In this study, the combination of infrared - hot air dryer was used for drying of button mushroom. The effect of infrared lamp power (150, 250 and 375 W), hot air temperature (50, 60 and 70oC) and hot air rate (1, 2 and 3 m/s) on drying of button mushroom were investigated. The results of infrared-hot air drying of button mushrooms showed that by increasing of lamp power from 150 to 375, the drying rate increased. With the increase in hot air temperature from 50 to 70oC, and hot air rate from 1and 3 m/s, weight loss increased 10.3% and 13.9%, respectively. Also process modeling were done with the genetic algorithm–artificial neural network (GA-ANN) method with 4 inputs (lamp power, hot air temperature and rate, drying time) and 1 outputs for prediction of weight loss. Sensitivity analysis results by optimum GA-ANN showed the drying time of mushroom was the most sensitive factor for controlling of weight loss. The results of modeling by GA-ANN showed that a network with 7 neurons in the hidden layer with sigmoid activation function can predicted the weight loss (R=0.99) of button mushrooms dried by infrared system-hot air method.

Purpose: Button mushroom has short postharvest life due to high respiration rate, fast browning and high transpiration rate. Calcium is regarded as a suitable material in order to preserve the quality and increase the postharvest life of button mushroom, but, in the research conducted on the edible mushrooms, usually calcium chloride has been used as a calcium source. However, calcium chloride is of a negative effect on the taste of products and finding a suitable alternative is highly significant. In this study, the impact of other calcium sources has been studied in relation to the increased shelf-life of button mushroom in comparison to calcium chloride. Research method: Mushrooms were treated in calcium chloride, calcium lactate and calcium nitrate (Ca concentration equivalent to 0.5% calcium chloride) for 5 min and then were dried at room temperature and packed in polyethylene containers using cellophane film. The packed mushrooms were stored at 4°C and estimated during the cold storage up to the 14 days. Findings: Results indicated that all three calcium treatments led to the reduction of browning in mushrooms by reducing polyphenol oxidase enzyme activity as compared to the control, and also, treated mushrooms had higher firmness value and calcium content but lower phenol content. In addition, desired indices, the calcium lactate treatment was better than two other treatments in maintaining mushrooms quality during the cold storage. Research limitations: No limitations were encountered. Originality/Value: calcium lactate can be an appropriate alternative for calcium chloride treatment in terms of increased shelf-life of button mushrooms.

Button mushroom has sensible to mechanical blows and has low shelf life. The purpose of this project was determining of the optimum method of ultrasonic dehydration and the effect of osmotic processing conditions on mass transfers. In the first step, sodium chloride solution with concentrations 6, 9, 12 and 15%, for 20, 40, 60, 90 and 120 minutes at 25° C and 45° C were used and in the second step, in the constant conditions of salt concentration (12%), immersion time (60 min) and temperature (45° C), the mushroom samples were subjected to ultrasonic wave in two levels (pulse duration time to pulse rest time of 1: 1 and 1: 4) at frequency of 20 KHz and constant power 400 w, to determine their effect on water loss, solid gain and water reduction. The results showed that, as the concentration of osmotic solution increased, mass transfer from the sample increased. When immersion time was increased to 60 min, solid gain and moisture diffusion increased. After this time, water loss was less increased and solid gain was more increased. Further solid gain created a resistant layer against permeability and solute movements on both sides of tissue. in this process, at temperature of 45 ° C, greater the mass transfer rate achieved, mainly due to the increase in cell permeability and permeability coefficient. It was found that salt concentration of 12%, immersion time of 60 min and temperature of 45° C gave the minimum solid gain (2. 83%) and maximum water loss (29. 36%) and weight reduction (24. 53%). Also, the use of ultrasound with pulse ratio of 1: 1 in constant osmotic dehydration condition was conducted better results. At 40 min processing time, the solid gain, water loss and weight reduction were 2. 93%, 41. 23% and 40. 30%, respectively. Moisture content of mushrooms after osmotic dehydration and ultrasound treatment reduced to 85 and 82 %, respectively.

