Intelligent Mushroom Cultivation House with Fired Clay Balls to Air Humidification

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study the effects of mushroom cultivation in a smart mushroom cultivation facility with the fired clay balls that help retain moisture. The study compares the opening of mushroom caps in three systems: system 1, where caps are opened in a greenhouse with regular watering; system 2, where caps are opened in a greenhouse with soil pellets aiding moisture retention; and system 3, which involves caps opening in a greenhouse with soil pellets aiding moisture retention and automated watering controlled by a time-based system. The results of the study indicate that the use of fired clay balls can help reduce the average temperature by 0.87 °C. Incorporating an automatic system further decreases the average temperature by 3.69 °C. Adding the fired clay balls also increases the average humidity by 16.15% RH, and when combined with the automatic system, it results in a 19.76% RH increase. The use of the fired clay balls has no significant impact on water consumption and electricity usage. However, when combined with the automated control system, there is a significant reduction compared to manual watering. The system employing the fired clay balls shows an approximately 11.94% increase in yield, and when combined with the automated system, the yield increases by 22.41%. If farmers cultivate mushrooms with a quantity of at least 2,500 capsules, they can expect a daily profit of approximately 450 Baht, and the payback period is estimated to be 3.54 months.