconnected mycelia cells bonding the discrete particles together. The composite material is made by inoculating a substrate of discrete particles and a nutrient material with a preselected fungus. The fungus digests the nutrient material over a period of time sufficient to grow hyphae and to allow the hyphae to form a network of interconnected mycelia cells through and around the discrete particles thereby bonding the discrete particles together to form a self-supporting composite material.

This present invention discloses an integrated method of cyclic utilization of energy grasses comprising the steps of generating biogas residue from the energy grasses, growing edible mushrooms from the biogas residue, producing livestock or poultry feeds from the spent mushroom culture medium, feeding livestock with the feeds, and producing organic fertilizers from the manure of the livestock or poultry. The method, by producing biogas, edible mushrooms, feeds, livestock or poultry, and organic fertilizers, makes an integrated and cyclic use of energy grasses and aforementioned products. This invention will help achieve the goal of cyclic use of energy grasses with great efficiency.