MAX FaCTS
HyDROPONIC NEWS, TIPS aND TRIvIa
pacKinG MushrooMs
Mushrooms are a key ingredient in a new brand of packing blocks used to cushion
products. More precisely, the blocks are made with mycelium—the hidden “roots”
of mushrooms that are usually found beneath dirt or wood.
Workers inoculate mycelium into pasteurized bits of seed husks or plant
stalks, then place the mix into clear plastic molds shaped like the desired
packaging pieces. The mix is covered for about five days as millions of mycelium
strands grow around and through the feedstock, acting as a kind of glue. The
hardness and other qualities of the molded pieces can be manipulated
by altering the type of feedstock or mycelium used.
Once the piece is grown, it is then heat dried to kill the fungus, insuring
that mushrooms can’t sprout from it. Since the mycelium is cloned, the
product does not include spores, which can trigger allergies.
The product breaks down in six to nine months and can be thrown on a compost
pile. It’s also technically edible, though is not recommended as a snack.
(Source: huffingtonpost.com)
rooftop fish farMs
The prototype Globe/Hedron is a bamboo
greenhouse designed to utilize aquaponic farming techniques. Optimized to
feed four families of four all year round, the unit could annually produce 220
lb. of fish and 880 lb. of vegetables.
The geodesic-dome design allows the fish tank’s weight to be redistributed
to a larger surface, so the unit can be placed on more roofs without any
structural building adaptation. The dome can also be
equipped with PV panels and cooling turbines
to generate energy, and the basic structure
can be adapted with greenhouse panels or
insulating panels to suit different environments and weather conditions.
Once on the market, the unit could sell
for about the price of a small car.
(Source: treehugger.com)
underwater carBon storaGe
Seagrasses are recognized for their many ecosystem benefits, such as filtering sediment, serving
as habitats for marine life and protecting coastlines against floods and storms. Now researchers
have found that seagrass meadows might also reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase
carbon stores. Studies show that coastal seagrass beds can store up to 83,000 metric tons of
carbon per 1.54 sq. mi. (mostly in the soils beneath them) and that the global carbon pool in
seagrass beds is as much as 19.9 billion metric tons. Seagrass meadows can store up to twice as
much carbon as the world’s temperate and tropical forests.
(Source: nsf.gov)
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Maximum Yield USA | July 2012