A method for artificial cultivation of Ophiocordyceps sinensis fruiting bodies. The method comprises: inoculating Ophiocordyceps sinensis into a sterile rice medium, cultivating at 9-13 C. for 40-60 days, after the medium is covered with mycelia, performing low-temperature induction at 1-8 C. for 60-80 days to develop a fruiting body primordium, and transferring the cultivation to 11-16 C. till harvest of the fruiting bodies. The method requires no low-oxygen environment, which can reduce cultivation cost; it only needs 3-4 months from induction to harvest of fruiting bodies: the rice medium for use has a low cost, which is suitable for commercial cultivation of Ophiocordyceps sinensis fruiting bodies.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a construction and/or insulation material comprising the steps of providing a fungus and a substrate, introducing or preparing a mixture of the fungus and the substrate in a mold, allowing the fungus to grow to form a network of hyphae through the mixture to form a mycelium composite, taking the composite from the mold, and shredding the composite to chunks.

The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a construction and/or insulation material comprising the steps of providing a fungus and a substrate, introducing or preparing a mixture of the fungus and the substrate in a mold, allowing the fungus to grow to form a network of hyphae through the mixture to form a mycelium composite, taking the composite from the mold, and shredding the composite to chunks.

A mycelium growth bed for growing a solid substrate-bound mycelium through which the mycelium composite is easily and readily removed. This is achieved through the use of a perforation layer embedded between the mycelium substrate and the mycelium composite so as to create a uniform structural weakness and thereby enhancing harvesting abilities of the ex-substrate mycelium via a greatly reduced and uniform tear strength. The perforation layer, through which the mycelium grows, allows for the gated and controlled extrusion of a matrix of colonial cells that may be easily and uniformly delaminated from the underlying mycelium substrate.

A mycelium growth bed for growing a solid substrate-bound mycelium through which the mycelium composite is easily and readily removed. This is achieved through the use of a perforation layer embedded between the mycelium substrate and the mycelium composite so as to create a uniform structural weakness and thereby enhancing harvesting abilities of the ex-substrate mycelium via a greatly reduced and uniform tear strength. The perforation layer, through which the mycelium grows, allows for the gated and controlled extrusion of a matrix of colonial cells that may be easily and uniformly delaminated from the underlying mycelium substrate.

A cultivation bag assembly for the cultivation of microbes, fungi and other organisms includes a bag having first and second walls joined along side edges to define a bag interior for containing a food substrate and an organism to be cultivated. At least one of the first and second walls is constructed of a layer of water-vapor permeable material to allow the passage of water vapor therethrough. A bag wall overlay layer formed from gas impermeable layer is releasably coupled to the bag. The overlay layer overlays the layer of water-vapor permeable material to prevent the passage of gases therethrough. The bag wall overlay layer has an opening with a gas filter patch covering the opening to allow the passage of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases through the gas filter patch to and from ambient air to facilitate incubation of the organism within the interior of the bag. The bag wall overlay layer is removable from the bag to allow water vapor to pass through the layer of water-vapor permeable material to ambient air facilitate drying of the bag contents after incubation is complete.

A cultivation bag assembly for the cultivation of microbes, fungi and other organisms includes a bag having first and second walls joined along side edges to define a bag interior for containing a food substrate and an organism to be cultivated. At least one of the first and second walls is constructed of a layer of water-vapor permeable material to allow the passage of water vapor therethrough. A bag wall overlay layer formed from gas impermeable layer is releasably coupled to the bag. The overlay layer overlays the layer of water-vapor permeable material to prevent the passage of gases therethrough. The bag wall overlay layer has an opening with a gas filter patch covering the opening to allow the passage of oxygen and carbon dioxide gases through the gas filter patch to and from ambient air to facilitate incubation of the organism within the interior of the bag. The bag wall overlay layer is removable from the bag to allow water vapor to pass through the layer of water-vapor permeable material to ambient air facilitate drying of the bag contents after incubation is complete.

The invention relates to an arrangement for cultivation of horticultural products, more specifically mushrooms. A first and a second rack are arranged adjacent and aligned with each other, providing a working space therebetween. Each rack comprises support structures arranged at support heights for supporting cultivation packages at a plurality of heights. The support heights are aligned with each other. The arrangement comprises moving means for moving packages from the first to the second rack or back, via the working space. Cultivation packages can be supported such that at most a single package is supported at each of the aligned support heights. This enables the packages to be alternatingly supported in either the first or the second rack across the support heights. The arrangement further includes an operator platform within the working space which is moveable in a vertical direction to enable working at different heights.

A box transfer apparatus for an automated harvesting system is provided, the box transfer apparatus comprising: a frame; a plurality of trays to support a plurality of boxes; and a box gripper moveable within the frame using a gantry coupled to the frame; wherein the box gripper is configured to grasp boxes and move the grasped boxes between the frame and an adjacent frame used to convey the boxes to be used in receiving picked items from the automated harvesting system. A stem gripper for an automated harvesting system is also provided, the stem gripper comprising: a housing comprising at least one motor; a pair of contoured fingers operable by the at least one motor to rotate above a common axis to grasp stems of items picked by the automated harvesting system; and a drive mechanism to move the stem gripper from a discard bin to a box for loading.

A box transfer apparatus for an automated harvesting system is provided, the box transfer apparatus comprising: a frame; a plurality of trays to support a plurality of boxes; and a box gripper moveable within the frame using a gantry coupled to the frame; wherein the box gripper is configured to grasp boxes and move the grasped boxes between the frame and an adjacent frame used to convey the boxes to be used in receiving picked items from the automated harvesting system. A stem gripper for an automated harvesting system is also provided, the stem gripper comprising: a housing comprising at least one motor; a pair of contoured fingers operable by the at least one motor to rotate above a common axis to grasp stems of items picked by the automated harvesting system; and a drive mechanism to move the stem gripper from a discard bin to a box for loading.