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Abstract: Mushrooms seem to grow best when the growing rooms are supplied with at least 10-20 cu ft of fresh air per sq ft per hour (3-6 m3/m2/hr), with as much air movement as feasible without excessively drying either soil or mushrooms, and with a relative humidity between 75 and 90% Fresh air is required to lower the level of CO2 and other gases which might be toxic. The level of C02 increases or decreases inversely with the rate of introduced fresh air, and directly with the rate of CO2 released from the mushroom trays. The conditions which increase CO2 production and, therefore, the fresh air requirements are increased bed surface, greater bed depth, more vigorous spawn varieties, early versus late start of cropping period, and increased temperature. The minimum of fresh air required for optimum yields is somewhat higher than for the prevention of excessively long stems and small caps. With a constant supply of fresh air, the ratio of air space to bed space affects production only secondarily, through its effects on the surface of bed or tray area within the room, and on the rate of air movement over the beds. The minimum level of CO2 within the compost which affects production appears to be quite high and poses no problem for growers. Closing up the mushroom house for several hours a day during hot weather does not drastically reduce yields.
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