Introduction: Considering the serious challenges related to the waste of agricultural products and the limitations in the traditional storage and processing methods, the use of new technologies such as drying and tablet production seems necessary. Mushrooms also have antifungal, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, antiviral and antibacterial effects. After harvesting, mushrooms have a shorter shelf life than other vegetables due to their high humidity, high respiration rate, lack of cuticle and intense enzymatic activity. They spoil quickly and begin to change color immediately after harvesting. In order to increase their shelf life, edible mushrooms must undergo processing processes, so researchers have investigated various methods for preserving and increasing the shelf life of mushrooms. However, drying is one of the most common methods used for edible mushrooms. Therefore, this research was done with the aim of optimizing the drying and tableting processes for a valuable and perishable product such as edible button mushrooms. Materials and Methods: Edible button mushrooms were purchased from the local market and after cleaning and washing, they were cut into pieces with a thickness of three millimeters. Then, the samples were placed in the oven for 24 hours to obtain its initial moisture, and finally they were dried by two methods of drying in the shade and drying with a continuous dryer. Then the dried mushrooms were powdered and shaped into smooth round tablets. For this purpose, the tests were defined in the form of a central composite design in Design Expert software version 13. Independent variables (input) to Design Expert software in continuous dryer including temperature (50, 60 and 70 degrees Celsius) and air speed (1.5, 2.5 and 3.5 m/s) and dependent variables for drying included total phenol, antioxidant property and color parameters. Regarding the optimization of the tableting process, independent variables include: pressure (50×105, 60×105, 70×105, 80×105 and 90×105 Pa), stress relaxation time (3, 8, 13, 18 and 22 s) and mold diameter (10, 14, 18, 22 and 26 mm) and the dependent variables included penetration resistance, stress along the diameter and density. Results and Discussion: According to the findings, the air temperature variable had a greater effect on the response variables than the air velocity variable. According to the results obtained from the optimization, the conditions in which the air temperature was 64.1°C and the air velocity was 2.49 m/s were selected as the optimal conditions with a desirability of 76.3%. The edible button mushroom sample dried in optimal conditions has a total phenol content of 10.7 mg of gallic acid in the weight of the dry sample, antioxidant property of 91.72%, brightness index (L*) 69.73, redness index (a*) was -23.44 and the jaundice index (b*) was 1.80. The shade-dried sample also has a total phenol content of 2.87 mg of gallic acid in the weight of the dry sample, antioxidant property of 91.27%, brightness index (L*) of 72.54, redness index (a*) of 09 -9/ and the yellowness index (b*) was 6.74. According to the total phenol content and antioxidant property in the continuous drying method, this method was more favorable than the shade drying method. Among the factors affecting the mechanical properties of tablets prepared from dried mushroom powder by the continuous method and shade, the die diameter variable was more effective than the other two variables. To optimize the tablet obtained from dried mushroom powder by continuous method, the conditions in which the pressure was equal to 72.74 ×105 Pa, the die diameter was 14 mm, and the stress relaxation time was 8 seconds, with the desirability of 71.8% as a point. Optimum was selected. For shadow-dried mushroom powder tablets, the conditions in which the pressure was equal to 80×105 Pa, the diameter of the mold was 18.70 mm, and the stress relaxation time was 18 seconds were selected as the optimal point with a desirability of 60.1%.Conclusion: From the comparison of the optimal conditions obtained from the optimization for the two powders dried by the shade and continuous methods, it can be stated that the optimal tablet sample obtained from mushroom powder dried by the continuous method was more desirable than the optimal tablet obtained from mushroom powder dried in the shade.In general, it can be concluded that drying by continuous method can be a good option to replace drying by traditional method. Because the tablet obtained from mushroom powder dried by the continuous method had a higher density, penetration resistance and stress along the diameter compared to the shadow method.

Edible mushroom is one of the agricultural product which has high nutritional value but is extremely perishable and has a short shelf life period. This study was conducted to extend the shelf life of A. bisporus by hot air drying method, novel chemical and heat treatment (blanching). Colour change percentage and ratio of rehydration, protein content and microbial count were used as primary criteria for the evaluation of the quality of the dried mushroom slices under optimum condition. Below factors which change the quality of dried product were studied; Chemical treatments by H.Cl.Ca, citric acid, EDTA, metabisulphite (M.B.S.) and combination of M.B.S with other chemicals, Pre-treatment blanching with steam or boiling water, different strains of A. bisporus, number of break or flush, best time of drying (from harvest to processing time), different condition of culture, determine shelf life of the products. Results indicated that different treatments and levels were affected significantly (p<0.0001). Chemical treatment with chlorine solution at 50 ppm reduced the microbial count. Citric acid slightly improved the colour and microbial load at 500 and 600 ppm in comparison with the control. Effect of metabisulphite with 400 and 500 ppm improved colour while EDTA had no change on colour of the dry product as compared to the control. On the other hand using M.B.S plus EDTA produced superior dehydrated product from the consumer point of view. M.B.S with cholorine solution effectively decreased the microbial load. Combination of M.B.S with. citric acid caused a slight pale-yellow colour. This colour change was increased as acid quantity, increased and turned completely yellow. Blanching reduced the attractiveness of dried mushroom compared to the control. unbalanced dried mushroom had higher rehydration value and lower protein content than blanched dried mushroom. Treatment of mushroom by blanching (steam or boiling water) reduced the microbial count. Similar results were obtained by either boiling water or steam blanching. This reduction also was similar in either boiling water or steam of blanching. Cultivation conditions of mushroom farms had very important effect on the colour, texture, percentage and ratio of rehydration as well as on nutritional value and microbial contamination of the quality of the dried products. Strains of Agaricus bisporus such as U1, U3, X1, 413 and A-5 on the same cultivation condition had a slight effect on colour and texture but not the total microbial count. The best colour of the dried mushroom was obtained from the 1st and 2nd flushes. Increasing the number of flushes, colour changes also increased. Result showed that harvested fresh mushroom should not be immediately processed; processing should take place after 48, 72 and 96 hours post harvest.

