Controlled Environment for Mushroom Production

While satisfying nutritional needs, mushroom cultivation is financially sustainable and can supplement carbon dioxide required by plants in a crop-production system. The goal of this project is to design and build an efficient and cost-effective mushroom growth chamber as part of a larger system of crop production. The mushroom-growing system design consists of storage shelves, fruiting chambers, a laminar flow hood, and a humidity control system. The design includes a cabinet to convert the laminar flow hood to an inoculation station and a humidifier with microcontroller-based sensor control. The layout of the fruiting chambers and walking areas meet safety requirements and were designed in cooperation with the plant production and irrigation infrastructure teams (Teams 15090 and 15091). Through controlled environment practices, the mushroom growing system will deliver a nutritionally dense product to offset food insecurity, and provide an opportunity for further research.