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Abstract: In most European countries and the USA Sphagnum peat is used as a casing material in the commercial cultivation of Agaricus bisporus. In South Africa the cost of the imported peat precludes its use as a 100% peat-based casing. Indigenous peat (reed-sedge peat) is often mixed with the imported peat to meet the required properties of a good casing material. An altemative that is competitively priced and available in more than adequate quantities would benefit the country. Peat from the Congo, coconut fibre pith ("Coir") from Sri-Lanka, peat from Potchefstroom in the North-West province and from Natal, South Africa, were used in a series of experiments to compare the effect of the various peat-based mixtures on yield. The studies undertaken so far indicate that the physical, chemical and microbiological characteristics seem to fulfil the requirements for a good casing material. Further experiments are to be conducted to determine the precise potential of the materials to obtain high and consistent yields of A. bisporus.
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