Casing soil is one of the most important indicators of button mushroom production, which has a direct impact on the size and performance. Due to the easy availability of resources for the production of vermicompost, this mix can be used as a alternative of peat for button mushroom production. This study was conducted with nine treatments and three replications in a completely randomized design at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Guilan in 2013. Different treatments were prepared before and after leaching vermicompost (worm waste) in combination with peat in ratio of (0:100), (25: 75), (50:50), (75:25) and (100:0). The results showed that the treatments of washed vermicompost alone or in combination with peat, were suitable for production of casing soil. Although different treatment didn’t show any significant differences on yield, but leached vermicompost led to increasing number of mushroom and reduction of two days from casing to harvest, but decreased dry matter content of mushroom.

The majority of breeding programs of edible mushrooms are carried out in the button mushroom due to its commercial importance and genetic difficulties. In this research, for the first time in Iran, it was possible to examine intra-hybridization and its effect on both productivity and mycelium morphology as a potential for commercialization. The strains comprised six heterokaryons and four homokaryons from different sources. Twenty five homokaryotic isolates were obtained from six heterokaryon and having 29 homokaryons, 406 diallele crosses were performed from which 145 crosses were compatible. Productivity of compatible crosses was examined in an industrial mushroom farm on a basis of randomized complete block design with two replications. From 145 crosses, nine hybrids which had significantly higher yield than the control, were used in yield trials performed in two industrial mushroom farms on a completely randomized design basis with three replications. The yield of three hybrids was significantly higher than the control. For these hybrids, a strain registration form was prepared. The resulting information showed some interesting points, particularly about the study of pedigree of offspring having high performance than the control, which will be useful in designing the future breeding programs.

