| Abstract: | Spent Mushroom Substrate (SMS) is a by-product of mushroom cultivation, consisting of various organic materials. After a few growing seasons, the substrate becomes depleted and is generally considered waste. However, modern research indicates numerous beneficial uses for spent mushroom substrate. In a project study, SMS was used as an organic fertilizer at three different locations in ecological, integrated, and biodynamic tomato production in greenhouses. In each cultivation method, fertilization with SMS, standard fertilization (S), SMS+S, and a control without fertilization were tested in triplicates. As part of the master's thesis, soil samples were taken from the observed locations in all seasons, and enzyme activities of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), phosphatase (PHOS), beta-glucosidase (βGLU), arylsulfatase (ARS), urease (URE), arylamidase (ARN), alkaline phosphatase (PAK), and acid phosphatase (PAC) were analyzed in samples, according to the ISO 20130:2018 standard Soil Quality Measurement of enzyme activity patterns in soil samples using colorimetric substrates in microtiter plates. Differences in enzyme activities between the seasons and between different fertilization methods were compared. The results indicate, that different seasons affected enzyme activities in the soil, while the addition of mushroom substrate as a fertilizer did not necessarily result in an increased enzyme activity. Spent mushroom substrate (SMS) is a byproduct of mushroom cultivation, consisting of various organic materials. After several seasons of use, the substrate becomes depleted and is generally considered waste. However, modern research indicates numerous beneficial possibilities for the use of spent mushroom substrate. As part of the project EIP 16.5 "Cultivation of Mushrooms on the Farm and Its Role in the Circular Economy in the Preparation of Quality Organic Fertilizer," this type of spent mushroom substrate was used as organic fertilizer at three different locations in organic, integrated, and biodynamic farming. In the scope of the master's thesis, soil samples were taken at the mentioned locations in all seasons. The samples were analyzed for the activity of enzymes N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), phosphatase (PHOS), beta-glucosidase (0GLU), arylsulfatase (ARS), urease (URE), arylamidase (ARN), alkaline phosphatase (PAK), and acid phosphatase (PAC) according to the ISO 20130:2018 Standard - Soil Quality - Measurement of Enzymatic Activity in Soil Samples Using Colorimetric substrates in Micro-well Plates. We compared differences in enzyme activity between individual seasons and different fertilization methods. The results showed that different seasons affect soil enzyme activity, while the addition of mushroom substrate as fertilizer does not necessarily increase enzyme activity. |
|---|
