Innovation day highlights advanced automation and future pathways for Irish growers
Source: VFD.com
Innovation day highlights advanced automation and future pathways for Irish growers A Mushroom Innovation Day, hosted by Teagasc Horticulture Development Department, took place on Wednesday, 6 May at the Ashtown Research Centre in Dublin. It brought together growers, researchers, and technology providers to explore the future of mushroom production, with a strong focus on automation, sustainability, and peat-free growing systems.
Opening the Mushroom Innovation Day, Dr Michael Gaffney, Acting Head of the Teagasc Horticulture Development Department, highlighted the 78% increase in input costs the mushroom sector has faced since 2020. He noted that labour continues to be the most important input, comprising 45.6% of the production costs of mushrooms in Ireland and this highlights why advancements such as automation are critical to maintaining competitiveness.
Presentations from Rick Deryx (GTL/Limbraco), Sean O'Connor (4AG), Alan Edwards (Mushroom Machine), Jan-Emiel Tack (TLT Automation), and Stefan Glibetic (Myconics) highlighted the most advanced harvesting solutions currently available globally, offering Irish growers a valuable insight into how automation can support labour efficiency and long-term competitiveness. Attendees at the Innovation Day visited Teagasc's Mushroom Research Facility to view practical demonstrations on advancements from the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine funded 'Beyond Peat' project in developing peat free mushroom production, and developments in the use of biocontrol and biostimulants to manage disease in mushroom crops, illustrating how Teagasc research is closely aligned with industry needs.
Why this matters: For operators, this is a water-management story. The useful signal is that direct substrate measurements can help cut drain loss materially without giving up yield or fruit quality, which is exactly the kind of controllable efficiency gain a facility can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does substrate sensing matter in free-drain strawberry systems?
Because drain percentage tells a grower what already happened, while substrate moisture and EC data show root-zone conditions directly. That makes it easier to cut water loss without guessing.
What is the operator takeaway from this trial?
If the thresholds are understood well enough, growers can reduce drain water materially while protecting yield and fruit quality, which makes sensing an operational tool instead of a reporting tool.