Introduction: Water scarcity and drought are among the most common agricultural problems in Iran. Therefore, finding solutions to enhance the resistance of agricultural crops such as button mushrooms resistant to drought stress is of particular importance. Increasing soil water retention and irrigation management are vital to preventing water scarcity and physiological stress in agricultural crops. Therefor the amount of water available to plants and its measurement has been of interest to farmers and researchers. One of the solutions considered in recent years for optimal management of soil water status is the addition of organic amendments to the soil, including biochar. Biochar can change the physical properties, improving access to water, air, and nutrients for the plant, and as a result, affect the growth and yield of agricultural crops. Therefore, irrigation of casing soil under button mushroom cultivation should also be managed according to these changes to prevent inefficient irrigation. Methods: This study was conducted in a completely randomized factorial design with three factors: type of casing soil at four levels, amount of biochar at four levels, and size of biochar particles at two levels. The experiments had three replications. The control treatment consisted of casing soil used in the factory with a combination of North peat, South peat, and spent mushroom compost (SMC) in equal weight ratios. The experiments involved a total number of 29 treatments across 87 experimental plots at the Negin Fasl compost and mushroom production factory, located in Shahrekord city, Iran, in 2023. In this regard, the initial casing soil compositions including North peat, peat vermicompost, cow manure vermicompost, and mushroom compost vermicompost were prepared. To prepare different treatments, biochar derived from pruning waste of plum and pomegranate trees, with particle sizes of 0–1 mm and 1–2 mm, was added at 5%, 10%, and 15% by weight to the aforementioned casing soil compositions with a 20-day incubation period. Then, 15 days after the compost loading operation in the button of mushroom cultivation hall, when 70% of the compost bed was covered with mushroom mycelium, the casing stage began. For each square meter of the cultivation bed, 32 kg of casing soil was added as described in the experimental treatments in the form of caking. After the casing stage, sampling the casing soil was carried out from each experimental plot using a metal cylinder with a diameter and height of 4. 5 and 5 cm, respectively. Finally, the soil moisture characteristic curve obtained by measuring moisture at suctions of 0, 10, 20, 50, 60, 80, and 100 hectopascals. The indices of air volume percentage after irrigation (AIR), available water (EAW), water buffering capacity (WBC), water holding capacity (WHC), and their integral energy were calculated. Then, the obtained data were analyzed using SPSS software. Results:    The results showed that the application of biochar led to a decrease in AIR in the studied soils which could be due to the high frequency of fine pores that were affected after irrigation. The highest volumetric percentage of air after irrigation was observed in the S0 treatment (0. 17) and the lowest in the S4l2z1 treatment (0. 02), which had no significant difference with the S3l3z2 treatment (0. 02). The application of biochar in different soils except for the S1 treatment did not cause any changes in the EAW value compared to the commercial casing soil and the EAW value of all treatments was at the optimal level. The application of biochar to the casing soil resulted in an increase in the WBC value of water and this increase led to enhance in water retention in the casing soil. However, WHC value in the S1lo, S2lo, S3lo and S4lo treatments decreased by 34, 29, 5 and 19 percent compared with the S0 treatment, respectively. The results showed that the variation of EIAIR among different casing soils and also commercial casing soil was small,also in all four studied soil types EIAIR increased after irrigation with increasing biochar application. Soil water availability for plants was almost constant in the moisture range of 10 to 50 hPa. The application of biochar to casing soil increased this energy requirement but this increase was not significant. Also, the amount of energy required for water absorption in the moisture range between 50 and 100 hPa was almost the same among different casing soils and also commercial casing soil. There was no significant difference between the energy requirements of these soils, but the application of biochar-except for soil S1-led to an increase in EIWBC, although this increase was not significant. Conclusion:   Overall, the results showed that adding biochar to casing soil did not cause any problems in terms of soil aeration and kept the amount of accessible soil water at an optimal level. However despite the increase in the amount of water buffering capacity (WBC) and water holding capacity (WHC) in the soil, the amount of integral energy (EI) increased due to the increase in the specific surface area of the soil, making water extraction more difficult. Therefore, it seems that using biochar as a percentage replacement for casing soil does not cause a significant change in soil water availability compared to commercial and conventional casing soil.

Compared to most vegetables, mushrooms have a short shelf life after harvesting due to their metabolic activities and highwater content. This characteristic makes it susceptible to microbial spoilage and enzymatic browning. Therefore, it is very important to choose a suitable maintenance method. In this research, combined osmosis-hot air drying method was used, and button mushrooms were cut in three levels of 3, 5, and 7 mm, and three levels of salt osmotic solution concentration of 10, 20, and 30%, and three levels of retention time in osmotic solution one, they were dried for 2 and 3 h, in a laboratory hot air dryer at a temperature of 60 ̊C and the samples were evaluated in terms of moisture and water reabsorption and sensory evaluation. The results showed that the best cut thickness for drying mushrooms is 5 mm, and the samples that were in the osmotic solution with a lower concentration had a higher water absorption than the rest of the samples, and the evaluation results also showed that the dried mushrooms with a thickness 5 mm, which is 3 h in 20% osmotic solution, has higher sensory characteristics in terms of taste, taste, aroma, smell, appearance color, firmness of texture and overall acceptance.

Dehydration is one of the most common preservation methods for button mushroom. Dried mushroom slice and powder are used in formulation of soups and sauces. Throughout the present study, the effect of osmotic pretreatment on drying kinetics of button mushrooms was studied. Thin slices of mushroom were immersed in an osmotic solution, containing 5% sodium chloride and 0.5% calcium chloride at a temperature of 40oC for 120 min. Pretreated samples were then hot air dried (with air speed of 1.8 m/s) at a temperature of 50 vs 60oC to a final desired moisture content. Effective moisture diffusion coefficient, activation energy, shrinkage, rehydration ratio and colorimetric parameters were evaluated following dying. Osmotic dehydration significantly (p<0.05) decreased drying time and increased drying rate. The effective moisture diffusion coefficient in osmotic pretreated samples was higher than that of control. Osmotic pretreatment prior to hot air drying led to a significant (p<0.05) decrease in activation energy. Osmotic pretreatment decreased shrinkage, rehydration ratio and color L value. However, overall color and "a" and "b" values were not significantly (p<0.05) influenced by osmotic dehydration.