Abstract
The mycelium of the edible mushroom Pleurotus ostreatus can be used for diverse technical applications, such as packaging materials or wastewater treatment, besides the more obvious use for nutrition. While P. ostreatus usually grows on sawdust, wood or similar materials, a former study investigated mycelium growth on different nanofiber mats. Here, we report on growing P. ostreatus on fabrics knitted from different materials, enabling the use of this mushroom in textile-based vertical farming. Our results underline that P. ostreatus grows similar on natural fibers and on synthetic fibers. The agar medium used to provide nutrients was found to support mycelium growth optimally when applied by dip-coating, suggesting that, in this way, P. ostreatus can also be grown on vertically aligned textile fabrics for vertical farming.
Highlights
Textile materials can be used for a broad variety of applications, from clothing to home textiles to medical or technical textiles
The idea of letting plants grow on textile fabrics instead of underneath them, is relatively new [11], while the more general idea of vertical farming on diverse substrates or in hydroponics is already applied
The knitted fabrics were washed at 90 ◦ C in a household washing machine Maxx 6 Exxpress (Robert Bosch GmbH, Gerlingen, Germany), using the color detergent Ariel Colorwaschmittel Pulver (Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Schwalbach am Taunus, Germany) and a second time washed without detergent at the same temperature to clean the fabrics from possible residues from the spinning process
Summary
Textile materials can be used for a broad variety of applications, from clothing to home textiles to medical or technical textiles Another large area in which textile fabrics are used is agriculture. Agro-textiles are often used to cover growing plants, for example, to support outdoor lettuce growth [1,2], early potato plants [3] or spinach [4]. Vertical farming means growing plants, especially edible ones, in so-called farm-scrapers with a closed water recycling system. It can be regarded as growing plants on walls, that is, on really vertical substrates, to reduce the necessary area for the desired amount of food
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