Casing material and its use in crop cultivation

Abstract

The use of dewatered small particle tailings material derived from the industrial washing of coal, metal ores, rocks and extracted minerals as a component of casing material for the cultivation of mushrooms (<i> Agaricus bisporus <i>and other <i>Agaricus spp.) is described.

1 . A casing material for cultivating crops, the casing material including small particle tailings, the small particle tailings being produced by the industrial washing of an extracted mineral selected from coal, metal ores and rocks to produce a suspension of small particles, followed by dewatering of the suspension of small particles.  
     
     
         2 . A casing material according to  claim 1 , wherein the small particle tailings material is small particle coal tailings material.  
     
     
         3 . A casing material according to  claim 2 , wherein the small particle coal tailings material is multi-roll filter cake (MRF).  
     
     
         4 . A casing material according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , wherein the tailings material is of particle size such that the casing material has a volumetric water holding capacity of 60 to 80% v/v (measured according to British Standard 4156 as a percentage of the total volume of the casing material).  
     
     
         5 . A casing material according to  claim 4 , wherein the tailings material is of particle size such that it predominantly passes a 63 μm British Standard 1377 sieve.  
     
     
         6 . A casing material according to  claim 5 , wherein the tailings material is of particle size such that at least 55% w/w passes a 63 μm sieve, at least 35% w/w passes a 6 μm sieve, and at least 20% w/w passes a 2 μm sieve, the sieves being those used in British Standard 1377, Part 2: 1990, Clause 9.5.  
     
     
         7 . A casing material according to  claim 5 , wherein the tailings material is of particle size such that at least 95% w/w passes a 3.35 mm sieve, at least 90% w/w passes a 2 mm sieve, at least 85% w/w passes a 1.18 mm sieve, at least 80% w/w passes a 600 μm sieve, at least 75% w/w passes a 425 μm sieve, at least 70% w/w passes a 330 μm sieve, at least 65% w/w passes a 150 μm sieve, and at least 55% wow passes a 63 μm sieve, the sieves being those used in British Standard 1377, Part 2: 1990, Clause 9.2.  
     
     
         8 . A casing material according to any one of  claims 1  to  7 , comprising up to 50% of tailings.  
     
     
         9 . A casing material according to  claim 8 , comprising 10 to 40% of tailings.  
     
     
         10 . A casing material according to any one of  claims 1  to  9 , further including peat and 5 to 15% of a calcaerous additive.  
     
     
         11 . A system for the cultivation of crops comprising compost and a casing material as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  6 .  
     
     
         12 . A method of cultivating crops employing a casing material including small particle tailings, wherein the casing material is as defined in any one of  claims 1  to  10 .  
     
     
         13 . A method according to  claim 12 , wherein the crops are mushrooms.  
     
     
         14 . A method according to  claim 13 , wherein the mushrooms are of species  Agaricus bisporus  or other Agaricus spp.  
     
     
         15 . Crops when produced by the method according to  claim 12 .  
     
     
         16 . Mushrooms when produced by the method according to  claim 13  or  claim 14 .  
     
     
         17 . The use of small particle tailings produced by the industrial washing of an extracted mineral selected from coal, metal ores and rocks to produce a suspension of small particles, followed by dewatering of the suspension of small particles, as a component of casing material for the cultivation of crops.  
     
     
         18 . Small particle tailings produced by the industrial washing of an extracted mineral selected from coal, metal ores and rocks to produce a suspension of small particles, followed by dewatering of the suspension of small particles, for use as a component of casing material for the cultivation of crops.