A method using a system adapted for continuous growth and harvesting of fungal fruiting bodies. The system includes a growth chamber, one or more mycelium feed assemblies, a nutrient reservoir with liquid media, one or more environmental controls to control an environment within the growth chamber and of the liquid media within the nutrient reservoir. One or more mycelium feed assemblies are arranged within the growth chamber. Each of the one or more mycelium feed assemblies includes a nutrient supply member and a mycelium colony which grows around the nutrient supply member, that continuously supplies liquid media to the mycelium colony. The method includes starting one or more mycelium colonies on the nutrient supply member, establishing that a mature colony has formed, and then maintaining the mature mycelium colony by continuous delivery of liquid medium to the mycelium colony, thus allowing for contiguous generation and harvesting of fungal fruiting bodies.

A method using a system adapted for continuous growth and harvesting of fungal fruiting bodies. The system includes a growth chamber, one or more mycelium feed assemblies, a nutrient reservoir with liquid media, one or more environmental controls to control an environment within the growth chamber and of the liquid media within the nutrient reservoir. One or more mycelium feed assemblies are arranged within the growth chamber. Each of the one or more mycelium feed assemblies includes a nutrient supply member and a mycelium colony which grows around the nutrient supply member, that continuously supplies liquid media to the mycelium colony. The method includes starting one or more mycelium colonies on the nutrient supply member, establishing that a mature colony has formed, and then maintaining the mature mycelium colony by continuous delivery of liquid medium to the mycelium colony, thus allowing for contiguous generation and harvesting of fungal fruiting bodies.

A fungal growth structure comprising a nutritive vehicle, a porous material, an administrable space. fungal tissue comprising fungal hyphae having a growth pattern, the fungal tissue connecting said nutritive vehicle to said porous material to said administrable space, wherein the fungal tissue within said space defines at least one successive fungal material layer; and a chemically or physically altered separated portion of fungal material, the separated portion separated from said fungal tissue.

A method of forming fungal materials and fungal objects from those fungal materials, the method comprising the steps of growing a first fungal tissue in contact with a nutritive vehicle; supplying a porous material in contact with said first fungal tissue; directing growth of said fungal tissue through said porous material such that a portion of said fungal tissue comprises a first fungal material having first fungal hyphae; optionally incorporating composite material; directing a change in the composition or growth pattern of at least some of said first fungal hyphae; separating at least a portion of the first fungal material from said nutritive vehicle; obtaining a second fungal material having second fungal hyphae; and forming a fungal object by encouraging fused growth between said first fungal material and said second fungal material and optionally incorporating composite material.

A method of cultivating mushrooms is provided that includes: (a) growing mushrooms on a substrate in a growing cell until buds are formed; (b) transferring the substrate with buds from the growing cell to a harvesting cell; (c) picking mushrooms from the substrate during a first flush in the harvesting cell; (d) picking mushrooms from the substrate during a second flush in the harvesting cell; (e) disposing the substrate; wherein in the growing cell, and the substrate is provided on different layers of stacked longitudinal beds of a first rack. The harvesting cell is provided on different layers of stacked longitudinal beds of a second rack and characterized in that the each of the beds of the first rack has a corresponding bed on the second rack, with corresponding beds extending on a substantially same level in view of the ground level in the growing cell and along a same straight line as the beds.

A method of cultivating mushrooms is provided that includes: (a) growing mushrooms on a substrate in a growing cell until buds are formed; (b) transferring the substrate with buds from the growing cell to a harvesting cell; (c) picking mushrooms from the substrate during a first flush in the harvesting cell; (d) picking mushrooms from the substrate during a second flush in the harvesting cell; (e) disposing the substrate; wherein in the growing cell, and the substrate is provided on different layers of stacked longitudinal beds of a first rack. The harvesting cell is provided on different layers of stacked longitudinal beds of a second rack and characterized in that the each of the beds of the first rack has a corresponding bed on the second rack, with corresponding beds extending on a substantially same level in view of the ground level in the growing cell and along a same straight line as the beds.

A mechanized cultivation system for large scale production of various species of edible mushrooms with controlled CO.sub.2 and humidity and temperature. The system uses a main cultivation cabin which eliminates the need for humans to enter the cabin during cultivation. The produced mushrooms are sterilized and pasteurized inside the cultivation chamber.

An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

An automated mushroom harvesting system for mounting to a vertical mushroom rack comprises a robot having a frame mounted to a vertical carriage assembly. A SCARA arm is slidably mounted to the vertical carriage assembly by a vertical stage, operable to move the SCARA arm along a vertical mast. The SCARA arm moves the end effector in a horizontal plane for harvesting mushrooms, above the surface of the mushroom bed and into and out of the confines of the mushroom rack, and the vertical stage moves the SCARA arm in a vertical direction so as to access the mushrooms in a bed and to access mushroom beds on different levels of the vertical mushroom rack. An end effector having a helically reinforced neck and a graduated elasticity modulus, with a lower elasticity modulus in the neck and a higher elasticity in the cup, is also provided.

This application relates to a method for growing aerial mycelium with a defined growth pattern and products of aerial mycelium materials with defined growth patterns based on controlled inoculation and either pasteurization or sterilization of a substrate in situ at the same select physical location. For example, a defined growth pattern can include a homogeneous growth topology or a geometrically regular pattern of bulbous forms, prompted by a defined geometrically regular inoculation of pasteurized or sterilized substrate from which the aerial mycelium is grown.