Researcher: Forestry waste could boost Estonia's mushroom cultivation
Kalev Adamson, associate professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, is exploring the use of forestry waste such as stumps for mushroom cultivation. In experiments in the Järvselja training forest, birch, black alder, and aspen stumps were inoculated, with black alder showing the best results.
Mushroom cultivation is a growing field in Estonia and worldwide, covering edible and medicinal mushrooms, yeasts, and biocontrol antagonists. Kalev Adamson, associate professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, believes broader use of fungi could add value to local forestry and agricultural waste.
Industrial mushroom cultivation in Estonia dates back to the 1970s, but Adamson sees room for growth, noting that store-bought mushrooms are often imported from Poland rather than locally produced.
In his venia legendi lecture on June 12, Adamson discussed recent trends, including growing mushrooms on clear-cut areas, cultivating chaga (Inonotus obliquus), and fungal viruses that alter mushroom properties.
One research line involved stumps left after thinning in mixed forests at the Järvselja training and experimental forest. In spring 2024, researchers inoculated stumps with selected species using mushroom dowels, including oyster mushroom, phoenix oyster, and velvet shank.
Results showed that not every strain works on every stump. Black alder performed best, while aspen gave the poorest results. A strain thriving on alder may not grow as well on birch.
Challenges include slug damage during summer cultivation and competition from naturally occurring fungi. Open areas proved too hot and dry, while thinned forest provided suitable shade and moisture.
Adamson's research also covers chaga, a medicinal mushroom with low inoculation success. The team has isolated the first chaga viruses in the lab, with publication forthcoming. He aims to explore fungal viruses' potential to suppress harmful fungi or enhance beneficial species.
Installing dowels is labor-intensive, and stumps require weekly monitoring. Firm recommendations for growers are premature, as stump decomposition takes years – at least three to five depending on species. However, Adamson believes refining methods could improve success rates.
